XBSS | The Quill

Spirituality has been a big part of the culture here at MSJ, but something that is very overlooked on campus is MSJ’s campus ministry. Outside of junior retreats, there is so much more that campus ministry has to offer.

Alex Kwas ’25 interviewed Mr. Stromberg, and Martin Edell ’25 interviewed Mr. Bonham.

Student involvement is crucial in any school-wide program, and Campus Ministry has a lot of good representation at the Mount. If you aren’t sure how to get involved or where to get started: don’t worry! We’ve all been there. That being said, it’s crucial to get started. As a student involved in Campus Ministry, I can confidently say that taking the next step in your faith journey while in high school is tremendously beneficial. ’24 JP Fisher says that “being involved with Campus Ministry has been a lot of fun and a very fulfilling way to grow closer to Jesus, but I think one of the strongest ways it has helped me through the Spiritual Direction Program.” The Spiritual Direction Program is a great way to meet individually with a priest or mentor and discuss your faith journey. Talk to your theology teacher for more details!

Students taking part in the liturgy in the Smith Center.

In addition to Campus Ministry, MSJ offers the Xaverian Brother Sponsored Schools (XBSS) program for Xaverian students worldwide to participate in various service and religious opportunities while promoting the Xaverian values of life that are practiced and taught here on campus. ’23 Braeden Smith explained in an interview what XBSS means to him as a student. He says, “Contrary to what many people think, it is different from campus ministry. MSJ’s chapter of XBSS is an organization that represents the school as a part of our 13-school network and leads the development of activities throughout the school that champion Xaverian values. This includes campus ministry, big brother program, Spiritual Guidance, Ryken Service Club, etc.” Braeden and many other students have been given a new perspective on their life as a student here at the Mount.

“As co-leader of the liturgy division of XBSS, I also am blessed to have the opportunity to organize specific liturgical events that occur in campus ministry, from everything like Chapel Friday Masses to our plans for an MSJ Mercy Night. Since freshman year, I have itched to be a part of campus ministry and now having the opportunity to lead and better the spiritual life of students and teachers on campus through liturgy is a dream come true. As a result of my experiences, I will definitely pursue liturgical involvement in my college communities and my church parish when I get older. “
Senior Braeden Smith

Campus Ministry offers excellent encounters and programs for students of all ages, regardless of background and religion. We want to settle the doubts of any student who is willing to join Campus Ministry. “The common misconception is that campus ministry events are only based on prayer. Many of our activities also include fellowship that focus on developing relationships between students. A perfect example is the bible study, called Rise Up on Thursdays. Before we get into the discussion, we have donuts and free time to talk with each other which is a great way to start the day…As well as helping to build relationships, campus ministry activities also provide opportunities to strengthen one’s faith, or if one is not religious, they can meditate, which I can tell from experience is much more beneficial than most people would think.”- Senior Braeden Smith

A group of MSJ and Good Counsel XBSS Students at the XBSS Retreat.
Braeden Smith ’23, Jack Moses ’23, Lathan Imwiko ’23, Christian Wright ’23, and Guy Yogo ’23.

XBSS has a great representation at the Mount, but compared to the athletics program or student council, it is being outweighed. “My advice to those who are hesitant is to not be! The people are very non-judgmental and ready to talk to your about your faith, they love fun, and they love the Lord and want to love you as brothers in Christ. It certainly cannot hurt you to get involved, and I firmly believe you would benefit from it and really bring something important to the organization.”- Junior JP Fisher.

Campus Ministry and XBSS are so unique, and I encourage you to reach out to one of the student members or staff and ask questions and fill out an application to join. You won’t regret it!

David Cohn is a Senior member of the Multimedia Journalism Class.

Mr. Frank Espinosa, Mount Saint Joseph’s Principal

Over the past year, the Mount Saint Joseph community faced a challenge that the school hadn’t faced in a long time – the search for a new principal. With the retirement of Mr. Dave Norton, St. Joe began the search for a new principal at the start of the 2019 school year. Because of the longevity of the principals that Mount St. Joe has had over the past three decades, this was definitely a new experience for the community to go through. It was a time of uncertainty, where we all had to put a lot of faith and trust in the leaders at St. Joe.

On July 1st, the school announced that Mr. Francisco Espinosa, a life-long servant of Xaverian education, would become the new principal at Mount Saint Joe. For Mr. Espinosa, this journey to The Mount was one that took him time to realize was the correct move for him. Mr. Espinosa has been an educator for 28 years, his most recent position being Principal at Saint Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky. During his time at Saint X, Mr. Espinosa held a variety of jobs, including varsity football coach, history teacher, assistant principal for student life, and assistant principal for supervision of instruction, before taking on his role as principal. Now he takes over as principal at another XBSS school. Saint X is a fellow Xaverian Brothers Sponsored School, and as a school community, we share the same values that they do. Both are very similar environments.

“I’ve been coaching and teaching kids for 28 years to take chances and it was time for me to take a chance”
Mr. Frank Espinosa

Mr. Espinosa took on the challenges of being principal head-on during his time at Saint X. He always took the time to create strong relationships with students, and he used his coaching experience to build strong bonds with the students that he interacted with. Mr. Espinosa was often faced with working with students who were dealing with a multitude of challenges, in and out of the classroom. He was determined to give all students a chance to prove themselves by giving them opportunities to better their situations. He has an open door policy for all students, and in his time at Saint X he strived to develop strong relationships with students through communication and contact. This is a goal that he has for himself at Saint Joe too.

“I enjoyed giving kids an opportunity to prove themselves; giving them an opportunity to better their situation”

Prior to coming to St. Joe, Mr. Espinosa served as principal at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky.

While he was in Kentucky, Mr. Espinosa was well-known within the MSJ community. For the past 6 years, Mr. Espinosa served as a member of the board, and during that time he was impactful in effecting change in the school, including developing the iPad program and a massive overhaul to college counseling last year. It has been one of the biggest changes for seniors and Mr. Espinosa was very involved with the work to increase college counseling. He offered many suggestions that helped the school design this program, placing his mark on St. Joe even before joining as principal. I’m currently in the college application process and it has been a huge tool for me.

“Mr. Andrews was very influential for me in talking to me about the school, but I think my experience on the board was especially influential”

When the search for a new principal began, there was a period of deep thought for Mr. Espinosa. He realized that MSJ was in need of a good academic leader, and he had the experience on the board and at St. X. But this was a daunting task, considering he would have to move to Maryland for the position. Leaving his hometown, while leaving most of his family back in Kentucky until they can join him in Maryland, all while in the midst of a pandemic.

“The biggest passion I have in my life is my family and having good, solid, family values”

Mr. Espinosa has been tasked with the biggest challenge of his professional career. The Mount has been very open about their plans regarding the pandemic, and they’re taking every step possible to ensure the safety of the community. Being able to protect all of the members of the community while still creating relationships with all the students has been a challenge at St. Joe and for Mr. Espinosa. But I think it is safe to say that this community has rallied around the new challenge and the new leadership of our principal, Mr. Frank Espinosa.