Fr. Killian Loch, O.S.B. has been named director of campus ministry at Saint Vincent College, according to an announcement by Br. Norman W. Hipps, O.S.B., president.
Fr. Killian joins the Saint Vincent staff after making his first vows as a Benedictine monk of Saint Vincent Archabbey. A native of Wilkes-Barre, he previously served in the Diocese of Scranton.
“I look forward to this assignment since a significant part of my background has been involvement in Catholic schools,” Fr. Killian said. “My assignments involved full and part time teaching and administration in diocesan high schools, and my parish assignments included parish elementary schools. I was also involved in several diocesan commissions and studies of the Catholic school system. I look forward to interacting with the students as campus minister. Saint Vincent has an outstanding campus ministry program of spiritual activities, service opportunities and social and educational activities. These already involve a large number of the students so I don’t anticipate making any immediate changes. As I become more familiar with the spiritual needs of the students, I may explore new programs and activities in the future.”
“Relationships are very important to college students,” Fr. Killian said. “I want them to have a good relationship with God, in which they will view him not as a distant deity, but as someone who desires a close relationship with them.”
Fr. Killian is very interested in the various lay ecclesial movements in the Church today, one form of associations of the faithful of the Catholic church. “The late Blessed John Paul II recognized the importance of ecclesial activity in the new millennium and encouraged the development of various ecclesial movements including Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Cursillo Movement, L’Arche, Worldwide Marriage Encounter, and others. He believed that the new evangelization will come through these movements. I will look for opportunities to connect our students with these on campus. After students graduate, I think it is important for them to be ready to be active in the broader Church.”
Fr. Killian joins current campus ministry staff including assistant directors Fr. Anthony Grossi, O.S.B., Fr. Jean-Luc Zadroga, and Dr. John Aupperle, secretary Jody Marsh, and music coordinator Mary Ellen Lang.
“I am very happy to be part of the Saint Vincent Benedictine Community,” Fr. Killian concluded. “For me, the community aspect is very important,” Fr. Killian noted. “The monks have a wonderful sense of community and it’s impressive to see this diverse group of men gather for prayer, meals and other interaction. It’s part of the broader Saint Vincent community which includes the Parish, Seminary and College, all of which have a great commitment to Saint Vincent. I have been so impressed with what people are willing to do for Saint Vincent.”
Fr. Killian earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Scranton before completing a master of divinity degree at St. John School of Theology and a master of education degree at Boston College. He served in various pastoral assignments including director of religious formation and procurator at Bishop Neumann High School in Williamsport and later acting principal and principal of Bishop Hafey High School, Hazleton.
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