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CV NEWS FEED // The Harvard Catholic Center announced that Fr. Nathaniel Sanders of the Archdiocese of Boston is its new undergraduate chaplain.
Fr. Sanders, who stepped into his new role on April 7, succeeds Fr. Patrick Fiorillo, who has been the chaplain for the Center since 2018, according to an article in Harvard University’s student newspaper, The Harvard Crimson.
Fr. Fiorillo announced in late January that he had received a new assignment in the Archdiocese and that his last day is May 31, The Harvard Crimson reported in January.
Fr. William Kelly, a pastor at a local parish, said in the April article in The Harvard Crimson that Fr. Sanders’ background meshes with the work that the Center will be doing. Fr. Sanders graduated from Boston College in 2013 and entered the Dominican Order. He discerned out of the order after several years and later entered St. John’s Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts, after spending a year teaching at a boarding school in France. He was ordained a priest in May 2022.
Fr. Sanders hosts a YouTube channel called “Rants and Chants,” which has over 4,000 followers. In videos, Fr. Sanders discusses topics such as the Liturgy and theological questions.
The Harvard Crimson noted that Fr. Kelly said Fr. Sanders’ unique strengths in academics, music and theology will be essential in his role as chaplain.
“You do need somebody who at least has a passing interest in music, and he has more than that,” Fr. Kelly noted.
Azul Rubio, the Center’s president and a member of the Class of 2025, told The Harvard Crimson that while she’s sad to see Fr. Fiorillo go, she’s also very excited to welcome Fr. Sanders.
“I know that he comes with his full heart into this, and definitely he’s ready to serve the student community here at Harvard,” Rubio said.
