Notre Dame, Ind. — The Congregation of Holy Cross is pleased to announced that Rev. James E. McDonald, C.S.C., assistant provincial and steward of the U.S. Province of Holy Cross, has beenappointed rector (headmaster) at St. George’s College in Chile.
Fr. McDonald served in the same role from 2000-2005 and has spent considerable periods of time serving the Holy Cross mission in Chile. Holy Cross has led this major institution since 1943 and it forms many leaders in Chilean national life in politics, business, the arts and professions and academic life. It is a private, Catholic school of 2,700 boys and girls from pre-kindergarten to the equivalent of the last year of high school. It employs over 300 faculty and staff.
Fr. Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C., has asked Fr. McDonald to complete his term as assistant provincial and steward until the end of the Provincial Chapter in June 2015. Fr. McDonald will begin his duties at St. George’s on March 1, 2015, reside there eventually, and attend to the business of the steward either electronically or by periodic visits here. Rev. JoseE. Ahumada, C.S.C., will become superior of the District of Chile at the close of their district chapter on January 25, 2015.
“We are indeed very fortunate to have Jim serve in this apostolate which he loves so much, but on the other hand we will not be able to count on his service as an assistant provincial and steward after the Chapter in June,” said Fr. Thomas O’Hara, C.S.C. “I am grateful to him for his devoted service to the Province and to me, for his lively presence in the provincial administration, and for his devotion to a positive transition in the religious life of Holy Cross in the United States. Let us all keep Jim in our prayers as he accepts this new responsibility.”
Members of the U.S. Province are always encouraged to consider service for a period of time in our international mission, as ministry outside one’s own country, even for a relatively short period of time, serves the internationality of the Congregation, meets the needs of the local Church, and is rewarding and life-giving for the individual religious.
Chile is also happy to welcome back Fr. McDonald, as expressed in a letter from Fr. Michael M. DeLaney, C.S.C.,Superiorof theCongregacion de Santa Cruz en Chile:
“We thank Jim for his interest in returning to Chile and to serve as rector of Saint George’s for a second time, and we are also grateful to the Provincial Administration, Fr. Tom O’Hara and his administration for the collaboration in this process […]the entire provincial administration […] have in these three years been very attentive and collaborative in the needs and the situations present for Holy Cross in Chile and in Latin America. They have been a great help at many times in ways not seen by everyone for our mission, ministry and the various projects that we have developed. May God bless each of you, our lay colleagues in mission in our work in Holy Cross here in Chile and in Latin America.”
