Providence College’s New Hire

by Shannon Kelly ’26 on December 11, 2025

News

An Interview with Catholic Scholar, Gloria Purvis

On Wednesday, Dec. 3, I interviewed Gloria Purvis, special advisor for Integral Human Development and Dignity at Providence College. This is a new role at the college part of the Office of Mission & Ministry that seeks to combine the work of mission and ministry, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and institutional equity.

The first question I asked regarded Purvis’ motivation for pursuing this work, including social justice, while upholding Catholic values and combating racial injustice. She emphasized the importance of “saying yes to God in small things” and “following the queues.” She also referenced her past experience in real estate and the world of finance. She said that she eventually felt compelled to “leave corporate America” because it was not fulfilling. Additionally, Purvis discussed her desire to do the work God calls her to do, which does not entail her having a website or business card to give to others. She believes in the importance of spending one’s time engrossed in theological texts and being open to hearing opinions that may differ from her own.

We also talked about the importance of diversity, both in the workplace and in the greater world. She divulged by explaining that she has worked with many racist people in her past roles, and that raised a fundamental question for her—“Shouldn’t it be natural to accept everyone?” She talked about the need for marginalized people to bring their full selves into the workplace, meaning all elements of their identity, because that is how we thrive as human beings. She also explained the history of Black women being historically excluded from participating in corporate America, which was particularly valuable. When talking about diversity, equity, and inclusion and the controversies surrounding it in present-day society, Purvis encouraged everyone to ask their family members about their lived experiences to be able to gauge the need for prioritization of DEI policies and practices in our world today. Purvis continually spoke to the need for people to understand the concept of justice through a Catholic perspective, which ultimately tends to the innate dignity that can be found in every human person.

During the interview, we discussed the history of our country at length. We both agreed that many people, including those on this campus, fail to understand our nation’s full history. Specifically, we spoke to the very nature of slavery and the multifaceted ways in which we see the impacts of this in the present day. When discussing both the stolen land that was once taken from Native Americans and the practice of chattel slavery, Purvis spoke to the obligation we all have to repair what was once broken or harmed. She mentioned the sin of racism, which is innately sinful in its very principle. She spoke of her firm belief in the preferential option for the poor, which is a concept that is founded in Catholic Social Teaching that speaks to the need for the poor and marginalized to be prioritized in all decisions—including political, social, and economic.

Purvis spoke at length about her deep-rooted belief in the bonds of the human family, which we so often fail to recognize the importance of. She said that “justice comes out of love” and how our current societal framework largely does not allow for people to legitimately understand how to act towards one another. She said the current climate in society often endorses resistance to justice and that there is an “evil spirit of hatred that has had its claws on our country” for many years. She said this evil must be named and expelled, as it diminishes the depth and beauty of the Christian faith. Purvis spoke to the need for believers to trust in and lean into the word of God, rather than the rhetoric being used by politicians, in order to avoid leaning into hate for those who differ from us.

Love of thy neighbor is a fundamental tenet of the faith, and Purvis aims to practice this in her everyday life. She repeatedly emphasized the collective need to recognize that love makes all things possible, recognizing one’s dignity is the first step to loving someone, and to understand that justice is radical. She called upon all students to ask themselves what it truly means to be a Dominican college and to gauge whether or not our behavior often proves to be in alignment with the mission of the college. She said one of the greatest tenets of her work is promoting the mission of the Church and the dignity so deeply embedded in that work. She encouraged us all to acknowledge that faith can be practiced in so many ways and the beauty that can be found. She said we must always vow to act in accordance with the dignity of the human person. When talking about the current political atmosphere in the United States, Purvis said that oftentimes, it feels as though we are living in a culture of death, rather than a culture of life, with our current administration often upholding the latter sentiment. She said we must not be afraid to speak to one another, regardless of whether or not the subject is controversial.

Nearing the end of our conversation, Purvis spoke to the need for all of us to act in light of who we truly are as people. She also referenced her desire for people to engage in acts of both service and love, while honoring the dignity of human beings and acting in a way that honors the common good. Purvis profoundly explained that faith is the act of choosing to believe without seeing, which she finds to be a necessary reminder on our campus.

Giving Grace: A Feature Story

by Bridget Carroll ’26 on December 11, 2025

News

For most people, Providence College is home for four years. For Graciete Morales, it has been home for 34 years—not as a student, but as a member of the community of hard-working individuals who help it run every day.

Graciete (“Grace”) Morales was born in Cape Verde, Africa, on Jan. 9, 1962. She was the firstborn of five children to two incredibly loving parents. Her birth was something of a miracle in itself. Before she was born, her father had lost two children from a previous relationship, both taken far too soon. Because of that loss, the bond between Morales and her father was unbreakable from the start. Her family lived and worked on a large fruit farm in Cape Verde. After attending school for only a short time, she began working for her father at the age of 12, selling fruit in busy marketplaces. While most kids would have complained, Morales recognized at a young age that her family needed her. She sacrificed an education to work, making sure there was always food on the table. Morales recalled loving to work. She quickly embraced meeting and talking to customers—some of whom were the kindest people she has ever known. Another small reward was that she got to eat her favorite fruit, mango. Beyond her work, Morales remembers spending every Sunday at church with her family. It was there she first felt a deep connection with God— one that has only strengthened through the years.

