Agape Latte Features Monsignor Joseph Reilly

On Thursday, Jan. 25, Seton Hall students and faculty gathered in the University Center for the first Agape Latte of 2025. The Center for Catholic Studies and Campus Ministry were pleased to welcome Monsignor Joseph R. Reilly, S.T.L., Ph.D., Seton Hall University president, to give his talk “Just Your Average Joe: My Experience of Vulnerability, Inadequacy, and Community, and Finding Life Beyond Oneself.”

Msgr. Reilly’s talk explored the role discernment, community, and God’s grace played in his call to the Church, priesthood, and Seton Hall University. Since childhood, Msgr. Reilly spoke about becoming a priest, but at age 14, he had a life-changing experience with the Church, in which he realized that “the Church would be home.” Finding home in the Church, Msgr. Reilly became a priest and declared his priestly promises, one of which was the promise of obedience. As a priest of the Archdiocese of Newark, he promises obedience to the archbishop of Newark. He recalls navigating this promise with relative ease until last October, in which Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark, asked Msgr. Reilly to consider putting his name in to be the next president of Seton Hall University. For the first time, Msgr. Reilly thought, “I can’t do it… I needed to be convinced that this is what God wanted me to do.”

Msgr. Reilly connected with a spiritual friend to discuss his feeling of inadequacy. He recalls going into the conversation with a sense of self-pity but leaving it with conviction. His friend replied to his fear of inadequacy, saying, “Maybe that’s it. The whole time you’re doing this, you’ll be inadequate. You’ll need to rely on God and the strength of the people around you.” In saying yes to offering himself as a candidate for the Seton Hall president position, Msgr. Reilly said, “I experienced such peace in my heart that I’ve never felt before.”

Msgr. Reilly reflected on his time both before and during his tenure as university president, in which he shared, “The willingness to be vulnerable is the fundamental disposition of us as people of faith.” Amidst this vulnerability, Msgr. Reilly said, “I found other people lifting me up when I needed it. All of us need other people to be the people God made us to be. God calls all of us to be great, with the greatness of other people.” He connected this to Jesus’ life in community, with Mary, Joseph, and the apostles, for even God himself relied on the support of those around him. Msgr. Reilly continued in encouraging the community, saying, “God’s grace works through and in each of us; be open to those moments!”

The next Agape Latte will take place on 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 27 in the University Center Event Room. Come by for coffee, community, and spiritual nourishment!

For more information about this event, please click here.

Categories: Faith and Service