{"id":1029,"date":"2025-02-25T17:16:58","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T17:16:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/?p=1029"},"modified":"2025-02-25T17:53:22","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T17:53:22","slug":"alumnus-campus-chaplain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.stthom.edu\/encounter\/2025\/featured-stories\/alumnus-campus-chaplain\/","title":{"rendered":"Double Alumnus Returns as Campus Chaplain"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rev. Eduardo Rivera, CSB, \u201914, M.Div. \u201920<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Most who visit the University of St. Thomas have an indescribable feeling when they arrive on campus. Whether it\u2019s the Christ-centered community, the presence of the Holy Spirit, or the prayers of the Basilian Fathers, UST has a way of making people feel connected to its deep history. Countless students and alumni walked these blocks and said, \u201cWow. I am home.\u201d This is the story of our Campus Chaplain, Rev. Eduardo Rivera, CSB, \u201914, M.Div. \u201920.

Those who have been at UST a long time remember seeing Fr. Eduardo as a student, devotedly attending daily Mass and working in Campus Ministry. But before that, he was a high school senior searching for the right college fit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I was in high school in Arizona, I visited several universities, starting with the larger schools near home,\u201d he said. \u201cThey offered everything imaginable\u2014every program, tons of student services and plenty of resources\u2014but something was missing.\u201d

He expanded his search to other universities and Catholic schools farther from home but still didn\u2019t find the connection he was looking for. Then he remembered UST, where his aunt had attended.

During a Thanksgiving trip to Texas, Fr. Eduardo took the opportunity to visit UST. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t a formal tour, but my family and I explored campus on our own. We walked the Academic Mall, saw the University crest, and admired the Chapel of St. Basil. It just felt like home,\u201d he said.

Even without anyone explaining the University\u2019s history or showing him every building, he knew this was where he belonged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow, as a double alumnus, it still feels like home,\u201d he said. \u201cUST is a home away from home for many. People come here looking for something particular to study, but they also find a community to support them, to help them grow in their faith and grow closer to Christ.\u201d

As Campus Chaplain, Fr. Eduardo now leads UST spiritually and fosters the welcoming environment
he first experienced. \u201cPeople come here looking for a place where they can be who they\u2019re called to be, who God calls them to be,\u201d he said. \u201cIf home is where the heart is, then our hearts are here at UST\u2014because this is our home.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Most who visit the University of St. Thomas have an indescribable feeling when they arrive on campus. Whether it\u2019s the Christ-centered community, the presence of the Holy Spirit, or the prayers of the Basilian Fathers, UST has a way of making people feel connected to its deep history. Countless students and alumni walked these blocks…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":1030,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[897,695],"class_list":["post-1029","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories","tag-897","tag-winter-2025-issue"],"yoast_head":"\nDouble Alumnus Returns as Campus Chaplain<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The story of UST's Campus Chaplain, Rev. 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