Jesuit Vocation

Uncertain of his future, Markoe turned toward faith and family for direction.  His younger brother William — at the time in  Jesuit formation — who extended a lifeline. William invited John to explore a Jesuit calling through the Brothers’ Club, a group designed for male relatives of Jesuits who were discerning a vocation themselves. John was at a turning point in his life, shifting directions from the strict regime of the military to the equally firm Jesuit lifestyle. 

From the time of his military discharge in 1916 until he arrived in Omaha in 1946, Markoe built his experiences within the Catholic church and different communities, including advocating for desegregation and racial justice every place he worked.  Over the course of his career as Jesuit, Markoe lived and ministered in St. Louis, Denver, Detroit, Milwaukee, Omaha, and at the St. Joseph's Hill Infirmary.  (Holland, 2023; Holland, 2014).