VT Catholic Campus Ministry Fall Newsletter

A Hokie Priest's Journey from Virginia Tech to the Middle East Fr. Joseph LoJacono, IVE (Institute of the Incarnate Word), a 1995 Virginia Tech alumnus, traces his priestly vocation back to his formative years at the Newman Community. Now serving in the Middle East with IVE, Fr. LoJacono recalls his time in Blacksburg as a season of spiritual discovery and deepening faith. During his years at Virginia Tech, Fr. LoJacono was active in the Newman Community under the leadership of Fr. James Cowles. He remembers those days as both grace-filled yet challenging—a time when daily Mass, the rosary, and eucharistic adoration became anchors for a small group of students hungry to know their Catholic faith more deeply.

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“It was my struggle against secular thinking, which I encountered through the philosophy and science departments, combined with my awakening to the Catholic faith of the ages that truly shaped my path to the priesthood,” reflected LoJacono. Raised in a family that was not particularly devout, his discovery of Catholic tradition at the Newman House through his mentor, layman Dr. Leslie Garay, planted the seeds of his vocation.

Fr. LoJacono’s spiritual journey at Virginia Tech later inspired his novel The Legendary St. George and the Dragon , as well as a youth study guide to help high school students explore themes of spiritual battle, virtue, and faith. He has also written on topics such as sexual ethics, in vitro fertilization, and moral theology for Incarnate Word magazine, with many of his works available on the site Academia. His path to the priesthood was a long one, beginning in the Diocese of Arlington and culminating 13 years later with ordination through the IVE. The same convictions formed during his time at Virginia Tech—his pro-life stance, defense of marriage, and call to holiness—continue to guide his priestly work. Today, he ministers to families and expatriate communities in Bahrain within the Northern Arabian Vicariate. Fr. LoJacono often returns to the New River Valley, where his family still resides, and he continues to hold a deep affection for the Newman Community. He encourages today’s students and alumni to remain steadfast in faith and to support the ministry that helped shape his own vocation.