The Catholic University of America’s President Peter Kilpatrick lifted up Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, OFM Cap, as one of the University’s “most distinguished alumni” following Monday’s announcement that the cardinal will retire after 20 years leading the Archdiocese of Boston.
During the late 1960s, Cardinal O'Malley earned a master’s degree in religious education and a doctorate in Spanish and Portuguese Literature from Catholic University. He served the University as a professor from 1969 to 1973, and as chairman of the University's Board of Trustees in 2016-17. He currently serves on the University’s Board of Trustees.
“Cardinal O’Malley is one of the University’s most distinguished alumni,” said Kilpatrick. “We are grateful for and admire the courageous and forthright manner in which he has served the Church and this University with extraordinary service and dedication.”
“On behalf of Catholic University, I would like to thank Cardinal O’Malley for his leadership, which has been marked by profound commitment to the Church and her mission. His efforts in addressing critical issues, such as the global immigration crisis and the clergy sexual abuse crisis, reflect his deep sense of responsibility and compassion.”
“The recent establishment of the Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley Endowed Chair for Hispanic Ministry and Evangelization at Catholic University is a testament to the lasting impact of his work,” the President continued. “This endowed chair will continue the cardinal’s legacy by fostering greater evangelical fervor and pastoral expertise within Hispanic and Latino communities.”
“We congratulate and welcome Archbishop-elect Richard Henning,” Kilpatrick continued. “We are proud to claim him as an alumnus, with him having received a licentiate in Biblical Theology from Catholic University.”
Cardinal O’Malley has led the dioceses of Saint Thomas in the US Virgin Islands; Fall River, Mass.; and Palm Beach, Fl. He was named Archbishop of Boston in 2003, and was made a cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.
In 2016, upon his appointment as chairman of the Board of Trustees, Cardinal O’Malley spoke of the impact the University had on the Church, saying it prepared him to serve the immigrant Church.
“When I was a student, Catholic University was the go-to place for young religious,” notes the cardinal. “They all did their training at the University … and then left to make their contributions” to Catholic institutions. Out in the world, “they helped by moving people from poverty to the middle class and in evangelizing and passing the faith onto new generations.”
When the cardinal turned 80 in late June, the University announced the establishment of the Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley Endowed Chair for Hispanic Ministry and Evangelization. The chair will reside in the University’s School of Theology and Religious Studies.
Last year, Cardinal O'Malley spoke at the University about necessary responses that should come from the Church and State to overcome the global immigration crisis at the James H. Provost Memorial Lecture.
He has also been a leader in the church's efforts to address the clergy sexual abuse crisis in Boston and internationally. Cardinal O'Malley has led the Vatican's Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors since 2014.
