Fr. John O’Donnell, SJ ESTEEMED PROFESSOR AND DEAN
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ather John O’Donnell is a Jesuit priest of the Maryland province. He was born in Baltimore into a faithful, Irish Catholic family. At the age of seventeen, Fr. O’Donnell had a good sense of his vocation and, with the full support of his parents and his own deep appreciation for his Jesuit high school education, entered the Society of Jesus and was ordained in 1974. With a Master’s degree in Philosophy from Fordham University and a Doctorate in Dogmatic Theology from Oxford, Fr. O’Donnell is an “His rich academic back- accomplished scholar. He also has much ground and life experience practical experience serve as a valuable prerequi- in counseling as well site for his new position as as religious and parish work, teaching Dean of the Department of at the Gregorian cerns, Fr. O’Donnell participates in periodic meetings of the Theology.” University's Strategic Planning Group. Some of the current topfrom 1984-1994 and ics being discussed include the establishment of a more interdis2001 to the present. ciplinary approach to education, particularly in the second cycle, His rich academic background and life experience serve as a valuand the fostering of increased interactivity between students and able prerequisite for his new position as Dean of the Department professors. The latter goal is particularly challenging because of of Theology, which became effective March 24, 2003. the large number of people at the University, Being the Dean of the Gregorian can be which is now over 2,800 students, and the demanding, but Fr. O’Donnell has adjusted diversity of languages which they speak. quite well and feels rewarded by his ministry, Fr. O’Donnell highly regards the particularly because it allows him to interact structure of the academic program at the with so many students. A typical day begins Gregorian because it truly gives a synthetic with teaching the first cycle Christology class vision of the faith. The first cycle focuses on and includes attending meetings, processing Christ in the first year, the Church and a large amount of administrative work, and Sacraments in the second and anthropology providing office hours to students who make in the third. The European approach to thefull use of his “open door” policy. Through ology at the Gregorian differs from the the Chaplaincy program at the Gregorian, American approach. Fr. O’Donnell believes Fr. O’Donnell also offers counseling and the theology is more universal as opposed to spiritual direction to interested students each inculturated, i.e., the essentials are given with day – an excellent outreach, particularly to less reference to certain ethical or contempothe ever-increasing lay population which comprises roughly 30% of the University rary issues that are indigenous to a particular and does not have the typical formation sup- Fr. John O’Donnell, SJ, Dean of the Depart- country. The experience is also universal by port system of a seminary. ment of Theology at the Gregorian default because of the University’s internaIn addition to handling immediate con- University tional student clientele.
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