Judith R. Fean Announced as Vice President for Mission
Judy Fean has served in Campus Ministry at Saint Mary's College
for 27 years, including Director of Campus Ministry since 1995.Media Contact:
Gwen O’Brien
Director of Media Relations
Saint Mary's College
(574) 284-4579 (desk)
February 11, 2015 (Notre Dame, Ind.)—Saint Mary’s College is pleased to announce that Judith R. Fean, Director of Campus Ministry since 1995, is the College’s new Vice President for Mission. Fean is the first layperson to hold the post. In her new role, she will lead the Division for Mission, a division of the College that seeks to integrate Gospel values, the richness of the Catholic tradition, and the heritage of the founders, the Sisters of the Holy Cross. Mission includes three offices: the Office of Civic and Social Engagement, the Center for Spirituality, and Campus Ministry.
“I am honored to follow in the footsteps of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, courageous women of faith who have been my mentors, my companions, and my colleagues. I look forward to continue to work with the many faculty, administrators and staff who embrace what it means to educate women and to witness what former Saint Mary’s President Sister Madeleva Wolfe, CSC, meant when she said to the students, ‘I promise you discovery, discovery of yourselves, discovery of the universe and your place in it,’” Fean said.
The Vice President for Mission position is a joint appointment of the President of the College and the President of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross.
“I am delighted by the selection of Judy as our new Vice President for Mission. Her history with Saint Mary’s and the Sisters of the Holy Cross will enable her to seamlessly transition into her new role,” said Saint Mary’s President Carol Mooney.
Sister Veronique Wiedower, CSC, President of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, is the College’s former Vice President for Mission. She worked with Fean in the Division for Mission for five years. Sister expressed her pleasure that Fean had graciously accepted the position.
“Judy’s experience within the Division for Mission and her rich interaction with the Congregations of Holy Cross have afforded her a deep personal integration of Holy Cross values and philosophy of mission as well as those of the College. I look forward to working with Judy and President Mooney as we jointly support and grow the important ministry of education of women to make a difference in our world,” she said.
Fean has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in theology from the University of Notre Dame. She has worked in Campus Ministry at Saint Mary’s for 27 years and served as Director of Religious Education within parishes of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend before that (1981-1988).
Fean will be the fourth Vice President to lead the Division for Mission, established in 1994. Her predecessors include Sister Veronique Wiedower, CSC, (2011-2014); Sister Mary Louise Gude, CSC (2009-2011); and Sister Rose Anne Schultz, CSC, (1994-2009).
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. By the fall of 2015, pending accreditations anticipated in the spring, Saint Mary’s College will offer two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College’s mission is to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2015 published by U.S. News & World Report.