Austin Fox’s first encounter with the House of Mercy was as a high school student. His friend Dino Swan’s family hosted an annual cookout at the holidays and he was invited along. Austin grew up with a strong sense of the teachings of the Catholic service. He went to Holy Cross in Charlotte and then McQuaid before attending a Jesuit University, “Service has just been a part of my life.” At the cookout Austin was impressed by the community. “There was this really great sense of appreciation for what we were doing and even at a younger age you’re more comfortable with delving into that type of work.”
After he graduated from College, Austin came back to Rochester. He was enjoying the full-time job but the structure of service and volunteerism that Catholic schools provided was gone. “Once I graduated and started working full time, service is something I feel was just kind of missing from my everyday life.” Dino invited him to help found the junior board for House of Mercy, both as a way to give back to the House and a way to use the professional skills he and his peers had developed so far. Austin jumped in with both feet, meeting almost weekly throughout the board’s first year to bring together young leaders from across the country to support the House of Mercy’s mission and vision.
Austin feels radical compassion is really a way of living. It means doing the little things for other people when you can, offering a smile on the street to a stranger or surprising his grandmother by taking a day off to deep clean her home and make it brighter after the long isolation of the pandemic.
Soon Austin will move to Chicago for a new job opportunity; however, his commitment to House of Mercy continues unwaveringly. Part of this is a sense of home, House of Mercy is in Rochester of course and keeps him rooted to his community. However, the other side of this commitment is Sister Grace herself and her vision, “She is a badass.” Just to be around her and her vision is “really energizing for people who follow the house.”
“My name is Austin Fox and to me Radical Compassion means just incorporating selflessness in your everyday life whether it be your friends, family or those that are less fortunate.”