Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone announced today the appointment of Rev. Mark Doherty as the new rector of St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. Fr. Doherty has been the interim rector since October, 2020.
In making the announcement, Archbishops Cordileone said, “I am very happy to appoint Fr. Doherty as the rector of St. Patrick’s Seminary. Fr. Doherty has already shown outstanding leadership in these months as interim rector, and his assuming the position of rector now in a stable manner holds out great promise for the future of the seminary. I appreciate his willing acceptance of this appointment, and the commitment, zeal and expertise he brings to this most important position in the life of the Church.”
Fr. Doherty affirmed his welcome of this new role, saying, “Convinced as I am that there is no better time to be a priest of Jesus Christ, I am grateful for this charge, for the privileged opportunity to share in the work of forming priests for the third millennium. I am all the more enthused to assume this mission because it affords me the opportunity to work side-by-side with an outstanding group of colleagues.”
Fr. Doherty was born in Tacoma, Washington. His first years of life were spent in west Africa (Sierra Leone and Burkina Faso), where his father worked for Catholic Relief Services. In the summer of 1982 the family relocated to San Francisco. Mark and his brothers attended the Lycée français, St. Monica School, and Sacred Heart Cathedral Prep. He holds degrees from St. Louis University, Fordham University, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, and the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. In 2000 he joined the California Province of Jesuits, which led to many and varied U.S. and international assignments.
In 2010 Fr. Doherty began teaching at Marin Catholic High School and soon thereafter entered St. Patrick’s Seminary, with his Archdiocesan ordination in 2014. In addition to teaching, he has served the Archdiocese as a parochial vicar, hospital and high school chaplain, and on the Presbyteral Council and College of Consultors. He is fluent in French and Spanish.
St. Patrick’s Seminary has been forming priests for the West Coast region of the United States and the Pacific Islands since 1898. The seminary is committed to a second century of forming priests after Christ’s own heart.
# # #
PDF – English
Contact:
Jan Potts
Archdiocese Communications
pottsj@sfarch.org
415-614-5638
