Aquinas Institute of Theology announced today the appointment of Fr. David G. Caron, O.P., as President. The appointment was made by the Provincial Council of the Province of St. Albert the Great (the Central Province). In making the appointment, the Council accepted the recommendation of the Aquinas Institute Board of Trustees. Fr. Caron has been serving Aquinas Institute as Acting President since August of this year.
Prior Provincial Fr. Charles Bouchard, O.P., said, in making the appointment, that Fr. Caron is “the right man to bring the Dominican tradition of preaching and scholarship into dialogue with the contemporary needs of the Church. We are especially proud of the important contributions Aquinas is making to Catholic preaching and to the preparation of leaders for Catholic health care.”
The Presidential Search Committee, chaired by Aquinas Board member Sandra Johnson, JD, said “I am delighted that Fr. Caron will be the President of Aquinas Institute and I look forward to his leadership.”
Fr. Caron is a Dominican of the Province of St. Martin de Porres (the Southern Province), where he most recently served as Socius, or Assistant to the Provincial. Prior to that, he taught at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis University and Barry University in Miami, Florida, where he also directed the Center for Dominican Studies. His Doctorate of Ministry was earned at Catholic Theological Union in 1998. Both Fr. Charles Bouchard, O.P., Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Albert the Great, and Fr. Chris Eggleton, O.P., Prior Provincial of the Province of St. Martin de Porres, said that Fr. Caron’s appointment is an excellent example of collaboration between the two provinces. “Working together will strengthen us and will enable us to serve the church better,” they said.
The Provincial Council and the Board of Trustees expressed their gratitude to the members of the Search Committee for their excellent work. Members of the Search Committee are Sandra Johnson, JD, chair and trustee; Javier Orozco, O.F.S., Ph.D., trustee; and Dee A. Joyner, Aquinas M.A. ’11, trustee; Fr. Louis Morrone, O.P., Vicar Provincial of the Province of St. Albert the Great; and Catherine Vincie, R.S.H.M., Ph.D., professor of Liturgical and Sacramental Theology.
When notified of the impending announcement, Saint Louis Archbishop Robert J. Carlson said, “In the fine tradition of the Dominican Apostolate, Aquinas Institute of Theology has become a catechetical powerhouse both locally and beyond when it comes to training and equipping future preachers and evangelists in the Catholic faith. Aquinas Institute’s philosophy of preparing future priests and church leaders to share the fruits of contemplation in a way that reflects the intersection of the Church’s theology and everyday life is one with great potential to influence our local Church, our world and eternity. The mission of Aquinas Institute is to educate men and women to preach, to teach, to minister, and to lead.”
Aquinas Institute of Theology is a graduate school of theology and ministry. It has about 300 students, including Dominican and Resurrectionist priesthood candidates. The school serves a joint formation community of two Dominican provinces which is located at St. Dominic Priory, 3407 Lafayette Avenue.
