The following story appeared in the March 12 issue of the Idaho Catholic Register
Above, Father Nathan Dail leads an outdoor Mass at the recent SEEK Conference. Father Dail becomes chaplain at the center on July 6. (ICR file photos)
Bishop Peter Christensen has named Father Nathan Dail, currently parochial vicar at All Saints Parish in Lewiston, as the chaplain at St. Paul’s Catholic Student Center on the Boise State University campus. The appointment is effective July 6.
Since 2014, Jesuits have been assigned to the campus center, but a joint agreement between the Diocese of Boise and the Jesuits West Province returns diocesan priests to the center, also called Bronco Catholic. The current chaplain is Father Mahn Tran, S.J., who has been assisted by Kyle Baker.
In a statement read during Masses at the student center, Bishop Peter Christensen thanked Father Tran and Baker and said Father Dail would be a “good fit” as chaplain.
“Although Father Nathan Dail was ordained just three years ago, he has already proven himself to be a highly energized promoter of young adult ministry.” Bishop Peter said.
Father Dail will work closely with Andrew Furphy, who remains administrator of campus ministry programs. “Also, I am so grateful for the presence of our FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary team at BSU,” Bishop Peter said. “I know Father Nathan will work in collaboration with FOCUS, bringing the Gospel to the BSU campus.”
Father Dail was hiking in the St. Joe National Forest north of Lewiston when Father Nathan Dail he saw on his phone that he had missed a call from Bishop Peter. “That’s when you start high-tailing uphill to find a place where I could get enough service to call him back,” Father Dail said.
“It’s hard to put into words what first came to mind when the Bishop told me of my new assignment,” he said. “I was overlooking a deep valley with a slow moving river, scattered snow and evergreen trees all around and below me. It was a moment of great peace,” he said. The priest said “held a deep peace about the next step,” as well as a “sense of loss as I thought of all the wonderful families in Lewiston that I will soon be leaving. They’ve done so much to help form me into the priest I am today,” he said, jokingly adding, “I blame all my defects on them.”
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