By Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., J.C.D. 1990, President

When I first began teaching, some faculty “veterans” told me not to be surprised if, during the middle of my classroom presentation, I started to remind myself of my own former teachers. Almost without effort, it seems, what we absorbed in various classes included not only “content” but also the manner and style of the teacher. Of course, my being a bit of a mimic didn’t hurt!

I was blessed to have some extraordinary teachers, beginning with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Philadelphia and continuing through the seminary and my graduate studies here at The Catholic University of America.

Sister Mary Pacis, I.H.M., was certainly the kindest teacher I ever had. She had a warmth and ready smile that made you want to learn, even in the eighth grade. I give her much of the credit for encouraging my vocation to the priesthood. Father William Bamber, C.M., taught Latin in my high school and displayed an extraordinary gift for making difficult passages in Virgil easier to translate. He also spent a great deal of time with us outside of the classroom, teaching us through his words and through his example of hard work around the campus grounds. His class trips to New York City were legendary! If anyone made me realize the meaning of educating the “whole person,” it was Father Bill.

At Niagara University, Brother Augustine Towey, C.M., really inspired me to read and appreciate literature. As director of the theater studies program, “Bro” was a phenomenal educator who provided just the right support and encouragement to many of us who thought we might make it on the stage, only to find our “stage” a bit different than we imagined. In seminary, Father John Gouldrick, C.M., an alumnus of CUA, was probably the most engaging teacher I had experienced. Punctuated with great humor, his lectures in moral theology and social justice still form a large part of my consciousness and conscience.

Here at CUA, Father Jack Lynch, C.S.P., was the one professor who really made a difference in my intellectual life. His unfailing example as a dedicated priest and his gentle manner, civility and incredible insight served as models that I hoped one day to imitate, as did his depth of knowledge about canon law and Church history. I continue to be blessed by occasional conversations with him around Catholic University’s campus. When I happened to bump into Jack on campus in December 1997, he asked me, “Why don’t you apply to be CUA’s president?” Little did he know nor could I tell him that I was on campus for precisely that reason!

We all have memories and stories of our great teachers and it’s fun to think about them and the things that make them stand out in our memory. That’s exactly what nine alumni have done for the cover story of this issue of CUA Magazine.

For me, it is kindness and civility, encouragement and support, clarity and humor, knowledge, experience and authenticity that describe the very best among my teachers. If I could truly imitate even a fraction of the qualities demonstrated by them, I would consider myself blessed in my profession.

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Revised: March 2005

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