Rev. Gregory Schenden, S.J., didn’t think he’d be a priest when he was growing up. The Detroit native — a longtime Star Wars fanboy — wanted to be a real-life Han Solo. If that didn’t work, he would have also taken a gig as a punk rock star. But after attending a Jesuit university, his dream job morphed into something new.
Fast forward a few decades, Schenden has now spent the last 26 years as a Jesuit priest. First arriving at Georgetown in 2014, Schenden had spent one year crisscrossing between the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia during his final stage of Jesuit formation.
But Georgetown was always a familiar sight for the Jesuit. After being ordained as a Catholic priest at Fordham University Church in the Bronx, Schenden spent his first few years of ministry at Holy Trinity Catholic Church just a block away from the Hilltop.
Today, Schenden is a mainstay at Georgetown as the director of Campus Ministry. Working with the chaplains and staff of Campus Ministry, Schenden walks alongside the Georgetown community to help students, faculty and staff lead lives of deeper meaning, belonging and purpose.
“No two days are ever the same. What I do here at Georgetown is just getting to be part of the community and knowing the community and accompanying them,” Schenden said. “We cannot predict the various things we find ourselves in, but that becomes a large part of accompanying people and listening to folks in the midst of challenges and real joys.”
Read more about Schenden’s path to the priesthood, how he got into punk rock and why his love for a galaxy far, far away will always live on.
I first got into punk rock: when I was in a punk band in high school. And I was in a punk band because I couldn’t sing, and you don’t really need to have a voice to be able to scream a little bit.
Punk rock speaks to me because: The Clash is probably one of my favorite bands of all time, and London Calling is probably one of the finest albums of all time. A band like The Clash wasn’t nihilistic. They were willing to cry about injustice and say, “Yeah, the world is broken, but we’re going to try to bring about change and transformation and make things more hopeful.” That kind of mentality has stuck with me, and that’s why I am who I am today as a Jesuit, because we can look at the world and see it is very, very broken. But that sense of clinging to a spirit of hope and willingness to work for that hope was something I learned at an early age.
How I became a priest: I did not grow up thinking I was going to be a Catholic priest. I’ve always been a big Star Wars fan, so I wanted to be Han Solo, and I thought that would be a cool way to live, but then I realized there’s no such thing as a Millenium Falcon. I was also big into music, but I can’t sing or play guitar, so that wasn’t going to happen. The seeds were planted while I was an undergraduate student at a Jesuit university. Having grown up Catholic, the Jesuits I encountered at that formative age changed and transformed my understanding of what it means to be a person of faith.
The reason I joined the Jesuits: One thing is the life in community and how the Jesuits are devoted to something far greater than themselves. I was an undergrad when the Jesuits at the Jesuit university in San Salvador were executed by the paramilitary alongside a housekeeper and her daughter. I saw these Jesuits standing up for people and for the common good and were willing to sacrifice their lives. That notion, the dedication to the common good and being willing to see it out to the extreme, really struck me at an early age.
How I minister to students of different faiths: It all comes down to relationship. One of the biggest things we do outside of our various religious services throughout every week is every Tuesday we come together and have Chaplains Tea here in the main foyer of Healy Hall, where students can come and meet all of our chaplains in a very informal way. Students always appreciate being able to chat one-on-one with all of our chaplains, which I think is a huge part of breaking down preconceived notions of what religious leaders of any faith are all about.
My favorite Catholic saint is: one of St. Ignatius’ original companions, St. Peter Faber, S.J. When St. Ignatius goes to the University of Paris, he ends up rooming with Sts. Francis Xavier, S.J., and Peter Faber, S.J., and the three would ultimately be the first members of what would become the Jesuits — so big dreams from college roommates can happen! It would have to be Peter Faber because people often call him the quiet companion, but there was nothing quiet about him. He really embodied and shared our Ignatian spirituality in a very deep way. 
I’m a Star Wars fanboy because: I love the X-wing fighters, lightsabers and, of course, the Millenium Falcon, but it’s the grand, timeless story. It’s the big story with great characters and is ultimately about goodness and hope having the final call. I maintain it is the greatest thing ever. And just to answer a follow-up question if you’re anticipating it, the best film is The Empire Strikes Back.
My favorite Star Wars character is: Han Solo because he’s this roguish character who’s in it for himself, but at the end of the day rises to the occasion and does the right thing for his friends. You can be a rogue and a decent human being at the same time, so maybe that’s what I aspire to be as a Jesuit.
One thing I wish everybody knew about me: I don’t have it all together the way people think I have it all together. People think somebody who is in their mid-50s and has been in religious life for 26 years has got it all figured out. The reason I like Ignatian spirituality is because Ignatius saw life as a pilgrimage. We’re always learning, we’re always transforming, and just when we think we get to a point where we have it all figured out, something new comes along, gets thrown our way that we don’t anticipate, and that’s what makes life interesting and makes it really worth living.
I love working with Georgetown students because: They give me a sense of hope for the future. To see this generation really desire transformation and the betterment of all people brings me hope on a daily basis.
