Homilist Profiles

Fr Jim Bracke, c.s.c. was ordained in 1980. For 20 years he served in parish ministry in Indiana, Illinois and Colorado. For one year he served in campus ministry at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana Illinois. High School Ministry in Niles Illinois at Notre Dame High School for Boys engaged his service for 2 years. Over the past 51/2 years he has been chaplain at St. Mary's Convent which is the retired/infirmed convent for the Holy Cross Sisters. He assists on weekends at St. Bavo Parish Mishawaka. Fr. Bracke csc has been involved in Cursillo and small Christian lay led movements. In addition he has been a retreat director for priests and parishes. Spiritual Direction is also part of his ministry throughout his 28 years of priesthood.

Father LeRoy Clementich (Father Clem) is a Holy Cross priest. He was ordained in 1957 has spent most of his career in teaching, either at the University of Portland or St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, where he also served as head of campus ministry. For the past 15 years he served as "fly-in" pastor with the Archdiocese of Anchorage, Alaska, where he brought the liturgy and the sacraments to remote villages not accessible by road. Presently, Father Clem is in residence at Holy Cross House here on Notre Dame's campus.

Fr. Lou is a Holy Cross priest, ordained in 2004. He directs Biblical Studies for Campus Ministry at the University of Notre Dame and serves as chaplain for the Alliance for Catholic Education. Previous to Campus Ministry, Fr. Lou served at Holy Redeemer Parish and School in Portland, Oregon, as Associate Director for the ACE Program, and as a middle school and high school teacher at a Catholic school in Philadelphia. He received his undergraduate and Master's degrees from the University of Notre Dame, and currently publishes in the fields of religion, literature, teacher education, and spirituality. Fr. Lou resides in Dillon Hall on the Notre Dame campus.

Fr. Ralph comes to the University after three years of service as the associate pastor of St. Gregory the Great Parish in Phoenix, Arizona. During his time in Phoenix, Fr. Ralph directed the high school religious education program and created programs for adult faith education. Currently, Fr. Ralph is the Rector of St Edward's Hall and Director of Hispanic Ministry. As Director, Fr. Ralph is responsible for providing Spanish speaking liturgies as well as retreats and other various programs that invite Spanish speaking students to deepen their faith and spirituality while connecting as members of the larger student body. Fr. Ralph was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 2004.

Fr. Pete is a Holy Cross priest who was recently ordained in the Congregation in April 2007. Currently, he serves as the rector of Keough Hall on the campus of Notre Dame, and formerly Fr. Pete worked as an assistant rector in Dillon Hall. Aside from his responsibilities in the residence hall, Fr. Pete also works as the director of the Notre Dame Freshman Retreat program.

Fr. Sean McGraw graduated from Notre Dame in 1992 with a BA in Political Science and was a member of the Men's Tennis Team. After completing a Masters in Western European Politics at the London School of Economics in 1993, McGraw returned to Notre Dame where he helped Fr. Tim Scully, CSC found the ACE program and worked with the program for two years. McGraw entered Holy Cross in 1995 and was ordained in 2001. He served three years at Notre Dame High School for Boys between 2000-2003 as a history teacher, tennis and basketball coach and interim president. McGraw recently completed his doctorate in comparative politics from Harvard University in June and returned to ND where he is an Assistant Professor in the Political Science Department and resides in Morrissey Manor.

Fr. Ron Nuzzi is a priest of the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio and currently serves as the director of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program in the Alliance for Catholic Education at Notre Dame. His work focuses particularly on the preparation of teachers to serve as principals in Catholic schools throughout the United States. Nuzzi came to Notre Dame from Saint Louis University, where he directed a similar program for Catholic educational leaders. He has served as editor of the research journal, Catholic Education: A Journal of Inquiry & Practice, and currently works as editor of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) Press. A sought-after speaker, guest lecturer, retreat director, and workshop presenter, Nuzzi has addressed thousands of Catholic educators in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Italy on educational topics. He specializes in blending the knowledge base of educational administration with the wisdom, tradition, and doctrines of the Catholic faith. He has authored and edited numerous books, encyclopedias, journals, and conference papers, all dedicated to advancing the educational mission of the Church. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Administration from the University of Dayton and Masters degrees in Theology, Philosophy, and Educational Leadership. He is a native of Niles, Ohio and joined the Notre Dame faculty in 2002.

Fr. Rocca is a Holy Cross priest, ordained in 1974. He currently serves as the rector of the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, University of Notre Dame, as well as associate director of Campus Ministry. In addition, he is the Director of Liturgy and Music at Moreau Seminary and is the Director of the Candidate Program for first year graduate students. Fr. Rocca is general editor of The Order of Prayer in the Liturgy of the Hours and Celebration of the Eucharist, published by Paulist Press Ordo, and serves as a consultant to the United States Bishops' Committee on the Liturgy.

Fr. Warner is the director of Campus Ministry of the University of Notre Dame. He is the past provincial superior of the Indiana Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross. Following his graduation from Notre Dame in 1962, he studied theology at Catholic University in Santiago, Chile, obtained his licentiate degree there in 1966, and was ordained the same year in Lakewood, Ohio. From 1967 to 1973 he taught English and theology at St. George's College in Santiago, where he also served in the administration. In 1973 he became the provincial treasurer and member of the Provincial Council for the Indiana Province of the Congregation of Holy Cross, leaving that post when he was elected provincial superior in 1979. He served as counselor to the President from 1979 until 2003. He was appointed director of Campus Ministry in 1989. He is chairman of the board of Memorial Health Systems, South Bend, a corporate member of Holy Cross Family Ministries, New York, and chairman of the Board of the Center for the Homeless, South Bend. Notre Dame awarded him an honorary doctor of laws degree in 1987.