Matthew Meskell

Matthew Meskell

Alumnus, ‘96 and ‘99 JD
Investor/Attorney

“In a largely secular institution, Fr. Patrick shared stories of how he explored faith with people struggling with their own lives, an approach I have used to this day in my own interactions: our faith is internally consistent and has something interesting to say about the problems you are facing now — let’s talk. ”

Feeling separate from the Church and disillusioned at the time, I wandered into mass at Memorial Church wondering whether the habits of my childhood still held anything for me. I was late (of course) and the homily had begun. But here in that place was this jovial man discussing C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters. It’s probably a cliché but I was taken aback and shaken thinking about how directly his homily was speaking to my situation. Over my years at Stanford, I spoke with Fr. Patrick many times. He was an insightful confessor, guide, and friend, often with different and exciting suggestions. Fr. Patrick married my wife and me in Memorial Church many years later. And as I stood with him then, I remembered plainly the student I was once, wandering in late to his homily, wondering about my path, and how grateful I was that the community and Fr. Patrick had been at Stanford with me. Recently, watching a video of our wedding, I understood that even then he had been nudging me closer to God, again in his homily, again with that jovial spirit.