The Gift of Jesuit Presence
The mission of Brophy College Preparatory—to form Men for Others—has never rested in policy or tradition alone. It is carried by the faculty and staff who live it each day. This year, we are especially fortunate that our faculty includes three Jesuits: Bill Muller, S.J., Juan Pablo del Toro, S.J., and Simon Zachary, S.J., ’02.
Their role is deeply meaningful, and it flourishes within a broader partnership. For decades, the Society of Jesus has formed and entrusted lay colleagues to steward the mission alongside them. The Jesuits at Brophy serve as anchors within this larger community of educators and staff who strive to reflect God’s love in classrooms, offices, and daily interactions across campus.
As President Bob Ryan reflects, “In an era when Jesuit presence in schools is increasingly rare, we are graced with three Jesuits who could hardly be more different—and yet each radiates a deep joy in his vocation. Their distinct personalities reveal different facets of the Ignatian tradition, giving our students many paths into the mission.”
In this way, our Jesuits invite and welcome all of us as companions in mission—sharing in the 500-year-old tradition of helping each of our students discover the child of God he was created to be.
The Seasoned Mentor
Fr. Bill Muller, S.J.
Fr. Bill Muller, S.J., serves as Brophy’s Vice President of Mission and Identity, a role that draws on decades of leadership across Jesuit education. Before returning to Brophy, he led at the school level as president of two schools and principal of another. He was then asked to serve as provincial assistant for secondary education with responsibility for all Jesuit high schools in the province. From there, he moved to Washington, D.C., to found the Jesuit Schools Network as Executive Director of the organization, creating a national framework for collaboration, leadership formation, and mission support. The scope of that service is significant. It reflects a steady commitment to mission and a rare ability to strengthen communities at every level.
When his provincial later asked where he most wanted to serve, Fr. Muller chose to return to the front lines of formation. “I wanted to be back in the day-to-day work of forming young men,” he says.
For him, Jesuit education is about shaping the whole person. “At Brophy, the threads are bright and woven tightly with justice issues, Catholic social teaching, the arts, innovation… all [Jesuit] schools are woven with the same threads,” he explains. What stands out to him here is the openness of the students. “There’s a certain vulnerability that the kids have. It’s an opportunity for friendship and learning. It’s perfectly okay to fall flat on your face here and then get up and try something new.”
Principal Jim Bopp sees the impact of that lifetime of service in daily leadership. “As school leadership, you are always fighting the tyranny of the immediate. There is always something that feels big, and each moment brings a new challenge. What is so great about having Father Muller as a companion in leadership is that he knows the long arc. He helps put things in perspective.”
Bopp adds a view from within Brophy’s leadership circle. “He keeps us grounded in what matters most and can quickly ask a wise question that lets us see a situation in a new light. When he states it, the path forward becomes obvious because it is grounded in his Jesuit values, worldview, and experience.”
Students feel that mix of wisdom and warmth. Junior Hayden Short puts it plainly: “Perhaps no one better represents everything Brophy stands for.” He recalls his first day on campus. “As I nervously stepped onto campus, the first person I saw was Fr. Muller, smiling. Since then, he has impacted me in more ways than I can express. His steady kindness and clear wisdom continue to inspire and guide me.”
For Fr. Muller, the charism that shaped those roles remains simple and urgent. “Our goal is that when a kid walks out of here, he can be the kind of man he wants to be, but on another level, the kind of man God wants him to be. And you have to have fun doing that.”
"Wisdom with joy. That is Father Muller."
The Adventurous Companion
Fr. Juan Pablo del Toro, S.J.
Fr. Juan Pablo “JP” del Toro’s path to the priesthood was far from traditional. Before his call to religious life, he earned degrees in physics and business and spent six years as a consultant for Deloitte. It was only during his time at a Jesuit university in Guadalajara that he first sensed the pull toward a new kind of vocation. “It was a total radical change,” he recalls. “It’s been challenging at times, but God has been there.”
