Edward H. Chow, SJ, grew up in Silicon Valley. His vocation was influenced by both Chinese Jesuits who served at his church and by American Jesuits he came to know as a student at Bellarmine College Preparatory School in San Jose. After earning a bachelor’s degree in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley, Edward worked briefly as a budget analyst at NASA Ames Research Center, which only clarified what he already knew: His true home was in religious life, working with youth and young adults.
During his formation, Edward earned a master’s degree in philosophy from Fordham University; a Bachelor of Sacred Theology and a Master of Divinity from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University; and a master’s degree in education from the University of San Francisco. He also taught theology and history across Jesuit, Lasallian, diocesan and public schools and provided spiritual wellness support to students while serving at the Newman Center Catholic Community at UC San Diego.
His instinct for bridge-building is rooted in his education and shapes everything he does. From his earliest days in religious life, he has sought out Christianity’s diverse expressions, convinced that understanding across traditions deepens rather than dilutes faith. The same conviction animates his writing, which has evolved from fantasy through screenwriting to historical fiction, including a murder mystery dinner party that reminded him of storytelling’s real purpose—to gather people around a shared experience.
Living between cultures as the child of immigrants means holding Han Chinese traditions and American culture in the same heart, discerned through his Catholic faith. Edward has learned that integrity comes from weaving threads together, that honoring what has been and creating something new are complementary impulses. This wholeness through integration is what he hopes to model as a priest. After ordination, Edward will serve in campus ministry and teach in the social studies department at Mater Dei Catholic High School in Chula Vista, California.
