 "Photo: Wallace Levy")
The University has a new teacher on campus. He likes to attend home football games and walk the lakes like so many others, but students will never attend any formal classes with him or take his exams. The only place students will find the Rev. Jason Palermo is at Christ the King Catholic Center.
The 27-year-old University graduate is the youngest person to serve as a priest at CTK. His appointment also brings the total number of priests at the center to three - a large number in comparison to other area Catholic churches.
"There is a lot of ministry going on here," Palermo said. "When I was in school here, the University was at least 50 percent Catholic, and then we had between 15,000 to 20,000 students," he said.
The University, post-Katrina, has seen a swell of students, and in turn needs more ministers for the growing Catholic community.
"We have always been a larger parish," said Palermo. "We have always needed more priests."
As a young priest, Palermo sees himself able to minister to students.
"I'm probably a good age reference for them," he said.
Palermo plans to minister in other ways as well.
"I'll be the representative for all things social here at the church," he said.
There is much he would like to do on campus.
"I'd like to teach an informal adult education class on Catholicism," Palermo said. "People are curious and have questions about the church."
He also wants to establish better ties with other religious organizations on campus. Although he will attend meetings to discuss improvements with the other ministers, Palermo feels there is still work to do.
"As a Catholic, I understand some of the differences between beliefs, but I think there's a lot of misunderstanding happening between faiths," he said.
Palermo is a native of Plaquemine, and is a self-proclaimed, "cradle Catholic." He grew up in the church and served as an altarboy at St. John the Evangelist where he became close with his priest, the Rev. Jerome Dugas, after serving with him for 14 years.
"He was preparing me [for priesthood.] He was a great teacher and mentor," Palermo said."Many of my classmates and friends thought I'd be a priest, even though I didn't see myself as one at first."
When he was 15, Palermo said he felt called to serve while at mass at St. Clement of Rome on Holy Thursday.
"It was then I felt that God was calling me," he said. "It was more of a realization and acceptance of a call that had been there."
Palermo remained praying at the church for hours and on the ride home, he told his mother.
"She nearly drove off the road," said Palermo. "No one expects their son to say that they want to be a priest."
He then went on a mission to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where he felt the call to the priesthood was confirmed.
"It was then I realized I had some gifts that would be good for priesthood," he said.
Palermo's youth and University background give him a link to students.
"I feel a younger priest can identify with the college community. His age maybe can help him better relate to the issues students are having today," said Maria Waight, a biology senior. "Who knows, it may attract more students to go to church."
Although his primary job will be leading Catholics on campus, Palermo also sees his job as a learning experience.
"I never thought I'd be a freshman again," he said, "but it's good to be home."
------- Contact Wallace Levy at wlevy@lsureveille.com
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