Get to Know Fr. Joseph Hill, S.J.
Fr. Joseph Hill, S.J., will be calling Belen Jesuit home for the next 2 years, and we are excited to welcome him into the #BFamily. A Jesuit from the Central Southern Province, Fr. Hill comes to Belen with a fresh perspective and zeal to hit the ground running and continue the Jesuit tradition of forming men for others. Let’s get to know Fr. Hill, S.J., in his own words through this short questionnaire.
Where did you grow up, and what was your family life like?
I was born in Scottsdale, AZ. My mother is American, and my father is Canadian. I have three brothers. I grew up Catholic. When I was nine years old, my family moved to England. We lived in Berkshire, just west of London. After we arrived in England, we went to Catholic schools.
I was born in Scottsdale, AZ. My mother is American, and my father is Canadian. I have three brothers. I grew up Catholic. When I was nine years old, my family moved to England. We lived in Berkshire, just west of London. After we arrived in England, we went to Catholic schools.
Who were some of your role models or heroes as a young man?
I remember when I arrived in England, I became fascinated with stories of knights and chivalry. We visited many castles at the beginning. As I grew older, I became more religious and thus began to look to the saints as role models, such as St. Ignatius and St. Edmund Campion, a Jesuit martyr. As far as living examples, Mother Teresa and Pope St. John Paul II were both heroes of mine.
I remember when I arrived in England, I became fascinated with stories of knights and chivalry. We visited many castles at the beginning. As I grew older, I became more religious and thus began to look to the saints as role models, such as St. Ignatius and St. Edmund Campion, a Jesuit martyr. As far as living examples, Mother Teresa and Pope St. John Paul II were both heroes of mine.
Can you share a bit about your journey to becoming a Jesuit priest? What drew you to this vocation?
That is a long story. The short version is that I went to a Jesuit high school in England, which exposed me to Jesuit history and saints. During my sophomore year there I had a powerful prayer experience. I was given an image of myself as a priest while I was meditating on a passage from the Gospel of John. I was terrified of what this meant, and I did not tell anyone about the experience. But that moment sowed a seed in me that never went away. Over the rest of my years in high school I continued to grow in my faith, but not without periods of doubt and moral waywardness. I came to see that if Jesus truly was the Son of God, then it was only logical to dedicate my life to His service. Yet all through university I hesitated to make a more complete gift of myself to Him out of fear of what I might lose in the process. After I finished my degree I realized that I had to wrestle with the question of my vocation. I went to Rome on a study abroad year, found a Jesuit spiritual director, and began praying directly about whether I was called to the priesthood. After several months, and an 8-day silent retreat, I concluded that Christ was calling me to be a Jesuit. I contacted the vocation director and began the discussion, and eventually decided to return to the United States. I applied to the southern province of the Jesuits, was accepted, and entered in August, 2004.
Looking back, how would your younger self react if he knew you’d become a Jesuit priest?
I would not have understood what becoming a Jesuit priest meant. It was not something in my horizon of meaning when I was younger. My younger self would have been surprised and confused.
I would not have understood what becoming a Jesuit priest meant. It was not something in my horizon of meaning when I was younger. My younger self would have been surprised and confused.
What are some things students or faculty might be surprised to learn about you?
Haha! That is hard to summarize. My life has taken many unusual turns. Much of it would be a surprise to students and faculty. I played rugby in England through college. I learned Spanish while I was a novice. I lived in New York for three years. I lived in Brazil for two years, learning Portuguese. I worked for a year in Puerto Rico and six months in Kenya.Do you have any favorite books, saints, or spiritual practices that guide you?
One of my favorite books when I was younger was The Lord of the Rings. The Gospels are an endless source of inspiration and challenge for me, because Jesus’ life and teaching are incredibly radical. The spiritual book that has had the biggest impact on me is probably Abandonment to Divine Providence by De Caussade. Surrender to the will of God at every moment is a pillar of my spiritual life, combined with gratitude for all that God has given me and a generous love to others. My favorite saints are St. Ignatius, of course, and St. Francis Xavier, St. Edmund Campion, and St. Jean de Brébeuf. Of the non-Jesuit saints I love St. Paul, Mother Teresa, and Pope St. John Paul II.
One of my favorite books when I was younger was The Lord of the Rings. The Gospels are an endless source of inspiration and challenge for me, because Jesus’ life and teaching are incredibly radical. The spiritual book that has had the biggest impact on me is probably Abandonment to Divine Providence by De Caussade. Surrender to the will of God at every moment is a pillar of my spiritual life, combined with gratitude for all that God has given me and a generous love to others. My favorite saints are St. Ignatius, of course, and St. Francis Xavier, St. Edmund Campion, and St. Jean de Brébeuf. Of the non-Jesuit saints I love St. Paul, Mother Teresa, and Pope St. John Paul II.
If you could offer one piece of advice to students trying to grow academically, personally, or spiritually, what would it be?
Self-discipline is essential to growth in any area. Discipline yourself, cutting out of your life whatever hinders you from achieving the goals set before you. This is essentially what St. Ignatius teaches in the First Principle and Foundation: you must rid yourself of all that does not help you praise, reverence, and serve God.
Fr. Hill is excited to be part of our community and looks forward to getting to know our #BFamily. Don’t hesitate to stop by, say hello, and strike up a conversation—you’ll quickly see why he is a great fit at Belen Jesuit.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: communications@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba, by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the school's property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit is situated on a 34-acre site in western Dade County, just minutes away from downtown Miami.