Jared Loehr

Fr. Mitchel and Fr. Jared pause for a photo before they head off to walk the KU campus. Fr. Jared’s journey to the Priesthood began here, and it was incredible to welcome him home for a short visit!

Class of 2007
Current Location:  Spring, Texas
KU Major: Nursing
Vocation: Legionary of Christ Priest
Job: Youth and Family Work

Favorite Memories of St. Lawrence: 
Ultimate frisbee at the Engle house. Classes lead by Mike, Troy, and the staff. Traveling across the country multiple times by bus to the march for life. Samuel group. Always meeting a smile when walking into the St Lawrence Catholic Campus Center!

Tell us a story from KU: 
In the midst of dorm life, one night, a friend who lived across the hall from me, named Eric Wellhausen, went out on the window ledge and fell.  He ended up passing away en route to the hospital.  All I could think was how easily that could have happened to me. With tears flowing I ended up at the Cross in front of the St Lawrence Center.  I knelt in front of the cross and admitted to God that there is more to life than just fun and that maybe God knows more about life than I do.  

From there I had space and openness to ask the big questions that I had either glazed over or not known how to ask.  Why is the Church, THE Church? Why does God matter?  Why be actively pro-life? Is there more to learn about the faith than an 8th grader in confirmation class? Why is contraception wrong? How can I truly love women and all people for who they are?

SHortly after this, Christopher West came to give a talk about love.  My whole societal structure got rocked.  He said, “The opposite of love is not hate, it is use.”  I realized that I had be told by society to use others to get what we want.  Everything in relationships changed when I realized I needed to look out for other’s good over and above mine.  

Many things happened in my time at college, but toward the end of my time at St. Lawrence, I found myself at the Greek icon of the Theotokos Mary. I asked her flat out as I had never done before if she wanted me to be her priest.  I’d always imagined a beautiful wife, a bunch of kids, a yellow house with a white picket fence, and a huge St Bernard dog.  I never thought there was another option or way to go.  When I placed my heart in her hands her face kinda sweetened up and I felt a warm nudge like, “Go get ‘em.” I said that whatever days I have left I will be your priest. And here I am today, a Legionary of Christ!

How are you living differently because of St. Lawrence?

I’m trying my best to become a saint!