Michael Caruso, SJ is stepping into a brand new position at St. Louis U. High this school year as Vice President for Mission, Planning, and Operations. Along with filling the school’s need for more priests to lead masses, Caruso will be taking on mission projects and strategic planning for the future.

A veteran in the world of higher education, Caruso brings years of expertise to this new position. He worked at Rockhurst University, received his doctorate at the University of San Francisco, worked at Loyola Marymount University, then served as president of St. Ignatius College Prep in Chicago, Ill. When he was hired at St. Louis University last year, he figured his days in secondary education were over.

That's what the provincial this past March said, ‘I needed another priest at St. Louis University High School,’” said Caruso. “I said I would. And so here I am back in secondary ed. I've been bouncing back and forth.”

Despite the surprise, Caruso is excited for this new chapter of his professional career.

“I'm very happy to be back here in Missouri,” he said. “I'm very happy to be here at St. Louis U. High. It has always had such a great reputation.”

Caruso grew up in Kansas City, Mo. After graduating from high school, he joined a Benedictine seminary and became a diocesan priest. It wasn’t until after years in the priesthood that he felt called to join the Jesuit order.

“I very much was attracted to the Jesuit way of life because there is community, but it's not overwhelming,” said Caruso. “It's very similar in some ways to diocesan priests, but you're living with other people and working with them in the same mission.”

Caruso completed his Novitiate in Denver, Colo. Since then, he has applied his Jesuit spiritual teaching to his work in education across the country.

At SLUH, he will be responsible for a variety of tasks. He will aid Principal Ian Gibbons, SJ and Director of Campus Ministry Matthew Stewart, SJ in masses, retreats, confessions, and other religious activities. He will partake in various mission-related projects including the selection of a new principal and strategic planning for the next ten years. 

“My main job here is to be a priest for the students, faculty, and staff, but then there's some of these administrative projects that come along, so I’ll be working on those too,” said Caruso.

In addition to his decades of experience in education, Caruso brings another unique lens to the SLUH community. A passionate fan of early Disney animation, he studied in grad school the way Disney ran a company and how their techniques can be applied to education administration.

“I did a lot of research on Disney, the company, its business methods, and what schools and educators could learn from them.”

His collections of Disney animation props highlighting his multifaceted nature, Caruso is ready to apply his new perspective to life at SLUH.