New Saint Michael’s Vice President of Edmundite Mission Fr. David Theroux S.S.E. ’70, left, and College President Richard Plumb, Ph.D., in an August 2024 photo. (Photo courtesy Elizabeth Murray/Saint Michael’s College)
Vermont Business Magazine A new division at Saint Michael’s College will serve to uphold the legacy of the College’s founders, the Society of Saint Edmund, and ensure their mission and heritage remain central and relevant to the future of the College.
President Richard Plumb, Ph.D., has announced the establishment of the Division of Edmundite Mission and the appointment of Fr. David Theroux S.S.E. ’70 as the inaugural Vice President of Edmundite Mission. Theroux will oversee Campus Ministry, Mobilization of Volunteer Efforts (MOVE), the Institute for Equity and Justice, and the two Edmundite centers for Faith and Culture and for Peace and Justice. He will also serve on Plumb’s Cabinet.
“Fr. David has an extensive career in both ministry and education, having served in Edmundite parishes and schools from England to Louisiana,” Plumb said in his announcement to faculty and staff. “I am confident that Fr. David’s combination of leadership and experience in the church and in teaching – as well as his commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and peace and justice initiatives – will provide an excellent foundation for this new role and division.”
Theroux retired in May from teaching after more than a decade as a Religious Studies instructor at Saint Michael’s. He also celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination to the priesthood this summer. He is a 1970 graduate of Saint Michael’s College.
Theroux also holds a Master of Divinity from the University of St. Michael’s College at the University of Toronto in Canada (1975), a Master's degree in Religious Studies from Loyola University in New Orleans (2000), and a Doctor of Education from the University of Phoenix in Arizona (2017). In addition to his pastoral and teaching positions at Saint Michael’s, Theroux has also served in those capacities throughout the U.S. and in England, including in South Burlington, Vermont; Whitton, England; Mobile, Alabama; New Orleans, Louisiana; and Mystic, Connecticut.
Theroux expressed his excitement for the new division and the opportunity to help maintain the Edmundite heritage of Saint Michael’s into the future. The division will continue to uphold the Edmundite values of service, social justice, hospitality, and access to education. The goal of the division will be to exist within the diverse population that Saint Michael’s welcomes to campus and help people find meaning and common ground in the Edmundite mission – not to impose the Catholic faith on community members who may have different backgrounds.
“Catholic colleges are in such a such a state of flux, that maintaining the Catholicity has been a concern of ours, especially in our Society’s diminishment,” Theroux said. “Given the reality that we are so heavily non-Catholic in terms of the population of the school, both students and faculty and staff, we’re in a very pluralistic reality. What does it mean to be Catholic in that context, as a Catholic institution? That’s kind of the arena in which this is going to play itself out.”
Theroux’s position and appointment was approved by the Saint Michael’s Board of Trustees in August, and Theroux begins his service immediately.
About Saint Michael’s College
Saint Michael's College, founded on principles of social justice and leading lives of purpose and consequence, is a selective, Catholic college just outside Burlington, Vermont, one of the country's best college towns. Located between the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain, our closely connected community guarantees housing all four years and delivers internationally respected liberal arts together with an innovative Purposeful Learning Program, preparing students for fulfilling careers and meaningful lives. Young adults here grow intellectually, socially, and morally, learning to be responsible for themselves, each other, and their world.
Source: 8.6.2024. COLCHESTER, VT – www.smcvt.edu
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