Associate Vocations Director, Knights Chaplain, to depart for King’s College

This summer, Father Jarrod Waugh, C.S.C., will leave Notre Dame to be the Associate Campus Minister at King’s College, a liberal arts university founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in northeastern Pennsylvania. At Notre Dame, Fr. Jarrod currently serves as the Associate Director of Vocations as well as the chaplain for Notre Dame’s Knights of Columbus Council #1477.

Last year, the Rover had the opportunity to interview Fr. Jarrod about his work with Holy Cross Vocations and his personal story. Before being ordained a priest, Fr. Jarrod attended the University of Notre Dame, where he studied philosophy and theology. He spent his freshman and sophomore years in Keough Hall and entered Old College undergraduate seminary during his junior year. Throughout all four years, he was very involved in the Knights of Columbus, serving as grand knight for one year and an officer for three. After his undergraduate education, he continued formation with the Congregation of Holy Cross and was ordained a priest in 2013.
For the past several years, Fr. Jarrod has served as the chaplain for the Knights of Columbus Council #1477, the very same chapter that he once led as grand knight. As chaplain, he provided spiritual guidance for the Council in many ways, including helping with retreats and prayer services, leading the council in prayer, and serving as a resource for those with questions about their faith. To celebrate his longstanding service to the Council, the Knights held a “Father Jarrod Honorary Night” on Wednesday, April 26th. It featured featuring bocci and cribbage, two of Fr. Jarrod’s favorite games, on South Quad as well as Mass in Fr. Jarrod’s home dorm of Dillon Hall.
The Rover reached out to several Knights of Columbus officers about their memories of Fr. Jarrod’s work with the council. Senior and past grand knight Henry Dickman commented, “One of my favorite things about Fr. Jarrod is how he expresses his great love of the Church and its sacred, millenia-old traditions while being very relatable to young college students. He’s the type of guy who can teach on the theology of liturgy while hanging around a cookout on the quad. It’s a rare combination but one that is so important, and he will be greatly missed.”

Sophomore and current deputy grand knight Gaven DeVillier also remarked, “As a Knight, I knew that I always had a person to talk to in Father Jarrod. His quality priest jokes and his witty banter make everyone feel at home around him. His deep love for the Congregation, his zeal in his priestly vocation, and his dedication to our community in the Knights of Columbus are a model for what I believe God calls us to do: love our family, love what we do, and spread the love to everyone around us. I am so happy to have been able to serve with such an amazing man, and I am thrilled for this next step on his journey!”

The Rover as well as many Notre Dame students and faculty will miss Fr. Jarrod next year but wish him the best in his future endeavors.