November 2, 2022

Dear Friends of the STM: 

It is now my fourth month as Dean of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, and I have enjoyed many kindnesses and expressions of welcome. In my prayers, I frequently find myself thanking God for the opportunity to be here and serve as a colleague to so many fine people. 

What I see clearly is the excellence of the faculty and the generosity of the administrative team. If you know any of them, you know how seriously they take their role as mentors and formatores who walk with our students. Every day I am grateful for them. 

Our students, though, have provided me with the most surprising inspiration. At times (and perhaps especially at liturgy, such as our weekly Mass at St. Ignatius Church) I reflect with wonder at their generosity. Though they are from so many different places around the world and have such different experiences, concerns, personalities and trajectories, they all have a desire to serve the church and the world with love, intelligence, and competence. And in 2022, in a world marked by rancor and division and resentment and self-centeredness, it gives me profound hope and encouragement to witness people giving themselves in service of others, their communities, the church, and ultimately God.

These little moments of revelation, when I see people offering themselves with such generosity, are not to be taken for granted. Rather, I have to ask myself how I can better support them. And when I hear about our alumni/ae and what they are doing and the positive impact they have on the world, I feel a special joy. Whether in hospitals, high school and college campuses, parishes, or countless other settings, you serve our church and society well and are a source of hope for our shared future. I look forward to meeting many more of you in the years to come.

Thank you, then, for your continued interest in the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. As we move toward Thanksgiving, please know that we count you among our many blessings. 

Mick 

Michael C. McCarthy, S.J.Dean