In 1991, when Morales was 29, she received her green card and moved to the United States. It was the hardest decision of her life—one made even more painful because it meant saying goodbye to her children. Despite the heartbreak, Moralese knew this path meant an opportunity to build a life that would allow her to provide even more for her family. Deep down, she had no doubt it was something she had to do. What made the journey a little easier was that she was with her cousin, Zeferino, who gave her comfort and strength every step of the way.

Her life in the United States began in Massachusetts. She worked cleaning fish for a year before moving to Providence in 1992. Morales found her current home in Pawtucket and immediately started looking for work. When I asked Morales how she found Providence College, she didn’t hesitate. “I asked God,” she said with a smile. “God told me, Grace, I’m going to give you a job very close to your house.” He kept His promise. She heard about jobs cleaning on-campus buildings from a friend of Zeferino’s and wasted no time. She was at PC the next day with her papers in hand, ready to work. Morales was hired and started work immediately. “On my first day, I didn’t understand anything,” she recalls, “but everyone was so welcoming.” Today, 34 years later, Morales says that the welcoming feeling on campus hasn’t faded—if anything, it has only grown stronger. In many ways, Morales herself has been a big part of that—making Providence College students feel not only welcome, but truly at home.

I first met Morales early in the fall semester of my sophomore year at Providence College. As I was leaving for class, she was in the lobby of my dorm taking out the trash. I couldn’t believe how easily she lifted the heavy bags—this petite woman was handling them like it was nothing. I held the door open for her, and she gave me a smile that melted my heart. Over time, I saw her around the building more often, and before long, we formed a bond that has lasted ever since. In those first few months of getting to know Morales, I was struggling with homesickness, but her kindness—and her hugs, always the tightest and most comforting—made everything feel a little easier. Now, as a senior, I always make an effort to stop by our old dorm, where Morales continues to work. Whenever I need one of her hugs, I know exactly where to go.

As our friendship grew, Morales began sharing stories—and many photos—of her family. It was wonderful to hear about and see the people who have always been the center of her world. While some of Morales’s family members still live overseas—in Cape Verde and throughout Europe, including Portugal, Spain, and France—many of them have followed in her footsteps. They, too, came to the United States and have since built families of their own. She now has 19 grandkids, three great-granddaughters, and countless nieces and nephews. Moralese keeps in touch with everyone in her family. Although she hasn’t seen her siblings or children in more than three years, she calls them often to stay connected. She also makes sure they’re up to date on her own life, frequently posting photos and messages on Facebook. As her family has grown, so has her desire to sacrifice for the people she loves most. Since 2000, Morales has bought her oldest son a car, paid for her niece to go to school in Cape Verde, helped distant relatives with paying their rent, provided sufficient funds for her nephew to have a surgical operation, and has continued to give monthly donations to the church where Zeferino first found work when the two of them arrived in the United States.

When I went to Morales’s house to interview her for this story, I could see very clearly the love she has for her family. Her walls were covered with photos of her kids and grandkids in all stages of their lives. She also had a highchair tucked into the corner of her dining room and baby bottles drying on a dish rack next to her sink. Something else that caught my eye was the hand-drawn pictures hanging up on her fridge—drawings that likely would have been framed and hung up on the walls too if she had any space left. As we spoke, I couldn’t help but ask what her favorite thing about being a mother and grandmother was. Her eyes lit up as she answered, “They changed my life and have brought me so much love.”

Aside from the love she has for her own family, Moralese holds an incredible amount of love for the Friar Family. Though many of her friends and coworkers have come and gone, she has enjoyed every moment of her 34 years at the college. Morales has worked through four PC presidents, seen the campus change dramatically, attended countless basketball games at the AMP, and met thousands of students. “I thank God for it all,” she told me. When I inquired about how her job must be difficult at times, she simply said, “Nothing bothers me. I love to clean. I may not have the strength I once did, but I still love it.” At one point, the topic of retirement came up, and she told me that she had never thought about retiring until a couple of years ago, when her sister mentioned it. “I love my job. I don’t know what I’ll do when I retire,” Morales said. “I want to go to Cape Verde, but not for long. I will miss my grandkids.”

Whether she’s in her work uniform or dressed in her favorite Friars gear, Morales wears both with pride. When I visited her at home for our interview, she greeted me in a gray Friars crewneck—a small reminder of just how much the school means to her.

As our interview ended and I gathered my things to leave, Morales wouldn’t let me go empty-handed—or with an empty stomach. She poured me a glass of orange juice and served slices of her favorite fruit, mango, before handing me two more to take home to my roommates. It was a simple gesture—one she didn’t think twice about—yet it perfectly captured who Morales is: generous, thoughtful, and full of love.