“One of the most meaningful experiences of my formation was … when I was welcomed into Yup’ik communities in Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay and Chevak, Alaska. At first, I wanted to do something … but instead, I learned what it meant to simply be present. I began to see ministry not as offering something, but as being with others, listening and sharing in their daily lives.”
Will serve as associate professor of management and associate dean for strategy and mission in the College of Business Administration at Loyola Marymount University.
Dominic Chai, SJ, was born in Seoul, Korea, and immigrated to the United States at age 12, growing up in Orange County, California. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a doctorate in management from the London School of Economics. Before becoming a Jesuit, Dominic held faculty positions at Manchester Business School, Seoul National University, and Birkbeck College, University of London, teaching strategic management and business ethics. His corporate sector experience includes serving as a senior executive at Hyundai Development Company, where he oversaw global strategy and developed new ventures. While discerning his vocation, Dominic walked the Camino de Santiago and made a pilgrimage to Yamaguchi, Japan, where St. Francis Xavier once ministered. These encounters deepened his desire to enter religious life in the Society of Jesus.
After taking first vows in Los Angeles, Dominic completed philosophy studies at Loyola University Chicago. During the pandemic, he was missioned to the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development for his regency, co-coordinating the Vatican COVID-19 Commission’s Economy Taskforce, advocating for debt relief in impoverished nations and forging partnerships to bring Laudato Si’ into action. He also collaborated with the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools, exploring how Jesuit higher education can address contemporary societal challenges, and taught in the Church Leadership and Management program at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
For theology studies, Dominic earned a Licentiate in Sacred Theology at Boston College, writing his dissertation on Sensus Fidei and communal discernment. He also served as a deacon at St. Ignatius Parish and chaplain to the Boston College Symphony Orchestra. Dominic will celebrate his first Mass at St. Thomas Korean Catholic Center, his home parish in Anaheim, California. After ordination, he will serve as associate professor of management and associate dean for strategy and mission at Loyola Marymount University’s College of Business Administration.
Bachelor’s degree, political science, University of California, Berkeley; Master’s degree, international political economy and Ph.D., management, London School of Economics and Political Science; Master’s degree, theological studies, Loyola University Chicago; Licentiate in Sacred Theology, Boston College Clough School of Theology and Ministry
Pottery has been an unexpected but meaningful part of my Jesuit formation. I often find myself reflecting on the image of the potter and the clay, seeing how God gently shapes each of us through experiences and relationships. Working with clay has helped me recognize my own vulnerabilities — how much we depend on the steady hands of the divine Potter. Just as clay must be wedged, centered and shaped before it takes form, I have come to see my own journey as being shaped by God for something beyond myself. The slow, careful nature of working with clay has deepened my patience and trust, revealing that transformation does not happen instantly but unfolds over time. In the quiet hours at the wheel, I find a space of reflection, where centering clay becomes a silent dialogue with God.
I have also learned to appreciate the mystery of what happens in the kiln. Once a piece is placed inside, it is beyond my control — the fire refines it beyond my design. Yet time and again, I have been surprised by the beauty that emerges in ways I did not expect. The process has been a lesson in trust, reminding me that God’s work in us is often unseen until the moment it is revealed. Pottery has become a space where I encounter God’s creativity — where something ordinary is transformed into something new, and where, like clay in the hands of the potter, I learn to surrender to the One who lovingly holds us.
One of the most inspiring moments in Jesuit history for me is the Deliberation of the First Fathers in 1539, when Ignatius of Loyola and his nine companions discerned whether to remain together or go their separate ways. Having initially hoped to go to Jerusalem, they faced uncertainty when their original plan became impossible. Rather than rushing to a decision, they remained in prayer, placing their trust in God and in the companionship they had formed. Over months of conversation and reflection, they freely arrived at the decision to remain united, committing themselves to a shared way of life and mission for the greater glory of God.
The experience of the first Jesuits offers a powerful witness to the strength that comes from a union of hearts and minds. What stands out is their deep trust in God and their openness to wherever they were being led, even when their original vision was no longer possible. They engaged in honest and open dialogue, recognizing that their unity was not simply a matter of practicality but a response to how God was working among them. As the church today walks the synodal path of encounter, listening and discernment, their example reminds us of what it means to journey together — attentive to the Spirit, free to embrace new paths and united in service to the church.
One of the most meaningful experiences of my formation was during my novitiate poverty experiment, when I was welcomed into Yup’ik communities in Scammon Bay, Hooper Bay and Chevak, Alaska. The Jesuits have a long history in the region, and I was grateful for the opportunity to visit and experience life in these remote villages. I arrived in April, when winter still lingered in the Yukon–Kuskokwim Delta. Eleven hours of daylight stretched over the crisp air and frozen tundra. More than anything, I encountered the generosity of the Indigenous communities of the region not just in their hospitality, but also in the food they shared — moose, salmon, seal oil and wild berries — each meal offered as a sign of welcome and kinship.
At first, I wanted to do something — to contribute in some way — but instead, I learned what it meant to simply be present. I began to see ministry not as offering something, but as being with others, listening and sharing in their daily lives. I was invited into their homes, into their traditions and even to maqi in the family sauna, where, without pretense, stories were shared in the steam and silence. Their way of life, deeply rooted in community and resilience, gave me an insight into what it truly means to walk with others.
Fun fact: Four Jesuits who have accompanied me on my journey — John Privett, John Baldovin, Dan Hartnett and Tony Sholander — share the same birthday. Each has shaped my journey in different ways: John Privett by embodying quiet strength and enduring faithfulness; John Baldovin by deepening my appreciation for liturgy and the generosity at the heart of priestly life; Dan Hartnett by shaping my understanding of the relationship between faith and justice; and Tony Sholander by reminding me of the joy and humanity at the heart of this vocation.
Their shared birthday may be a coincidence, but their presence in my life has been anything but. They, along with many others, have enriched my Jesuit journey, reminding me that we walk this path together, accompanied by those who have gone before us and those who walk beside us.
