Catholic University of America Dean Joseph Capizzi will take over leadership of the McGrath Institute for Church Life starting July 1, Notre Dame announced Monday.
Capizzi serves as the dean of the School of Theology and Religious studies at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he has taught since 1997. Capizzi previously served as the executive director of the university’s Institute for Human Ecology.
Capizzi will take over as the McGrath-Cavadini Director after the 26-year leadership of theology professor John Cavadini, who directed the institute to global recognition and aided the theology department in reaching its ranking as the premier program of its kind in the world.
“I’m really excited by the opportunity to build on John Cavadini’s work on behalf of the Church and Notre Dame. The staff at McGrath is incredible and I’m deeply moved by the thought of working with them and colleagues throughout the university,” Capizzi told the Rover.
Capizzi holds a master’s and doctoral degree in theology from Notre Dame, where he was a John A. O’Brien fellow. A moral theologian, he has written and lectured on just war theory, bioethics, the history of moral theology, and political liberalism. He and his wife have six children.
The McGrath Institute is one of 17 university institutes that report to the Office of Provost John McGreevy. McGrath partners with dioceses, parishes, and schools in its work to address pastoral challenges with “theological tools and spiritual formation,” according to its website.
Directorship of any university institute must be approved by the institute’s college dean and the provost.
Capizzi “rose to the top of a competitive national search” for a new McGrath director, McGreevy noted in the university announcement. “We were impressed with his energy, leadership experience, deep understanding of and commitment to the University’s Catholic mission, passion for the life and future of the Church and ambition to help us realize the possibilities of this great University,” McGreevy said.
The hunt for a new McGrath director began nearly two years ago in July of 2024, when McGreevy announced over email that “the process of searching for a new director” would begin that fall. The announcement took both the public and the Notre Dame community by surprise.
David Osborn, chairman of McGrath’s advisory board, told the National Catholic Register at the time that “advisory council members were aware that succession discussions were underway,” but were “surprised” at the announcement’s timing.
Another Notre Dame theologian told the Register the abruptness of McGreevy’s decision was “surprising and alarming.”
Cavadini is recognized as a leading Catholic theologian, previously serving on the International Theological Commission and the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith. He was named by Pope Benedict to the Order of Knights of St. Gregory the Great.
The university was unable to find a new director after the initial year-long search and Cavadini continued to direct McGrath during the 2025-2026 academic year.
Capizzi described his new position as a “great gift and frankly, a challenge,” in the university announcement, saying, “McGrath has a well-earned reputation for helping the Church address pastoral challenges by drawing on a wide and talented pool of leading academics.”
“I am grateful to John Cavadini for his role in shaping McGrath’s vision and guiding it for so many years. I cannot wait to be a part of its unique mission and dedicated community of scholars, friends and students,” Capizzi added.
McGreevy acknowledged Cavadini’s “tireless service” in the university announcement, saying, “All of us are in John’s debt. […] His cultivation of the institute’s signature programs, his capacity to attract external support from foundations and his passion for connecting the worlds of the University and the Church have elevated not only the McGrath Institute but Notre Dame.”
Cavadini will resume his role as a theology professor at the university when Capizzi begins his new position on July 1.
Lucy Spence is a senior majoring in the Program of Liberal Studies and piano performance, with a minor in philosophy. Reach her at lspence@nd.edu.