On the morning of Jan. 20, Br. Jim Kozak didn’t answer his phone.
Players on the Holy Cross men’s soccer team were calling him to see if he was coming to practice. It wasn’t like the team’s beloved 83-year-old chaplain to miss.
6 a.m. workout? Br. Jim was there. Post-practice meals? Br. Jim was eating with the guys. Away games? Of course he was there. It’s Br. Jim we’re talking about.
But, that morning, Br. Jim wasn’t there.
Concern quickly turned to alarm. The team contacted the police as resident assistants in Pulte Hall, the dorm where Br. Jim served as an assistant rector, were addressing the situation. Not long after, the news came that Br. Jim had passed away unexpectedly in his room.
The loss sent shockwaves throughout the entire Holy Cross community, especially to the team he had mentored for the past 12 years.
For more than a decade, Br. Jim was the cornerstone of the Saints men’s and women’s soccer programs.
“He’s not only our chaplain, but the grandpa to some of these guys and a dad to me,” said men’s soccer head coach Omar Gallo. “He knew more stuff about all of these players than anyone else did, even some of their own family members.”
Br. Jim’s impact extended far beyond the pitch as well. He was a mentor to many students at Holy Cross.
Nearly every morning at the small but mighty Siegfried Dining Hall, Br. Jim chatted with the team at their large round table before making his rounds. He’d typically venture to a smaller table tucked away in the corner with a few devout Holy Cross students who gathered daily for breakfast.
He was a constant presence on campus, and his wardrobe was just as consistent. A fashionable man, Br. Jim wore a button-down shirt, suspenders and slacks regardless of the time of day. His wrinkled face and gray hair were reminiscent of the grandfather in Pixar’s movie “Up!”
Two months after Br. Jim’s passing, during spring break, the Saints traveled to Mexico for an immersion experience. While there, they had the chance to compete against top-caliber teams while also serving surrounding communities.
Br. Jim was supposed to be on the trip. He was supposed to be serving with the guys, leading by example and teaching them profound lessons with the wisdom he’d so often share.
Instead, the trip served as a tribute to Br. Jim, fitting, for a man whose life was dedicated to service. Br. Jim spent 19 years of his life serving for the Congregation of Holy Cross in Ghana. There, he helped develop the congregation’s presence, spending much of his time at St. John’s School in Sekondi. It was at St. John’s School that he developed the nicknames “Bro” and “Koza-ko,” both of which stuck all the way to his time at Holy Cross College
Upon returning to the United States in 1990, he taught for over 20 years at Catholic schools in Illinois, Michigan and Ohio before eventually settling in Notre Dame, Indiana for his retirement. Rooted in his love for education, Br. Jim transformed the hearts and minds of many of the young men and women he reached.
Throughout their one week immersion, the Saints had the opportunity to play games against Universidad Anahuac Puebla, Puebla FC reserves and Futbol Club Licantropos. Humidity, the travel, sun and culture shock did numbers on Holy Cross players physically during the games.
Tied in with the fact the Mexican clubs did not want to lose to an American side, all three matches were tough. However, as Br. Jim would’ve hoped for, the Saints persevered and came away from the trip with an international win. More importantly, they carried his presence with them throughout the trip, honoring him before every kickoff.
“We’d pray the Our Father before every game,” said captain Cesar Vela. “Every time I prayed, I felt that Brother was there and he was in that circle with us. I could see his white hair, his glasses, his suspenders, tucked-in, collared shirt.”
When they weren’t on the field, the soccer players were exploring the country, eating traditional food and listening to live music.
But importantly, they were also serving.
On the final day of the trip, the Saints served at Casa de Sol Orphanage — a nonprofit in Puebla, Mexico that provides shelter for abandoned children.
“It challenged who we are as people,” Gallo said of their time at Casa De Sol. “It gave us a deep sense of gratitude. That to me was what we wanted to get out of the trip: finding ways we can give others hope while getting closer together as a team.”
That’s just what Br. Jim would’ve wanted. Through his work in Ghana, he interacted with students from some of the most impoverished communities in the world.
After a long day spent playing with the children and clearing out the orphanage’s worn-down playground — removing rocks, debris and scattered rubble — the team gathered in a circle around the freshly prepared space before the sky turned dark. Sweaty, exhausted, but still eager to serve, Gallo presented them with a tiny tree to plant.
“We all knew what it meant,” Vela said.
The tree stood as a tribute for Br. Jim.
As they planted it, a member of the Casa de Sol Orphanage staff whose son had recently died by suicide joined them.
“To be able to share that moment with her was special,” Vela explained. “Grief united us in that sense that we wouldn’t have expected. You never know what somebody is going through.”
After the tree was planted, tears were shed before the team shared one final meal and departed.
As human beings, the team was stretched in ways they never could have imagined before the trip. They left Mexico more united in purpose and perspective.
The Saints ultimately finished their 2025-2026 campaign 9-8-1, falling to Judson in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference quarterfinals. Senior centerback Tristan Alfaro was named to the All-CCAC First Team. Senior goalkeeper Isaias Rubio, sophomore fullback Nathan Sanchez and freshman forward Daniel Alfaro earned second team honors.
But, as Gallo and his team came to understand through the year, the record and accolades were never the point. That’s never what Br. Jim preached.
Br. Jim devoted his beautiful 83-year-old life to Holy Cross’ motto: Ave crux, spes unica.
Hail the Cross, our only hope.
His core message to live by those words became his final lesson.
