By Cian Molloy - 19 December, 2016
St Patrick’s College, Maynooth is advertising for a new president to head the national seminary.
Applicants should be ordained priests, aged over 35, who are men of “good faith, learning and good judgment”, they should be committed to their priestly duties and able to work well for others.
The appointment is for a five-year term, which may be renewed or extended for one further term, at the discretion of the College’s Trustees. The role of the president is to lead the full seminary formation programme and to be responsible for the overall operational efficiency of the college.
The job vacancy has been published on the Dublin Archdiocese website and elsewhere, with the advertisement saying of the person taking on the role that he will “oversee the strategic development of the college’s faculties, responding to the challenges and positive changes in the education sector. He will be able to envision, propose and implement changes set out in the College’s strategic plan”.
In the last decade, there has been quite a bit of controversy surrounding the college, with the Vatican initiating an apostolic visitation by the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, Timothy Dolan, to investigate matters there following publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports in 2009. The cardinal was said to be concerned about a certain laxity in the organisation of the seminary and, following his investigation, the seminarians’ living quarters were made more separate from the general NUI-Maynooth campus and a separate dining area was provided for those studying for the priesthood.
Early last year, the college authorities recommended that six out of ten students in one class take time out from their formation because of alleged theological conservatism.
This controversy was quickly followed by news that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin was taking all seminarians from his diocese out of the college and sending them to the Irish College in Rome because he was unhappy about ‘strange goings-on’ at Maynooth, and there were allegations of a gay sub-culture among student priests there.
Those wishing to apply for the job should submit their applications to Father Enda Cunningham, Secretary to the Trustees, c/o Columba Centre, Maynooth, Co Kildare, no later than 5.00 pm on Wednesday 25 January 2017. The applications should include a written permission from their bishop or religious superior to take on the role. It is desirable that applicants would have: a doctorate and licentiate in Catholic Theology or Biblical Studies or Canon Law or Philosophy or Ecclesiastical History; a qualification or experience in ministerial formation or other relevant experience; and experience in Human Resource Management or Estate Management.
Further details available from http://maynoothcollege.ie.
