SLU's Laramie to Lead Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network in the US
06/02/2020
Joseph Laramie, S.J., a SLU alumnus and recent member of the Department of Campus Ministry, will lead the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (PWPN) in the United States.
Also known as The Apostleship of Prayer, the PWPN in North America is responsible for providing all English language content for Pope Francis’s Prayer App and shares other content and messages to support Roman Catholics in the United States and beyond.
Laramie, a graduate of Saint Louis University High School and a SLU alumnus, is the author of Abide in the Heart of Christ: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Ignatius Loyola, Based on the Spiritual Exercises, published in September 2019 by Ave Maria Press.
A SLU campus minister, Laramie was well-known on campus for leading student retreats and incorporating his love of juggling into his ministry, even when the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) dispersed the University community. In order to remain connected to his fellow Billikens and to continue his work, Laramie began a series of weekly Zoom juggling classes.
Laramie entered the Society of Jesus after graduating from SLU in 2000. He was ordained a priest in 2011. Prior to his work at SLU, he taught public speaking to high school boys at Regis Jesuit in Colorado and worked at the Jesuit mission for Mayan villages in Belize.
Laramie led retreats at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, and has preached at White House Jesuit Retreat in St. Louis.
Frederic Fornos, S.J., international director for the network in Vatican City, announced Laramie’s appointment on Friday, May 28. Laramie succeeds fellow Jesuit William Blazek, S.J.
Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution that values academic excellence, life-changing research, compassionate health care, and a strong commitment to faith and service. Founded in 1818, the University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 13,000 students on campuses in St. Louis and Madrid, Spain. Building on a legacy of now more than 200 years, Saint Louis University continues to move forward with an unwavering commitment to a higher purpose, a greater good.
Story by Amelia Flood, University Marketing and Communications