This story is part of Georgetown Faces, Storytelling Series It celebrates the beloved figures, unsung heroes and dedicated Hoyas who make our campus special.
From an early age, Jamie Kralovec He was fascinated by Ignatian spirituality and dreamed of becoming a Jesuit himself.
“I was simultaneously fascinated by the Jesuit tradition and how the Jesuit social mission could make cities more livable and just places,” he said of growing up.
After graduating from a Jesuit high school in Chicago, Kralovec pursued his twin passions of Catholic social doctrine and the Catholic Church’s urban engagement at the University of Notre Dame, and then earned a master’s in urban planning from New York University.
While Kralovec ultimately decided not to become a Jesuit, his deep connection to Jesuit values and his passion for urban planning have guided his academic and professional career, leading him to work on urban planning initiatives in the Obama administration and to become program director of urban planning at Georgetown University in 2014. Master of Urban and Regional Planning program.
Currently, Kralovec serves as the associate director of mission integration for the School of Continuing Studies (SCS), where he is committed full time to the university’s Jesuit values.
Deeply steeped in Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit values, Kralovec The spirit of Georgetown Life at SCS and beyond.
He is contemplative Blog Posthosts workshops and seminars on spiritual themes, providing a way for members of religious and secular communities to reflect and renew. Spiritual Retreat and Daily Meditation.
In addition, Kralovec is running a community-based learning course called “Jesuit values in professional practiceThe program provides pedagogical support to incorporate the Georgetown ethos into the instructional design of program courses, promotes Jesuit values among SCS faculty and staff, collaborates with the Mission & Ministry Office to enhance interfaith resources that address the diverse spiritual needs of the community, and maintains an invitation-only, open-door policy to serve as a resource for all community members.
“My greatest joy at Georgetown is helping others, especially students, develop the habits of discernment and self-reflection that will lead to more meaningful and purposeful lives,” he said.
When he’s not hosting retreats at his Calcagnini Meditation Center or working on his Doctorate in Theology at Fordham University, he spends time with his wife, Cathy, and their three children, Mattie, Maggie, and Queenie, or writing about urban planning and Ignatian spirituality. magazine and other outlets, or to foster spiritually inclusive spaces for members of the community.
Why I came to Georgetown: After graduating from graduate school, I worked on the Obama presidential campaign and did urban planning work for the Obama team. Strong cities, strong communitiesbrought together my passions for equity, community development, and ethical urban development. In the fall of 2014, a position became available for the director of a newly established program at Georgetown University. Master of Urban and Regional Planning It was like a blessing and a gift that this job opened up and that so many people around me encouraged me to apply.
How Georgetown brought me closer to spirituality: Over the past decade, I have reconnected with the Jesuit educational tradition and Ignatian spirituality, and in 2015, Father Kevin O’Brien, former vice president for Mission and Service, invited me to prepare a commentary for the 19th Jesuit. Mental Training I attended the retreat as part of a group of faculty and staff who, through intense engagement with the Spiritual Exercises that are at the root of our educational tradition, deepened my professional commitment to Georgetown University and my training to become an Ignatian spiritual director. Holy Trinity Catholic Church He is pursuing further graduate studies in Christian spirituality at Fordham University.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to receive many invitations during my time here to experience the richness of this spiritual tradition firsthand. In addition to the exercises, formative invitations from Georgetown University include: Magis Immersion’s Journey to the US-Mexico Borderand the annual Collegium Discourses on Catholic Intellectual Life Catholic University faculty and National Commission on Ignatian Pedagogy As a member of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.
Why I chose this profession: As a high school student, I was fascinated by the Jesuits and their urban roots and briefly considered pursuing a Jesuit vocation of my own. Although I ultimately chose a vocation in married life, my spiritual journey continues to embody the Ignatian charism of contemplation in practice. Modeling my life as a vowed Jesuit inspires ongoing insight into how I can best serve my family and all of my professional communities.
