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Father Mark Doherty, newly appointed president-rector of St. Patrick's Seminary & University. (Courtesy photo)
Feb. 25, 2021
Catholic San FranciscoArchbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone announced Feb. 25, 2021 the appointment of Father Mark Doherty as the new president-rector of St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. Father Doherty has been the interim rector since October 2020.
In making the announcement, Archbishop Cordileone said, “Father Doherty has already shown outstanding leadership in these months as interim rector, and his assuming the position of rector now in a stable manner holds out great promise for the future of the seminary. I appreciate his willing acceptance of this appointment, and the commitment, zeal and expertise he brings to this most important position in the life of the church.”
Father Doherty said he was “honored” by the appointment and grateful for the opportunity to serve as president-rector, “because I believe in the Gospel and the value of the priesthood and therefore believe very much in the value of forming men for that work today.”
Archbishop Cordileone appointed Father Doherty the interim rector of St. Patrick's Seminary & University on Oct. 6, 2020 after Father Daniel Donohoo stepped down as rector because of his health. Father Doherty had been serving as the seminary's director of liturgy since the summer.
In an interview with Catholic San Francisco, Father Doherty discussed the strengths and challenges facing the seminary, pointing first to its accomplished faculty. “I’ve studied in eight different universities and we have really good professors here,” he said.
He also praised staff psychiatrist Dr. Cynthia Hunt for her work with seminarians, the prayerful atmosphere of the grounds and the contributions by the seminary’s two resident communities of women religious to the spiritual and community life.
The priest also faces significant challenges in his new position, though. The seminary's top position has seen rapid turnover, and Father Doherty is the fourth president-rector appointed to lead the seminary since 2017, when the Sulpicians withdrew from St. Patrick’s administration.
“There’s a need to establish a certain stable rhythm, so my hope is that I’ll have the opportunity to be in this position quite a number of years,” he said.
St. Patrick is also in the midst of a visit from WASC Senior College and University Commission, which provides accreditation to the seminary. “We're confident the end result will be positive,” he said.
Attracting more seminarians and increasing enrollment has also been a consistent aim of the seminary's adminstration over the last few years. Fifty-one seminarians enrolled at the seminary this academic year, about half the number that attended a decade ago. Father Doherty said one of his goals will be to “develop relationships with dioceses in the area, try to foster those relationships and see if we can reestablish the historical links between St. Patrick’s and local dioceses.”
A more mundane but still serious issue is maintaining seminary buildings, some of which are more than 100 years old and “in need of serious maintenance,” Father Doherty said.
As far as the seminary's mission goes, Father Doherty said the “main challenge in priestly formation today is the human dimension.”
As society has become more fragmented and Christian culture has receded, he said, applicants are more likely to have pasts marked by experiences or habits that “are not conducive to stable, flourishing life in ministry, and those things need to be addressed.”
Another task, he added, in light of the changing cultural and religious makeup of the U.S., is teaching seminarians to “confidently, peacefully, joyfully engage in contemporary society” and avoid a defensive posture that cuts off the church’s witness to society.
Father Doherty will be formally installed as the seminary's president-rector by Archbishop Cordileone on March 17.
Father Doherty was born in Washington and spent his early life in Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso, where his father worked for Catholic Relief Services. In the summer of 1982 the family relocated to San Francisco. Mark and his brothers attended the Lycée Français, St. Monica School, and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep.
He holds degrees from St. Louis University, Fordham University, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. Father Doherty spent 10 years in formation with the Society of Jesus before discerning out of the order.
In 2010 Father Doherty began teaching at Marin Catholic High School and soon after entered St. Patrick’s Seminary. He was ordained in 2014 and has served the archdiocese as a parochial vicar at St. Peter Parish and St. Anthony of Padua Parish, San Francisco, chaplain at Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep, and on the Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors.
Updated Mar. 4, 2021.