Seminary Rector

THE BOSTON HERALD, July 15 — Dominican Father John Farren, director of the Knights of Columbus Catholic Information Service in New Haven, Conn., since 1999, began a four-year term July 1 as rector of St. John's Seminary in Brighton, Mass.

While he began his term the same day it was announced that Bishop Sean O'Malley of Palm Beach, Fla., would lead the Boston Archdiocese, Father Farren was appointed by Bishop Richard Lennon, the administrator of the archdiocese since the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law in December.

Father Farren's earlier assignments included vicar general for the prelature of Chimbote, Peru; serving as an official at Dominican headquarters in Rome; as prior of the Dominican House of Studies in Washington; and as an official at several Vatican congregations.

Summer Vocation

UNIVERSITY OF DAYTON, July 1 — Some 80 incoming freshmen at the Ohio university are spending part of their summer vacation to consider the importance of vocation.

The program at Dayton and approximately 30 other colleges and universities around the country are funded by grants from the Lilly Endowment. The goal is not to entice students to enter the ministry or religious life but to encourage them to think about their life choices in vocational terms.

Longest Tenure

THE CATHOLIC HERALD, July 21 — As many in the media are noting that it is no longer exceptional for members of the laity to lead Catholic colleges, the archdiocesan newspaper of New Orleans recently featured Norman Francis, who has served 35 years as president of Xavier University of Louisiana.

The university claims that his tenure is longer than any other U.S. college president, lay, religious or clerical. Xavier was founded by St. Katharine Drexel in 1925 and is the only historically black Catholic university in the Western Hemisphere.

The start of Francis’ tenure at Xavier has roots in African-American history. He was appointed to the presidency on April 4, 1968, the same day Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

Courage in Faith

FRANCISCAN UNIVERSITY, July 21 — Bishop Donald Wuerl of Pittsburgh received the Steubenville, Ohio, university's 2003 Courage in Faith Award.

Conferred annually on a Church leader for upholding Catholic moral teachings and principles, Bishop Wuerl was cited for his work in education and communication.

Bishop Wuerl's best-selling adult catechism, The Teachings of Christ, is in its 26th year of publication and has been translated into more than 10 languages. He has a national weekly TV program of the same name.

New Roles

WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY, July 10 — Jesuit Father George Lundy, president of Wheeling Jesuit since July 2000, has resigned his post, the university announced.

Jesuit Father Joseph Hacala, executive director of the university's Appalachian Institute and senior adviser to the president, was named interim president.

After a brief sabbatical, Father Lundy will serve as a link between the Jesuit provincial in the South and the two Jesuit institutions in the 10-state New Orleans Province, Loyola Unive-sity in New Orleans and Spring Hill College in Mobile, Ala.

Joe Cullen writes from New York.