Page 4 of 4 <

Bless U.

Discussion Policy

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.

"Father Bob," he wrote alongside the other scrawls. "Your priest."

He laughed as he walked out, shaking his head. "What was that all about?"

He doesn't rat kids out; that's not the role of a priest, he said. "I'm going to fight my best to make 'em go a good way." Sometimes that means smiling at them despite the things they're doing, hoping to win their hearts and earn their trust.

Napoli ran from him during room blessings his first year, too drunk to receive a visiting priest. "I was a rough one freshman year," he said. "I was a bad kid. Then Father Bob found out my cellphone number and never stopped calling me."

In many rooms, Schlageter offered this quiet intention: "For the kid in this building, whoever he or she is, who needs our prayer the most."

Napoli said he's like Santa Claus, all jolly with a beard turning white. "At the same time, he's so serious -- a caring, loving seriousness. He's just -- wise. He knows you. You'll be like, 'You pinned me.' "

Last week in Spellman Hall, the dorm got louder as the hour got later -- music up, water pelting off shower tiles in the cavernous bathrooms, shouts echoing in the stairwells.

He gave one last hug, big arm around a smiling freshman, and headed out. On the dorm's cement patio, students were gathering for a Bible class led by Napoli. "Look at this!" Father Bob said, beaming at the size of the group that swarmed around him, laughing, as the door swung open.

< 4