UST community invited to interview finalists for director of Campus Ministry Aug. 16-17

All faculty, staff and students are invited to meet the candidates and attend interviews for two finalists for director of Campus Ministry. The interviews will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday and Friday, Aug. 16 and 17, in Room 101, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.

After a national search, the search committee appointed by Father Dennis Dease has invited two archdiocesan priests to campus for full-day interviews.

Father Thomas Wilson is director of vocations for the archdiocese and has been assisting Campus Ministry at St. Thomas with daily liturgies for the past six years. He holds Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees and has served as parochial vicar at the Church of St. John in St. Paul and the Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids. An open session for the community to interview him will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 16, in Room 101, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.

Father Erich Rutten is a parochial vicar at the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Edina. Before entering the seminary to study for the priesthood he had worked in Campus Ministry at St. Thomas from 1997 to 2001 as coordinator of social justice ministry. He also served as an adjunct faculty member in the Theology Department during that same time. He holds Master of Divinity and Master of Theology degrees. The open session for the community to interview him will be from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 17, in Room 101, John R. Roach Center for the Liberal Arts.

Because of the importance of leadership in worship and preaching for the role of the director, the search committee has invited each of the candidates to preside and preach at the 12:05 p.m. daily Mass in the Florance Chapel, located in the lower level of the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquinas, on the day of their interview.

Fourteen candidates applied for the position. Only two of the priests had any previous experience with campus ministry in higher education and they were invited to campus.

Members of the search committee are: Archbishop Harry Flynn (trustee), Dease (president), Norma Beasant (replacing Terry Snyder, Human Resources); Mary Ann Ryan (Student Affairs staff); Dr. Scott Wright (faculty); Jane Tigan (student worker, Campus Ministry); Dr. Gene Scapanski (Office for Mission, chair).

Complete résumés for the candidates can be obtained by e-mailing Helen Hunter.