“As a Jesuit, I have developed a deeper and more human personal relationship with Jesus, rooted in my experience of the Spiritual Exercises. I have also learned more about how to let go of anxiety and the self-preoccupation and pressure that accompany it and to instead turn to listen to and see what God is saying and doing in my life.”
Will teach theology at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Chris Williams, SJ, was raised in Spearfish, South Dakota, by two wonderful parents alongside one younger brother. He attended Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, where he studied theology and secondary education. During his time there, he was involved in service and justice programs and activities, retreats, and the general religious and spiritual life of the school, while also enjoying playing a lot of Ping-Pong! He was drawn to the Jesuit way of proceeding that felt thoughtful and down-to-earth, integrating faith and justice along with a rich spirituality. Through prayer, conversation and wise spiritual direction, he eventually discerned to apply to the Society of Jesus and entered the novitiate in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 2014.
The fellowship Chris has with his brother Jesuits has been a profound gift, shaping who he is and opening him to know, love and serve God more deeply. His loving family also continues to be a core part of life, including now, among others, the blessings of his two nieces and a nephew. Furthermore, he is grateful to have come to know all sorts of other incredible women and men as friends, colleagues, mentors, spiritual directors and teachers over the years.
Chris has been able to minister in schools, health care facilities, prisons and jails, on retreats, as a spiritual director, and in parishes where he has had seen God at work in all sorts of remarkable ways. He has been especially impacted by his time teaching high school theology at Marquette University High School in Milwaukee; having the privilege of serving as a spiritual director in a number of contexts; and serving as a deacon at Corpus Christi Parish in Piedmont, California. After ordination, he will teach theology at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska.
Bachelor’s degree, theology and secondary education, Creighton University; Master’s degree, Christian spirituality, Loyola University Chicago; Licentiate in Sacred Theology and master’s degree, theology, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University
My first car was a large, bright red 1988 Toyota Land Cruiser.
St. Peter Faber is my favorite saint. I resonate with his gentle disposition and approach to ministry, along with his honesty and insight about his struggles to be freed from anxieties and fears.
I have developed a deeper and more human personal relationship with Jesus, rooted in my experience of the Spiritual Exercises. I have also learned more about how to let go of anxiety and the self-preoccupation and pressure that accompany it and to instead turn to listen to and see what God is saying and doing in my life, which has been filled with great gentleness and encouragement. And finally, I am more aware of how God shows up in small, ordinary and gradual ways in my life, perhaps most especially in my relationships with family and friends. My job is just to try to pay attention as best as I can!
