LORETTO, Pa. — When the emergency pager sounds at night, Malachi Van Tassell springs from his bed, jumps into his Subaru Outback, flips on the blue emergency light and hurries through the gates of the monastery toward the fire hall.

Monastery?

In Van Tassell's case, he is professionally trained to handle either a crisis of the body or the soul.

The 34-year-old Franciscan Third Order Regular priest is an assistant professor at St. Francis University, Loretto, and serves as a fire captain with the Loretto Community Volunteer Fire Company.

In 2002, not long after the turmoil of Sept. 11, Van Tassell witnessed an ambulance call on campus and felt compelled to volunteer.

"I went to the fire hall to express my interest.

"The next thing I knew, I was outfitted with fire gear," he said. "I enrolled in an 88-hour essentials of firefighting training course, and I've been at it since."

Other firefighters view Van Tassell as one of the guys, despite the religious collar he wears.

They even gave him the nickname of "Bro," originating from the days when he first joined the company as a Franciscan brother.

"I wasn't an ordained priest at the time," he said. "I'm blessed that I can live, work and serve in the same community (where) I was ordained."

Fire Chief Matt Farabaugh said he is pleased to have Van Tassell associated with the company.

"He always communicates on our level," Farabaugh said. "Being a priest, we are more aware of our demeanor around him because we don't want to offend him."

But Van Tassell understands human nature and accepts that things can get a little salty.

"I tell them I hear confessions, so I've heard it all," Van Tassell said.

Even Van Tassell admits that his volunteerism makes for an interesting mix of callings.

"I guess I'm trying to serve two masters," Van Tassell said with a laugh. "But my priority is serving God and attending to the needs of the community. Both jobs are demanding."

But being a volunteer firefighter and running with the community's Quick Response Service (QRS), puts Van Tassell in an unusual position.

Loretto doesn't have an ambulance service, so QRS personnel respond while an ambulance from another community is en route.

His initial responsibility is to help save lives, but if the situation warrants, he can perform the anointing of the sick to ensure that a person is prepared for eternal life.

"It has only happened once since I started," he said. "But volunteering and interacting with folks has shown the community that priests are human, too."

Van Tassell's peers at Mount Assisi Friary on the old Schwab estate are understanding, even when he has to bolt away from dinner or in the middle of the night to answer the alarm.

More than 30 Franciscans live in the friary and most are retired or elderly.

"When my pager goes off at night, I know the priests on either side of my room can hear it," Van Tassell said. "They are understanding and one told me that when he hears me rush out, he says a prayer that everything will be OK."

Van Tassell's interest in firefighting dates back to when he was a junior firefighter in Union Vale, N.Y., a town similar in size to Loretto.

He has an uncle and first cousin who are firefighters. His cousin is a paid firefighter in Kingston, N.Y., and has been recognized for saving a life when he was 18 years old.

"Now when the family gets together and they talk firefighting, I can tell my own stories instead of just listening to theirs," Van Tassell said.

Prior to becoming a priest, Van Tassell was a certified public accountant in Phoenix.

He had a friend who was a seminarian at the time and Van Tassell inquired about the priesthood.

"He told me there is only one way to find out: Just try it," he said. "He told me I would discover pretty quickly if the priesthood was for me."

Van Tassel arrived in Loretto in 1997 to fulfill his vocation.

What would St. Francis say about his involvement in fire service?

"St. Francis of Assisi used to say, 'The world is my cloister' and I'm out in the world lending a helping hand. If St. Francis were alive today, he might not have been a fireman, but I'm sure he would have hung out at the fire hall."

Given the close proximity of the friary to the fire hall, Van Tassell's fire truck usually is the first out of the garage.

"As captain, my first responsibility is to ensure that our six-man crew gets back safe and sound," he said.

About 99 percent of the Loretto firefighters are Catholics, which can make for some interesting conversations.

"More ministry gets done by the soda machine or in a hallway at the fire hall," he said. "Most times, ministry finds me and I'm more than willing to listen and counsel."