A favorite quote of our Mission Foundation’s new director, Fr. Jordan Bradshaw, O.P., is, “Life with Christ is a wonderful adventure” (St. John Paul II) and his life so far attests to that. Fr. Jordan was born in 1961 in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and was raised across the border in Nogales, Arizona. A blessing for him—and us—is that Spanish was his first language. Father remembers having a deep, early desire to become a priest, and while studying psychology at the University of Arizona, he was introduced to the Order of Preachers. He entered the Western Dominican Province in 1983 and, after several years of formation studies, was ordained a priest in 1992. It was during his first assignment at Holy Trinity in Phoenix that he saw first-hand the Latino community’s profound hunger, not only to learn the faith and celebrate its traditions, but also to be heard as a vital part of the parish and not only as ‘the people who attended the noon Spanish Mass.’ Father also served in Washington, California, and most recently in Washington again, where he ministered twelve years as Director of Campus Ministry at University of Washington’s Prince of Peace Newman Center in Seattle. After a year’s sabbatical and a semester at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, he embarked on his current assignment, beginning in July 2022, as Director of the Dominican Mission Foundation, based in San Francisco.

 

Regarding his new position, Father has already had a head start—while working as Vicar for the provincial, he was “blessed to see firsthand what my Dominican brothers [were] doing with and among the people,” visiting and celebrating Mass several times in Mexicali and also spending time at our missions in Kenya and Guatemala. And just since he took the reins in July 2022, he has visited Puerto Rico, Chiapas, and Alaska. A habitual power-walker, Father Jordan jumps right in and he doesn’t stop! He rolls up his sleeves and throws away, cleans, and organizes; he plans ahead, asks smart questions, and calls meetings—always short ones because he likes to keep moving. He is devising new, efficient methods for fundraising and building our donor list. He was ready and eager to take all the mission appeals he could possibly fit in, without a thought of asking for help.

 

His farewell address to his donors at the University of Washington reveals a humility, thoughtfulness, and faith, all of which will serve him well in his new position as Director of our Mission Office: “Like so very many of you,” he said, “we did not know that our country would be forced to hit the ‘pause button’ and confront an unprecedented set of challenges. This dramatic change we are all experiencing in this moment can feel threatening to the traditions of closeness that feed our souls; however, there is a bright light ahead because we have experienced the power of connection, love, and inspiration that strengthen our relationships in new ways. With the help of our Lord, we must continue to work diligently to make thoughtful decisions about our programs in response to constantly shifting challenges. We are truly grateful for your commitment and your generous gifts, now and over time.”

 

Father Jordan looks forward to learning about our various mission areas, first hand wherever possible, and to meeting those whom we serve; to preaching as many of the mission appeals throughout California and the western states as he can; and to meeting our constituents in his travels.