An inviting face for anyone looking for guidance, University Chaplain David O'Leary has been helping students through their spiritual journeys on the Hill since 1998. Although this semester will be O'Leary's last at Tufts — he will be leading a local Catholic parish come next semester — the legacy he's leaving behind is considerable.
O'Leary first came to Tufts in 1998 and was promoted to University Chaplain in 2002. He was the first Roman Catholic to fill the position. Now, 13 years after beginning that adventure, he is ready to embark on another.
"My bishop called and told me he needed a priest at St. Francis [of Assisi Parish in Medford], so I'm going," O'Leary said. "It's really that simple in the Church. You do what is asked of you."
O'Leary said he is taking memories of the Tufts traditions he's leaving behind.
"The Candle Lighting is my favorite Tufts ritual," O'Leary said. "It's funny because freshmen often don't realize that the next time they will be participating in this ritual is on the eve of their graduation. The second time around, as a senior, it is a much more emotional event."
Despite the abrupt end to his time at Tufts and how much it saddens him to leave, O'Leary knows he has made memories here he won't forget.
He has married students, baptized their children and helped them through the loss of their loved ones.
"My time at Tufts can really be boiled down to the friendships I have made here," he said.
Kim Smith, a junior who is the Eucharistic Minister and Lector Coordinator for the Catholic Community at Tufts (CCT), praised O'Leary for his accessibility and enthusiasm.
"He's done a really good job … of not just encouraging people to come to mass, but he makes it really fun and really college friendly," Smith said. "He tries to connect with people and then outside of mass ... he's definitely going to missed."
Jake Denney, a junior, and vice president of the CCT agreed: "I think he's the perfect Catholic Chaplain. At Tufts it can be a very difficult position to be in, and he does it beautifully ... He's always really accessible and friendly," he said.
"I think he does a great job of making Catholicism on the Hill an accessible religion.
O'Leary's role extends beyond the chapel. During his tenure at Tufts, he has taught several courses within the Department of Religion, including Intro to Religion. Denney, who took a class on the Catholic Church this semester with O'Leary, said that the chaplain was just as effective in his teaching role as in his role as chaplain.
"He's actually pretty well respected in [the religion academics community]," Denney said. "I had just known him as the priest on campus, and I was really impressed by how much he knew and how much he brought to the table."
O'Leary's accomplishments and responsibilities have extended elsewhere in the university.
"What people don't realize is that the Chaplain at Tufts works hand-in-hand with the [University] President and is one of his main advisors," O'Leary said. "It has been this way since Tufts was established."
The position has allowed O'Leary to become intimately familiar with the ins and outs of the university. He has been able to use his knowledge to foster acceptance between students of different faiths on the Hill and to make Tufts a more understanding and open environment for all who wish to pursue a spiritual life in conjunction with their academic one.
O'Leary's work on establishing the Interfaith Center in 2007 has been a significant step in that direction.
"Interfaith dialogue here is huge," O'Leary said, explaining that one of the purposes of the Center is to encourage religious conversations on campus.
Although Tufts was originally founded by the Universalist Church, students of all faiths are able to maintain thriving spiritual lives fostered in part by the Interfaith Center.
"Tufts students are undergoing a process of discovery and rediscovery," O'Leary said. "They are learning to integrate the traditions they got from their parents into their own lives, and rediscovering religion for what it is to them and what part they want it to play in their own lives. It is a process of growth and discovery that I have enjoyed being a part of."
Christopher Gardner, a senior who is president of the CCT, called O'Leary "the perfect priest for a college campus."
"He's exceptional at working with different faiths and bringing them together and focusing on what we have in common instead of what is different," Gardner said. "He's very good at understanding what students are going through, where they are in their journey and bringing them together to share in faith and grow in faith."
In terms of maintaining the accepting environment that he has helped to create, O'Leary feels that the university is on a good path and should keep moving forward in that direction.
"In the future, we basically just need to keep doing what we're doing," he said.
