A very good young priest who I have the honor of knowing has just be named the president of North Dakota’s only Catholic college. He’s an orthodox, holy man and I’m so excited for the school and Fr. Jim Shea. A little information, via St. Joseph’s Church in Bismark, where he is pastor:

As I send this email to you, a press conference is being held in Bismarck in which the pastor of our parish, Father James Shea, is to be named the President of the University of Mary. He succeeds Sister Thomas Welder, who has served as President of the University for the past 30 years.
Father provided me with a list of people he wished to have notified of this news as soon as it came out. I am hoping that this is an appropriate way to contact you.
He will continue to serve as the pastor of St. Joseph’s in Killdeer and St. Paul’s in Halliday into the early summer. He will also finish off this year as a teacher at Trinity High School in Dickinson. Then he is being sent on an extended spiritual retreat, followed by an intensive course in university administration at Harvard. The inauguration is set for September 19, 2009.
The University of Mary is the only Catholic university in North Dakota. It was founded 50 years ago by the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery and the main campus is located just south of Bismarck, overlooking the scenic Missouri River. It currently serves more than 3000 students in Bismarck and on auxiliary campuses in Montana, South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, and Arizona. The University offers 44 undergraduate programs, 5 master’s level programs, and one doctoral program, as well as 19 sports competing in the NCAA Division II.
I know that Father would be very grateful for your prayers for him at this time. At 33, he will be the youngest college president in the country. And given the tremendous cultural and economic impact the University of Mary has on our region, this new work is sure to have its share of challenges.

As someone who has been intimately involved in some Catholic-identity issues in education over the years, Fr. Jim Shea is the answer to prayers. I’m confident neither faith nor reason will be neglected under his watch.