Catholic Schools Taskforce Announcement 6.16.20

Archdiocese of Seattle Appoints Father Ronald Nuzzi to Chair Special Taskforce for Catholic Schools to Address Ministerial Covenant

Seattle, WA, June 16, 2020 – Today the Archdiocese of Seattle announced the appointment of Father Ronald Nuzzi as chair of the Special Taskforce for Catholic Schools. With his leadership, the taskforce will study the Ministerial Covenant and develop a recommendation for Archbishop Paul D. Etienne regarding how the covenant can embrace the fullness of church teaching while honoring and appreciating the sense of the faithful.

“The Ministerial Covenant ensures that our 73 Catholic schools reflect our Catholic faith. How it is applied across our Catholic schools is of great interest not only to me, but to all our principals, teachers, parents and students,” said Archbishop Etienne. “I’m so grateful Father Nuzzi agreed to lead this important body of work. He is a well-known leader in Catholic school administration and has a wealth of experience as well as a great passion for the faith and Catholic schools.”

“Catholic schools are such a vital part of the mission of the church. I am enthusiastic about this taskforce and its potential to help shape a brighter future for youth, children, and families,” said Father Nuzzi, professor emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, who is known for his published resources for Catholic educators and his leadership programs for Catholic school principals. “The Archdiocese of Seattle is a vibrant church with a longstanding tradition of excellence in its Catholic schools. This taskforce aims to harness that excellence and seed an even stronger culture to sustain, strengthen and transform Catholic education in a manner that we will be an example and inspiration to other dioceses.”

As chair of the special taskforce, Father Nuzzi is reviewing nominees for taskforce membership including Catholic school principals, pastors, parents with children in Catholic schools, Catholic school teachers and members from the Office for Catholic Schools.

“We plan to be deliberate and thoughtful in identifying and inviting people to serve, cognizant of the need for diverse membership in every respect,” said Kristin Dixon, superintendent of Catholic schools. “I am honored to work with Father Nuzzi and trust he will do an excellent job leading this taskforce.”

Once members are selected for the taskforce, they will begin meeting in August and spend the next year focused on three key items:

1. Reviewing and studying church documents about the official teaching and tradition of the Catholic Church, specifically focusing on issues like conscience formation, free will, human social and sexual development.

2. Assessing, analyzing and summarizing the understanding, convictions, beliefs and opinions from archdiocesan stakeholders regarding the Ministerial Covenant and its use in employment decisions.

3. Developing a recommendation based on an informed and thoughtful approach to renewing the Ministerial Covenant that values and respects both of the above goals, and embraces the fullness of church teaching while honoring and appreciating the sense of the faithful.

Nominations Taskforce members will participate and prepare for 12 meetings scheduled from August 2020 through June 2021. This commitment represents approximately 100 hours of volunteer work. Additionally, all members are asked to be collaborative and agree to maintain confidentiality about all taskforce deliberations. Nominees are under review now and appointments will be announced in July.

About the Archdiocese of Seattle The Archdiocese of Seattle encompasses all of Western Washington, stretching from Canada to Oregon and from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. There are 73 Catholic schools, 169 parishes, missions and pastoral centers in the archdiocese, with more than 500 weekly Masses celebrated in eight languages. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne leads the archdiocese with his two auxiliary bishops, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and Bishop Daniel Mueggenborg. For more information about the Archdiocese of Seattle, visit seattlearchdiocese.org.

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Media Contact: Helen McClenahan Helen.mcclenahan@seattlearch.org | Media line: 206-402-9373