As Archbishop Riordan’s student body grows, so does its faculty and staff. Campus Ministry prepares to welcome a new chaplain to the Crusader family. Rev. Jerald Geronimo will step into the role of the new chaplain.

Geronimo grew up in Daly City, attending Holy Angels for grammar school, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory for high school, and San Francisco State University for college.

Even as a little boy, he dreamed of becoming a priest. He was raised in the Catholic faith and has always been involved in it. He was ordained into the priesthood in June of 2022. He is the first Filipino-American priest in the San Francisco Archdiocese.

Rev. Geronimo hopes to maintain a steady relationship with the student body, helping them grow in their faith. He is always available to talk to students and help them in any way; they are always welcome to approach him. He wants students to know that they are not alone and God is watching over them.

“Keep Him involved—talk to Him, confide in Him, seek Him out. High school life, and our society and culture in general, are always changing and evolving. But there is only one constant—God, for He is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” Rev. Geronimo said.

Alex Datoc ’87, Director of Campus Ministry at Riordan, believes that it is good to have a spiritual guide on the school’s campus for students to go to in times of need. Datoc stated, “The qualities of a great chaplain for a school would be one that can engage and connect with the students—a chaplain where students feel comfortable around and not afraid to have a conversation with him on anything that is on their mind.”

This new arrival comes as the former chaplain, Rev. Gregory Heidenblut, became the pastor of Notre Dame des Victoires Parish, a French-Marianist Church on Bush Street.

Archbishop Riordan High School has always provided the support and community needed to pursue any career or field of study. Aidan Murtagh ’20 is an example of a student who has followed God’s calling.

Growing up in San Francisco, attending St. Cecilia School and Archbishop Riordan, Murtagh had many religious influences in his life. “I loved going to Mass at different parishes, meeting different priests, and seeing how our Catholic faith can be expressed in different ways,” he said.

He feels that it is important for every high school student to establish a regular prayer routine. Murtagh, who is now in the seminary, added, “God has blessed us with an intellect and a will, and our school should help us hone these faculties to pursue the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.”

This is what Rev. Geronimo hopes for the students of Riordan.