Stories and Photos

Fr. Dave Godleski, SJ

I was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, previously known as the "Furniture Capitol" of the world and the home of former President Gerald R. Ford. After attending a Catholic grade school, I went to a local diocesan high school where my father was a teacher and athletic director. While an undergraduate at Michigan State University, I met my first Jesuit, who impressed me with his homilies that seemed so relevant to my own life. This sparked my own desire to join the Society. Although continuing my reflections upon a vocation to the Jesuits, I did doctoral studies at Northwestern University in applied mathematics and then got my first "real" job teaching math at Loyola University in Chicago. Eventually, I applied to the Society of Jesus, entered the novitiate in Berkley, MI in 1988 and professed perpetual vows in 1990.

As a Jesuit, I studied philosophy at Loyola University in Chicago and then taught math to high school students at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL from 1991-1994. I enjoyed the enthusiasm and energy of the students at Loyola Academy and appreciated the opportunity to have a positive impact upon their lives. Besides teaching, I was also the moderator for the sophomore student council and an adult leader on summer service trips to the Dominican Republic. These experiences allowed me to interact with students outside of the classroom and gave me a broader perspective on the young people of today.

After teaching for three years, I returned to the other side of the desk, studied theology at Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, MA and was ordained a priest in June, 1998 in Chicago. Since my ordination, I have been the vocation director for the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, which encompasses the states of Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and the archdiocese of Cincinnati. The most enjoyable part of this ministry is the opportunity to meet and converse with people who are trying to decide how God is calling them. It is truly a privilege and pleasure to listen to peoples' stories and hear how the Lord has been active in their lives. If you would like to chat about the possibility of Jesuit life, please feel free to contact me at godleski@jesuits-chi.org.

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