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Loyola's Jesuit Community

Jesuit SealThe Jesuit Community of Loyola University Maryland shares in the mission of the worldwide Society of Jesus. This mission includes the service of faith and the promotion of justice in dialogue with cultures and with other religions. These values characterize its commitment to the educational apostolate at the University and Loyola Blakefield, Cristo Rey, and St. Ignatius Academy schools in Baltimore. 

We are a community of men with a rich variety of experience from the United States and from other countries and cultures. We are called to witness by our shared lives as vowed religious and priests to the love of Christ, drawing nourishment from the Eucharist and the inspiration of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius and our Jesuit charism.

The principal apostolic commitments of the community are to Loyola University Maryland and its mission as a Catholic and Jesuit university and to Cristo Rey,Loyola Blakefield and, St. Ignatius Academy, their mission as Catholic and Jesuit secondary schools. In collaboration with colleagues, we are committed to inspiring students to learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world.

Community members are also engaged in various other ministries in parishes, religious communities, the Baltimore Archdiocese, the Maryland Province, and beyond.

The community is a place of hospitality for colleagues and students and other Jesuits.

Rev. Dennis Baker, S.J.
Rev. Dennis Baker, SJ President, Loyola Blakefield
Milton Javier Bravo smiling and wearing a suit
Milton Javier Bravo, Ph.D. Vice President for Mission and Identity
Milton Javier Bravo began as Loyola's vice president of mission and identity in July 2023. Prior to joining Loyola, Dr. Bravo serves as vice president for mission, values, and inclusion at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin. He brings more than 15 years of experience in higher education, having served roles in mission integration, student life, student services, research, teaching, and enrollment management. He earned a B.A. in Theology and Philosophy from Saint Peter's University, an M.A. in Theology with a concentration in Biblical Studies from Seton Hall University, and a Ph.D., in Education, Religion, and Religious Education from Fordham University. He serves on the boards of the College Theology Society, Edgewood High School of the Sacred Heart, the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, and the Hope Border Institute.
Mr. Matthew Briand, S.J.
Mr. Matthew Briand, S.J.

Teacher and Assistant to the Campus Ministry, Loyola Blakefield

Father Brown on the Quad
Father Timonthy Brown, S.J. Assistant to the President for Mission Integration

Father Timothy Brown, S.J. is an Associate Professor of Law and Social Responsibility and Assistant to the President for Mission Integration. In his role as Assistant to the President for Mission Integration, Fr. Brown develops numerous mission-focused programs to promote the Catholic and Jesuit nature of the University, including offering the Spiritual Exercises. Fr. Brown first came to Loyola in 1987 and has served as a faculty member in The Sellinger School of Business and Management where he currently teaches classes in Legal Environment of Business; Messina Criminal Law; Race and the Law; and Speech Writing and Delivery. Other classes include Sports Law; Constitutional Law; Ignatian Spirituality and the Law; and First Amendment in the age of Trump. Honors for his teaching include the Sellinger School Overall Outstanding Faculty award, the Harry W. Rodgers Distinguished Teacher of the Year award, and the Educator for Life award.

In 2023, Fr. Brown founded The Rev. Timothy Brown, S.J. Ignatian Life Center as the organizational locus for the promotion of the Jesuit and Ignatian spiritual tradition at Loyola University Maryland and is in service to the Baltimore community. A former provincial for the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Brown earned his B.S. from Georgetown, M.A. from Fordham, M.Div. from the Weston School of University, and his J.D. from George Mason University. He serves on the Archdiocese of Baltimore School Board and the board for Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore.

Rev. Timothy Brown
Rev. Timothy Brown, S.J.
Associate Professor of Law and Social Responsibility
Assistant to the President for Mission Integration
headshot of Sue Cesare smiling with greenery in the background
Sue Dexter Cesare

Baltimore native Susan Dexter Cesare earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland - College Park in 1973, majoring in Political Science and minioring in Psychology. A devoted mother of Audrey Comly Kennedy and John Dexter Comly, Sue is also a proud grandmother of seven. Sue has dedicated herself to community service, particularly in addressing homelessness in Baltimore. In 1986, Sue initiated the Loaves and Fishes Ministry, providing food and fellowship to the homeless. Sue established several church-based downtown shelters and facilitated retreats for previously homeless men and women in transition, as well as incarcerated individuals. 

