UPEI selects Visiting Scholar for Catholic Studies program
The Reverend Denis Grecco, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, has been selected as the SDU Visiting Scholar for the Catholic Studies program at the University of Prince Edward Island for the next two years.
Father Grecco's appointment is part of a four-year investment in UPEI's Catholic Studies program by the Board of Governors of St. Dunstan's University (SDU). The SDU Board of Governors will provide up to $100,000 per year to support the program for the academic years 2009 through 2013, including the creation of an ongoing two-year position for an SDU Visiting Scholar of Catholic Studies.
As the SDU Visiting Scholar of Catholic Studies, Father Greeco will be based at the university's Centre for Christianity and Culture, a research and study centre focusing on Christianity's impact and perspective on the intellectual and cultural life of Western civilization. The Centre coordinates various academic and community initiatives, including a minor degree in Catholic Studies; a Christianity and Culture minor; lectures, public discussions, and conferences on ethics, politics and current events.
Prior to accepting his appointment as Visiting Catholic Studies Scholar at UPEI, Father Grecco was a visiting assistant professor in the Catholic Studies program at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick. In 2007 he received the St. Thomas University Students' Union 'Dr. Sheila Andrew Award for Excellence in Teaching' for outstanding commitment to students. He holds a PhD from the University of St. Michael College in Toronto and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (STL) from Regis College, also in Toronto. His research interests lie in modern Christian theology, with a particular focus on Christian doctrine and historical theology. He has developed and taught several university-level Catholic studies courses, worked as a parish priest, and organized lecture series and outreach activities for priests and parishioners.
Mike Campbell, chair of the St. Dunstan's University Board of Governors, expressed the Board's pleasure in the appointment.
'We look forward to Father Grecco, continuing the recent work by distinguished Professor Peter Erb in making available to Catholics and to the Island community at large the rich traditions of the Catholic faith with emphasis on Catholic moral and social teachings.'
One of the University of Prince Edward Island's two founding institutions, SDU has a longstanding commitment to enable PEI students to explore Catholic beliefs and teachings within a rigorous academic environment. Although St. Dunstan's University closed its campus in 1969, the SDU Board of Governors continues to foster a culture of spiritually and intellectually informed Catholic citizens who live their faith in the wider society with integrity, compassion, and understanding.
