The Times-Picayune reported this week that Our Lady of the Holy Cross College’s president, Fr. Anthony DeConciliis, and all 19 members of its board have been dismissed with “no warning and no explanation”.
The article indicates that notification of the dismissals came by way of email from Sr. Suellen Tennyson, the leader of the local Marianite order that owns the College.
From the report:
Myles Seghers, the college’s coordinator of graduate education, has been named interim president.
In Tennyson’s statement announcing Seghers’ appointment, Tennyson did not indicate why DeConciliis and the board were removed. She said only that the nuns wanted to form a new board.
“Please join us in prayer for the students, faculty, staff and administration as they begin the 2011 fall semester on Aug. 27,” her statement concluded.
Tennyson and Seghers did not return calls seeking comment.
Ron Blitch, a trustee since 2005, said he was baffled by the upheaval at what is generally a tranquil campus.
“I thought the college was in excellent shape and heading in the right direction under solid leadership,” he said.
“I’m certainly sorry that this has happened,” said board member Michael Rapier, who had served three years of a nine-year term.
He said he was given no reason to believe his position might be in jeopardy.
“The reasoning of the order is not clear,” Rapier said. “I’m sorry that the service to the college was not acceptable to the Marianites, and my thoughts and prayers are with the students.” …
Since the storm [Katrina], enrollment has ranged from just less than 1,200 to slightly more than 1,300. Last fall, the school had 1,260 students.
During those years, Rapier said, DeConciliis nearly tripled the college’s endowment, raising it from slightly less than $9 million to about $23 million, and it has no debt.
Read this entire article here.
Adam Wilson
CNS Staff
Matthew Archbold
Charlotte Hays
5 Comments
This story bears watching. I would presume that Marianites are pretty conservative. There were good things done in raising funds. More information should clear things up.
Interesting but premature announcement. One would think that throwing out the President and the entire board of a Catholic University might merit some explanation to at least the parents of the students and those people who have loyally supported the school with their financial contributions.
But, as they say, the Lord works in strange ways. Hopefully, it was He who was working in this situation.
What surprises me the most about this story is that the order still runs the school. Obviously they didn’t get the “memo” from 1967.
No one deserves an explanation about the decision made by the controling interest which is the good sisters. Whatever a owner wants to do is his or her right under ownership. There is no memo and the sisters are in full charge with the good of the students as their number one priority. Keep your opinion to yourself…..
Referring to “stubborn old nuns who should be down the street in a retirement home” is uncalled for. If you disagree with this decision, at least show some class and present your opinion in a civil and intelligent fashion. Nuns have been the victims of too much anticatholicism.