His formation kept one eye on the heavens. He studied philosophy of science at Loyola University Chicago, served as a telescope operator at the Adler Planetarium, and attended the 2007 Vatican Observatory Summer School, later collaborating with the Observatory on photometry and outreach. In 2023 he completed Jesuit tertianship in Australia, where the southern night sky became both classroom and chapel.
Now in his tenth year at Brophy, Fr. JP’s work stretches far beyond the classroom. He teaches physics and astronomy, coaches the mountain biking team, and assists with rowing. He also moderates the Aviator’s Club, drawing on a pilot’s license earned years ago and experiences flying in Alaska. and celebrates Mass wherever faith can find a foothold—including in the wilderness.
Cooper Davis, a longtime colleague, laughs as he recalls one such moment: “It’s not every day that a priest will host Mass in the middle of the wilderness! He certainly puts a sense of adventure into his ministry. He isn’t afraid to get dirty, sweaty, and bloody in the pursuit of creating lasting memories for kids that help form their faith.”
That spirit of joy runs deep. “The other night at our mountain bike race in Snowflake, Padre took to the stage for parking lot karaoke and sang his theme song, ‘I Lived’ by OneRepublic,” Davis says. “He’s lived out those lyrics for the past ten years here at Brophy—including the broken bones.”
Fr. del Toro’s approach is intentionally personal. Assistant Principal for Ministry Drew Rau notes, “What students appreciate so much about him is that he’s just at their activities and programs with them. He’s coaching, moderating clubs, showing up to games. He goes to where the students are—and that’s exactly how Jesus ministered. He’s a living model of that.”
For Fr. JP, it all comes back to accompaniment. “To be able to journey with young men, to walk with them, to listen to them—it’s been a great, wonderful joy.”
"I always smile. I try to look always at the positivity of things and an attitude of gratitude, an attitude of hope, an attitude of joy. Those are so important right now. The world needs more joy. If we want a joyful universe, we have to make it."
The Returning Alumnus
Fr. Simon Zachary, S.J. ’02
When Fr. Simon Zachary, S.J. ’02, walks across campus, he does so with the perspective of someone who has lived Brophy from both sides of the classroom. As a student, he was reserved and reflective, drawn to the work of what was then the Office of Peace and Justice. Seamus Walsh, Assistant Principal for Academic Affairs, who worked in that office during those years, remembers him well: “Fr. Simon was a regular student volunteer in The Loyola Project, working with youth from underserved communities, well beyond whatever required service hours were expected. He was a selfless servant leader, humbled by St. Ignatius’ call to be a man for and with others.”
After college, Zachary built a career in digital advertising before hearing the persistent call to something deeper. “The question of vocation keeps resurfacing,” he says. “I thought, ‘I ought to pay attention to this and see where it might lead.’”
Now ordained and back at Brophy teaching U.S. Government and Economics, Fr. Zachary finds that the subjects naturally lead to spiritual questions. “Students are starting to ask, ‘How is God at work in my life?’ You can get a good education and do impressive things, but at the service of what—or whom?”
Assistant Principal for Ministry Drew Rau ’02, who graduated with Zachary in 2002, says, “It’s been wonderful having Simon back. He’s such a kind person and his smile is infectious. It helps students see what it looks like to live the joy that comes from faith.”
For Fr. Zachary, the school’s heart feels unchanged. “The first day I had students coming up after class, introducing themselves, shaking hands—it’s not something you see everywhere. That sense of joy and care has stayed the same.”
"It’s been fun to come back as a faculty member and help all the programs that I’ve been able to support. For students, there are so many opportunities to pursue whatever interests you. There’s no shortage of really meaningful things happening on campus."
A Shared Mission
Each Jesuit offers students a different window into the same light. Fr. Muller teaches that wisdom and faith are inseparable. Fr. del Toro models a ministry of joy and presence. Fr. Zachary embodies reflection and service grounded in lived experience.
The Jesuits invite all of us into companionship in this Jesuit mission: to find God in all things and to live a life of generosity, purpose, and joy.