His face graces a Last Blast 2013 t-shirt.
He can’t wait for the warm weather that seems to be just around the corner.
He sounds like a typical Ambrose guy, right?
Wrong. He is Father Chuck Adam, and he is this week’s Campus Celebrity.
Father Chuck seems to be a permanent part of what St. Ambrose is. After three semesters at the University of Iowa, he transferred to SAU and became a seminarian for the Diocese of Davenport. By the end of his undergraduate career here, Father Chuck earned history and philosophy degrees.
A few years down the road, Father Chuck was ordained as a priest, and he spent the next 10 years serving at various parishes in the Davenport Diocese. Eventually, the Diocese moved him back to Davenport to fulfill a position that landed him right back here at St. Ambrose.
“When I was a student at St. Ambrose, I would not have ever in my wildest imaginations have ever expected to come back here for work, but it’s proven again that God oftentimes has many wonderful surprises for us beyond our plans.”
Since 2000, Father Chuck has been the Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry. In this role, he is most often seen as the celebrant for most campus masses, assisting students in their personal spiritual journeys, and presiding over the marriages of many alumni and students.
These are the main responsibilities that Father Chuck lists. However, his role goes far beyond the Lower Chapel in Hayes and Christ the King Chapel. I, for one, can definitely vouch for that.
For my last Campus Celebrity article, I reflected on my time at SAU and thought about who really made a difference for me, and who of those people truly encompassed what it means to be an Ambrosian. The obvious person who fulfilled both these criteria was Father Chuck, hands down.
I feel like my experience is most likely similar to that of others. When I came to St. Ambrose, spirituality was not my top priority. After about a year, I began to struggle with the ideas. I finally made it to Christ the King Chapel and Father Chuck was there. He has a special way of connecting everything he says to the life of a college student. Somehow, he makes every Ambrosian feel welcome and accepted, even in their deepest struggles.
These dealings with students are what Father Chuck loves most about being at Ambrose.
“Easily the best part of St. Ambrose is being an active witness and sometimes even a silent, but supportive participant of students as they take their first steps onto campus and over the course of their time here develop confidence and conviction.”
Talk to most any student who has come across Father Chuck, and they will tell you he is a big part of that transformation.
Even though he plays such a prominent role in the SAU community, Father Chuck still enjoys the little things. He is looking forward to being able to garden and ride his bike this summer. He also plans to spend time in Richland, Iowa, with his parents, 12 brothers and sisters and their families.
And, yes, you can be sure that Father Chuck did, in fact, purchase the Last Blast t-shirt with his face on it.