Driven by her committment to both spiritual and pastoral care, Sue pursued enrollment in Loyola University Maryland's Pastoral Counseling Program, graduating with a M.A. degree in 2009. She received honors for her Master's thesis, Doing Works That Offer Mercy: A Pastoral Approach Toward Restoring God's Right Relations in Our Lives and in the World, and was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu in 2009. 

Since 2009, Sue has been actively engaged in the practice of spiritual direction and through Loyola's Office of Mission Integration, the sharing of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola in their Annotation 19 format. She is a founding co-director of the Loyola Ignatian Formation Experience (LIFE Class), which trains spiritual directors to accompany others in the Spiritual Exercises.

Rev. John Conley, S.J.
Rev. John Conley, S.J.

Knott Professor of Philosophy and Theology

Rev. Brian Frain, S.J.
Rev. Brian Frain, S.J.

Pastor, St. Ignatius Church

Headshot of Ashley Hall
Ashley Hall Production Specialist

As the Production Specialist for the Office of Mission Integration, Ashley creates printed and digital material for Father Brown and other members of the Loyola community to use for retreats, sermons, baptisms, classrooms, and other special projects.

Ashley received an Associate of Arts degree from Anne Arundel Community College, a Bachelor of Science in Geography from UMBC, and a Master of Science in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland Global Campus. 

After working in the environmental consulting industry for many years, Ashley is thrilled to be back to her creative roots and use her skills to design materials for use both in the classroom and in the community. 

In her spare time, Ashley enjoys collaging, photography, and spending time with her husband and cat.

Rev. James Kelly, S.J.
Rev. James Kelly, S.J.

Director of the Loyola-Bangkok Program
Affiliate Instructor of Economics

Rev. Richard Malloy, S.J.
Rev. Richard Malloy, S.J.

Director of Mission and Ministry, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
Chaplain for Ignatian Volunteers of the Baltimore Region

Rev. Kelly Michelo, S.J.
Rev. Kelly Michelo, S.J.

Doctoral Student in Public Affairs, University of Baltimore

Rev. Gabriel Mmassi, S.J.
Rev. Gabriel Mmassi, S.J. Jesuit Faculty Chair
Father Nyugen
Rev. Bao Nguyen, S.J.

Assistant Director of International Programs
Coordinator of International Jesuit Collaborations

Rev. Brian O
Rev. Brian O'Donnell, S.J.

Sacramental Minister, St. Alphonsus Rodriguez Church

Rev. Joseph Rossi, S.J.
Joseph Rossi, S.J.

Professor of Theology

Mr. Christopher Smith, S.J.
Mr. Christopher Smith, S.J.

Teacher of Mathematics, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School

Headshot of Father Stephen Spahn, S.J. smiling with a green background and white flower in upper right corner
Father Stephen Spahn, S.J. Instructor of Theology Associate Director for Mission Integration
Father Stephen Spahn, S.J. was born in Denver Colorado, the youngest of 10 children. He graduated from Georgetown University where he met the Jesuits, entering the Maryland Province in August of 1993. He holds Masters degrees in International Politics and Philosophy from Georgetown and Fordham Universities respectively and the MDiv., ThM, and STL degrees from Boston College. Ordained a priest in June of 2014, Fr. Spahn has served as Province Vocation Promoter, Parochial Vicar at Georgetown's Holy Trinity and Baltimore's St. Ignatius Parishes and Director of Ignatian Programs at Georgetown University. He presently serves as an Affiliate Faculty member in Loyola University Maryland's Theology Department and the Associate Director of its Office of Mission Integration.
Rev. Stephen Spahn, S.J.
Rev. Stephen Spahn, S.J.

Affiliate Faculty of Theology

Assistant to the Director of Mission Integration
Rev. Bruce Steggert, S.J.
Rev. Bruce Steggert, S.J.

Chaplain and Teacher of Biology, Loyola Blakefield

Kelli smiles in front of a brush. She is wearing a red shirt.
Kelli Walker Program Assistant for Mission Integration

Kelli began her role as Program Assistant for Mission Integration in 2021. Originally from Baltimore, she received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Baltimore in 2015, majoring in Environmental Sustainability and Human Ecology. Kelli's environmental background has aligned with the goals of Mission Integration, particularly when it comes to thinking of oneself as part of something larger, and being responsible for the betterment of our shared world. Kelli takes pride in organizing events and retreats, and collaborating and connecting with all members of the Loyola Community. 

In her free time, Kelli enjoys reading and spending time with her two year old son, Ezra. Kelli is also the Program Assistant for the Office of Title IX, Compliance, and Assessment.