Fr. William Porras, a Catholic Chaplain at Harvard University (1954-1960) FEDERICO M. REQUENA Fr. William Porras, a Catholic Chaplain at Harvard University (1954-1960), was originally published in Spanish in Studia et Documenta. Rivista dell'Istituto Storico San Josemaría Escrivá. Introduction On October 19, 1954, the Archbishop of Boston, Richard Cushing, appointed Guillermo Porras the first Opus Dei priest to settle in Boston, as chaplain of the Harvard Catholic Club. This article investigates the reasons that led the Archbishop to make that decision. The article also looks at Fr. Porras’ role in various events, such as the beginning of the regular celebration of Mass at Harvard, the first personal meeting of the Boston Archbishop and the President of Harvard, and the establishment of the Charles Chauncey Stillman Chair of Catholic Studies. Finally, the author addresses the chaplain’s vision of how Catholics should live and make their Catholicism present in an institution such as Harvard in the lead up to the Second Vatican Council. Contents Introduction 1. Why Fr. Porras? 2. The new chaplain's vision, dedication and priorities 3. The Charles Chauncey Stillman Guest Professorship of Roman Catholics Studies. Christopher Dawson at Harvard 4. Building bridges between Harvard and the Boston Diocese 5. The end of Fr. Porras' chaplaincy Conclusion Endnotes