Conboy’s lack of response raises community questions, concerns
Between Holy Cross College, Saint Mary’s College, and the University of Notre Dame, the Catholic faith is wholeheartedly the cornerstone of each institution’s mission. To ensure this, the 1989 directive published by the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith requires every Catholic college and university president to swear allegiance to the teaching authority of the Church.
Usually, this takes the form of a public declaration during the president’s inauguration.
Records indicate that Katie Conboy, current president of Saint Mary’s College (SMC), did not publicly take the oath during her 2021 inauguration as SMC president. Furthermore, it remains unclear whether she has completed the canonically required Oath of Fidelity and Profession of Faith since, with some casting doubt on her compliance.
When asked the date of Conboy’s oath, the bishop’s office was not able to confirm that she had taken the Oath. Joe Garcia, chancellor and executive assistant to Bishop Kevin Rhoades of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, mentioned that he has “already raised that question to the vicar general’s office and he said that’s not information that we would be able to release publicly.”
The vicar general’s office did not respond to the Rover’s request to comment.
The Rover contacted Conboy with questions about the oath’s significance and the date taken, but she declined to comment, stating, “Though I appreciate your interest in this matter, I do not plan to provide a comment.”
Pope John Paul II, in accordance with the 1983 Code of Canon Law, required all those in a teaching capacity or office to be exercised in the name of the Church “personally bound to make a profession of faith, according to the formula approved by the Apostolic See” at the commencement of their term (CCC 833).
According to the Vatican website, both the Oath of Fidelity and the Profession of Faith ensure that adherers “firmly accept and hold each and everything definitively proposed by the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals” and pledge that “with great care and fidelity I shall carry out the duties incumbent on me toward the Church, both universal and particular, in which, according to the provisions of the law, I have been called to exercise my service.”
The most prominent part of the Oath states, “In fulfilling the charge entrusted to me in the name of the Church, I shall hold fast to the deposit of faith in its entirety; I shall faithfully hand it on and explain it, and I shall avoid any teachings contrary to it.”
After the controversial policy reversal in December 2023 that revoked extending admission to people who are not female but “consistently live and identify as women,” Conboy and Board of Trustees Chair Maureen Karantz Smith expressed regret for the division caused “in our campus community and among our extended alumnae family.” Acknowledging the broken trust, Conboy and Smith made it clear that their “deepest hope is for everyone to return in January committed to rebuilding trust.”
The Loretto Trust, formed after the November 2023 controversial admissions decision, expressed their concerns with the Rover about Conboy’s lack of transparency.
In October 2024, they sent a certified letter to President Conboy, seeking clarification on whether she had taken or planned to take the Oath of Fidelity. The Trust stated that no response or acknowledgment has been received since.
Loretto Trust told the Rover, “In the absence of any clear communication or public acknowledgment regarding this matter, we are left to interpret her lack of response as an indication that she has chosen not to commit this important declaration. This silence raises significant concerns among the SMC community.”
Susan Powers, who graduated from SMC in 1981, told the Rover, “[SMC] says that they are a Catholic institution, and that they’re bound by Canon law and the teachings of the Roman Catholic faith. So even if I don’t look at it from a faith perspective, this is a legal issue.”
Shannon Ferguson, SMC parent and Loretto Trust treasurer, told the Rover, “Loretto Trust believes that the Profession of Faith and the Oath of Fidelity, which are canonically required of the president of Saint Mary’s College, reflect a commitment to guide actions and decisions with dedication to the Catholic faith, consistent with SMC’s mission and values.
She continued, “If President Conboy chooses not to take the Oath, it suggests an inability to uphold its directives. We also view the Board of Trustees and the governing bodies of the Sisters of the Holy Cross as complicit in this decision.”
In 2021, Bishop Rhoades celebrated the morning Mass the day of her inauguration in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto, but while he did not mention the Oath in his homily, he stated, “Dr. Conboy is committed to the Church’s vision of Catholic higher education. President Conboy’s Christian witness and her commitment to leadership as service are vital for the life and Catholic identity of Saint Mary’s College.”
Bp. Rhoades continued in the homily, “I am confident that she will lead and serve this college in its commitment to the service of the Church and of the human family and in its fidelity to the Christian message as it comes to us through the Church.”
At his recent September 2024 inauguration, the National Catholic Register reported that Father Robert Dowd, C.S.C. took the Oath of Fidelity privately before Bishop Rhoades, sparking speculation that a public recitation “would appear to link Notre Dame too closely to the Church to suit many in governance and influence at the university.”
Marco Clark, president of Holy Cross College, elected to profess his Oath openly in 2023. Clark told the Rover, “I believe that the [oath’s] greatest value lies in its ability to cultivate unity, integrity, and accountability in those entrusted with the Church’s teaching mission. It is not about external compliance but about fostering a deep-seated commitment to the Church’s mission, ensuring that Catholic education remains a beacon of truth, faith, and reason in the world.”
He continued, “As a Catholic college, we should look at all of our decisions through the lens of our Catholic faith and with a Catholic worldview. This can often be complex when considering the moral and cultural challenges of our time.”
Lydia Poe, finance and management junior from Kansas City, spent eight months in Rome and Washington, D.C., collecting unusual stories—like why the U.S. Capitol has six marble bathtubs and how to leave a mark on the Circus Maximus (hint: electric chariot, no coordination). Curious? Email her at lpoe01@saintmarys.edu.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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