Joe Nolla, a member of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) studying to become a Catholic priest, joined the Billikens in Fall 2021.
Graduating from Florida State University in 2009 with a BA in History, he soon joined the US Air Force. After serving nine years as an Air Battle Manager, he left the Air Force to enter the Jesuit Novitiate at Grand Coteau, La., in 2018. During the Novitiate, he served in Arlington, Va., as an assistant in a L’Arche community, living alongside people with developmental disabilities. He later served in San Juan, Puerto Rico at Colegio San Ignacio, working in Campus Ministry. He also taught religion at Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami, Fla. In August 2020, Joe took his First Vows in the Society of Jesus and moved to the Bellarmine House of Studies in St. Louis.
At SLU, Joe is working towards a Master of Arts in Philosophy and Theology for Ministry. In addition to serving as chaplain for the softball team, he is a member of the SLU Student Well-Being Task Force and ministers to the parishioners at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Ferguson, Mo.
As a chaplain, Joe enjoys listening to the players/staff share about their lives, getting to know them better, and, of course, watching the Billikens play great softball.
