By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, M.A.'04

In any given conversation with theRev. Charles Allen, S.J., it's possible to get a lesson in Italian cuisine, New Testament scripture, the importance of exercise as one matures, Vatican politics, or why tents were made for camping and not wedding receptions, according to his "Fr. Allen's Ten Wedding Rules." With a thousand stories to tell and clever nuggets of information to share, this Boston-born Irishman knows he hasn't just kissed the famous Blarney Stone, he's ingested a part of it as well. Whether he's providing a benediction at a groundbreaking or is the evening's dinner guest, he always knows just what to say to capture and hold his audience.

This juggling act of talking to varied audiences is part of Fr. Allen's official job as executive assistant to the president, a position he has held since hired in 1994 by then University President, the Rev. Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., who had previously worked with him when Fr. Allen was principal of Fairfield Prep from 1985 to 1989. Today, Fr. Allen is secretary of the Fairfield University corporation and of the Board of Trustees, keeping the daily activities of the President's office running smoothly and coordinating mailings and conference calls. "I'm the go-fer," he jokes. His involvement in student activities includes heading up Alpha Sigma Nu, chaperoning Campus Ministry trips, and living in the residence halls. In 2005, the senior class dedicated the yearbook, The Manor, to him, citing his "quick wit, photographic memory, and ability to tell great stories."

Unofficially, Fr. Allen is known as a much-loved ambassador for the University, visiting alumni and their families in times of joy as well as in times of sorrow. Sometimes he is one of the first from Fairfield to comfort the family when a member is ill or dying.

For brides and grooms, Fr. Allen is a perennial favorite. He's officiated more than 170 wedding ceremonies since his ordination in 1973 (about six or seven per year), with five already booked for 2006 and 2007. What makes him so popular among Prep and University alumni is his ability to individualize the homily. "I was so nervous that day, but he made us feel comfortable," says Mary Ellen (Hummel '86) McMahon, who married Kevin '91 in 2004. "He made it personal, telling stories about us," she says. "But he also injected his humor, adding, ‘Now is an important time to reflect on your commitment to and love for - Fairfield University.' It really lightened the mood!"

The eldest of four children and the only son of Charles and Helen Allen, "Charlie" and his sisters - Andrea, Lorraine, and Lisa - attended Catholic school and St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in his Jamaica Plain neighborhood, where he served as an altar boy. "Church was part of our lives," he says. "We lived a five-minute walk from church and school."

Growing up, he loved languages, choosing Latin over the sciences, but geography became his favorite class as he approached senior year. "I wanted to see the world," he says. Through his Jesuit preparation he has, from completing his tertianship in Asia and additional training in Italy, to chaperoning student trips to Ecuador. Since 1990, he has enjoyed a position as the on-board chaplain with two cruise lines, sailing to the Caribbean and Bermuda up to three times a year when the University is on break.

You'd think all of this running around would be enough exercise, but Fr. Allen knows the importance of staying fit. He doesn't follow a specific regimen, but does work about three miles of walking or biking into his daily routine. A master of making the most of the moment, he says the Rosary while walking and working his upper body muscles. "I'll do two stretches over my right shoulder, two over the left, two over my head, and so on," he explains. "Before you know it, I've said a decade of Hail Marys!"

According to his sister, Lisa, his mother often reminisces about how she went to see her son in a kindergarten production of "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." He was Papa Bear because of his good, loud voice. "My mother remembers saying to herself," says Lisa, "'With a voice like that, someday I am sure he will use it for something good.'"

That he has.