Jesuit school in Syracuse to appoint laywoman as president, a first

[hrmjustin]

Renee K. Gadoua

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (RNS) Le Moyne College appears poised to make history by appointing the first laywoman to head a U.S. Jesuit college or university.

Linda LeMura, Le Moyne’s provost since 2009, will likely be named the college’s 14th president as soon as this week. College officials would not confirm her appointment, saying that a board of trustees vote is expected soon. But a March 24 email to college faculty indicates LeMura’s appointment is all but final.

The promotion comes amid a significant decline in the number of Jesuit priests available to head the Catholic order’s colleges and a growing need for lay people to take on leadership positions in church institutions.

Women religious have led Jesuit colleges in at least two previous instances, but LeMura would be the first woman who is not a vowed sister to take the reins as president of a Jesuit school.

http://www.religionnews.com/2014/04/01/jesuit-school-syracuse-appoint-laywoman-president-first/

[kentauros]

1. I love seeing advances like this!

We may "live in interesting times" but that doesn't mean they can't be positive like this

[hrmjustin]

2. I am not surprised that it was the Jesuits that made this advance.

[kentauros]

3. I agree.

Everything I've heard about Jesuits has shown me how fair they usually are. Not to mention scholarly, and likely to enjoy a good discussion on such topics without it devolving into a fight

[hrmjustin]

4. My cousin was a Jesuit.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_O'Keefe

[kentauros]

5. Well, that's cool!

I've never known or spoken with any. A writer friend of mine has told me of some Jesuits that were either friends of his family or even related and of spending long hours talking with them on a variety of subjects. My friend is an agnostic and yet he always loved being around the Jesuits. He got intellectual stimulation from their talks

[hrmjustin]

6. My cousin was a good nature man.

He was a liberal and he took my becoming an Episcopalian well.

[okasha]

7. Another step toward women clergy.

Last edited Wed Apr 2, 2014, 12:12 AM - Edit history (1)

I do love the Jebbies and their Marist cousins. One of the latter, a very good friend, once called to ask for a letter of recommendation for an open spot in the department where I was teaching, since he had just called his Bishop an effing idiot to his face . The Bishop was apparently too stunned to fire him, though.