Meet Fr. Dale Mallory, now in his second year as chaplain of Christ the King Chapel at St. Ambrose University. A priest of the Diocese of Davenport and originally from Knoxville, Iowa, Fr. Dale brings experience from serving parishes in Ottumwa and Bloomfield to his fourth year of priesthood. Dedicated to faith and community, he leads Masses, administers sacraments, and enhances campus spiritual life through retreats, Eucharistic Adoration, and student leadership collaboration. As we embark on a new academic year filled with excitement and challenges, Fr. Dale shares his thoughts on navigating transitions, learning from failure, and finding strength in faith.
Q: What inspired your vocation, and how has that journey shaped your approach to spiritual guidance?
A: It happened after I graduated from college. I went to the University of Iowa, and I wasn't really involved in my faith at that time. I just didn't enjoy church. I was raised Catholic, but I had drifted from the church. I decided to give it another chance. During Mass, I had a powerful experience that led me to deeply question my purpose. Was I living for myself or others? This turning point inspired me to explore Catholicism and build a relationship with God. Over time, I discerned a calling to the priesthood, taking it step by step through seminary. Each year confirmed my path. I just kept building from there and got ordained in 2022.
My approach to spiritual guidance now focuses on discernment – encouraging students to reflect deeply on who they want to be, beyond their careers. Like, ‘What kind of person do I want to be? Do I want to be a worker? Do I want to be a parent or spouse, or do I want to be something even beyond that, like, becoming a priest or a religious sister or brother?’ When I was discerning, I had some priests and some lay people that helped me to take that time to really reflect and think about who God was calling me to be.
Q: How did your education at the University of St. Thomas prepare you for your role at St. Ambrose?
A: I think the biggest thing is really having to take ownership of what you want to do in your life. When students are in the zone of parents telling them what to do, their teachers in high school telling them what to do, that is really a struggle. They don't have ownership of ‘I'm going to work hard and try and make this happen.’ Obviously, it's not all on the student, but I think that was something that just became very clear to me. I really began to thrive and do well in seminary when I let go of this feeling of waiting on instructors to tell me what to do.
You can be bold, do what you think you need to do, take ownership of it, and listen to what they're giving you for feedback. That's how you begin to understand what's happening, instead of being passive. If you do mess it up, then at least that's something and you can learn from it instead of messing up and being passive.
Q: How has the transition to St. Ambrose University been for you, and what stands out to you about this community so far?
A: This is my fourth year as a priest, with my first two spent in parishes in Ottumwa and Bloomfield, Iowa, small agricultural communities. Compared to parish ministry, which requires catering to a wide range of people, working with college students is a unique opportunity to focus on a specific demographic.
Here, it's a very specific demographic of people - college students, between the ages of 18 to 23. They're going through the same stage of life. They tend to have similar questions and concerns. That becomes nice, because then I can really focus on ministry and homiletics on what their problems are, where they need help, and what they need to hear. Especially considering that I remember being at that age, and I remember the questions that I had and the problems I was going through. Now I get a chance to share what I've learned with them and be inspired by the students too.
In a normal parish, everyone is working or they're a little bit older, so they don't always have the imagination or the drive to try new things just because they're too busy or they're tired, but the students have so much energy, and that's what really stands out to me.
Q: Are there any particular programs or initiatives you hope to introduce or expand within the spiritual life at St. Ambrose?
A: One initiative I’m excited about is expanding participation in SEEK, a conference hosted by the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS). SEEK is known for its powerful focus on prayer, inspiring speakers, and praise and worship. It’s often described as life-changing for college students. Last year, we sent a pilot group of four students to the conference, with plans to increase participation this year. It’s an exciting opportunity to deepen faith and build community.
Another goal is expanding outreach to the Diocese of Davenport. I'm from Knoxville, Iowa, we are part of the Diocese of Davenport, but no one ever talked about St. Ambrose, and I had never heard about the school. I think there's just a lot of Catholics that do not know that SAU exists. I want to change that by connecting with Catholics who aren’t current students. This summer, we hosted Totus Tuus, a traveling Vacation Bible School program, here on campus. Partnering with local parishes like St. Paul the Apostle and Holy Family, we’re creating a community-wide event that shows how St. Ambrose can serve not just students but the wider Quad Cities area.
