(Mobile, AL) Spring Hill College (SHC) is pleased to announce the return of Rev. Philip Steele, S.J., as its new chief mission officer. This appointment follows the reassignment of Rev. Robert Poirier, S.J., to another location. Although this transition is bittersweet, the College is enthusiastic about welcoming a familiar face back to its community.
“I am very much looking forward to my return to The Hill in August,” said Fr. Steele. “I eagerly anticipate reuniting with old friends and meeting those who are new to me.”
Fr. Steele previously served as rector of the Jesuit community and campus minister at SHC from 2015 to 2017. Since then, he has been a valued member of the College’s Board of Trustees. In his new role as chief mission officer, Fr. Steele will oversee and influence mission programming, including faith formation, pastoral ministry, and inclusion initiatives. He will also support the president in integrating the College’s mission and identity. Additionally, Fr. Steele will continue his service on the board and will join the President’s Advisory Council and Cabinet.
A member of the Society of Jesus since 1966, Fr. Steele holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Saint Louis University, in St. Louis, Mo.; a Master of Fine Arts degree from Tyler School of Art at Temple University, in Philadelphia, Pa., and a Master of Divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Ca.
His career includes 15 years as an art teacher and pastoral director at St. Louis University High in Philadelphia, Pa., and Regis Jesuit High School in Aurora, Co. He then served as the Jesuit Provincial’s assistant for seven years before becoming president of Regis Jesuit High School for nine years. Recently, he worked at St. Louis University as the rector of Jesuit Hall and established St. Ignatius Hall in Florissant, Mo., a new community for retired Jesuits, where he took on the role of founding superior.
According to Fr. Steele, on a recent trip to SHC’s Italy Center in Bologna, Italy, has renewed his sense of mission. “Meeting a few students has helped me prepare my soul for my new role on The Hill,” he said. “Together, we will support and inspire one another while introducing new members to the College’s history, mission, and spirit.” He is even more eager to collaborate with President Mary H. Van Brunt, PhD, and looks forward to supporting the College’s faculty, staff, and student leaders who are committed to its mission.
ABOUT SPRING HILL COLLEGE:
Founded in 1830, Spring Hill College is the oldest Catholic college in the Southeast and the third oldest Jesuit college in the United States. Spring Hill combines the Jesuit tradition of excellence in education and a commitment to caring for the whole person — mind, body, and spirit — with innovative educational experiences. Located in Mobile, Ala., Spring Hill’s mission is to form leaders engaged in learning, faith, justice, and service for life. As a result, Spring Hill students are engaged, inspired, and transformed by their experiences.