New director appointed for Catholic initiatives in London
Rev. James M. Lies, C.S.C., a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, has been appointed director for Catholic initiatives and outreach at the University of Notre Dame’s London Global Gateway by Michael Pippenger, vice president and associate provost for internationalization.
In his role, Fr. Jim is charged with deepening the ties of the London Global Gateway to the local church, the Archdiocese of Westminster, the Diocese of Southwark, local parishes and nonprofits, and Catholic and other educational institutions. Fr. Jim will also provide orientation programming for current and new British faculty and staff on the history and mission of the University of Notre Dame, and the history, heritage, and charisms of the Congregation of Holy Cross. He will facilitate local, regional, and international conferences, lectures, and symposia on Catholic thought, history, culture, and social teachings. With a concurrent appointment as a special professional faculty, Fr. Jim will also teach in the undergraduate program of the London Global Gateway.
Fr. Jim most recently served as vice president for mission for Stonehill College, an institution of the Congregation of Holy Cross, in Easton, Massachusetts, where he was also an associate professor in the department of psychology. Prior to that he held the position of executive director of the Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture at the University of Portland, where he was also an associate professor in the department of social and behavioral sciences. His scholarship is in the areas of identity, moral reasoning, adolescent thriving, social justice, and service learning.
Before entering the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1991, Fr. Jim served at the University of Notre Dame as assistant rector in Holy Cross Hall; assistant director of residence life; and rector of the undergraduate residences in the Notre Dame London Program (1987-1990). Later, upon his ordination to priesthood, Fr. Jim served at Notre Dame as assistant director of retreats & spirituality in Campus Ministry (1996-2000) and as rector of Zahm Hall (1997-2000).
Fr. Jim is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas (B.A.) in Minnesota (1984); he earned an M.A. in psychological counseling from the University of Notre Dame (1987); an M.Div. from the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley (1996); and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Minnesota (2005), after which he spent a year as a visiting scholar at the Stanford Center on Adolescence. Fr. Jim has a twin brother, Fr. Bill Lies, also a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross, who currently serves as vice president for mission engagement and church affairs at Notre Dame.
“I’m excited to take up this new opportunity and to work with NDI and the impressive team in London,” Lies said. “I’m delighted to join them in further enhancing the efforts of the London Global Gateway, especially as we hope to make it an international crossroads for conversation around Catholic thought, history, and culture; and as we attempt to deepen our ties to the local Church and the community.”
Originally published by at international.nd.edu on October 04, 2017.