Father Quigley ’60 Appointed Associate Alumni Chaplain

After a six-year teaching and ministry appointment in Rome, longtime faculty member and administrator Rev. James F. Quigley, O.P. ’60 has returned to Providence College to serve as associate chaplain of the National Alumni Association.

Father Quigley, who was invited to serve as associate chaplain by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80, said he looks forward to assisting the association’s chaplain, Rev. John S. Peterson, O.P. ’57, and ministering to the College’s 50,000 alumni.

“I’m happy to be back at Providence College,” he said. “I’m excited to re-establish contact with so many alums I’ve known over the years.

“My hope, as a Dominican, is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to them and to serve and assist them in any way that I can.”

As associate chaplain, Father Quigley will offer alumni additional opportunities for spiritual and theological growth through retreats, days of recollection, and lectures. His ministry will take place on campus as well as at regional alumni club and chapter locations.

Using social media platforms such as YouTube and Facebook, he also will offer theological and Gospel-based reflections on life. He did just that recently in a video on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

In addition, Father Quigley has been asked by the Most Rev. Thomas J. Tobin, D.D., bishop of the Diocese of Providence, to serve on the faculty of Our Lady of Providence Seminary in Providence. Father Quigley will counsel seminarians--many of whom take their undergraduate course work at PC--in their priestly formation.

Father Quigley returns to the College after serving since 2005 as the Father Carl J. Peter Chair of Homiletics at the Pontifical North American College (PNAC) in the Vatican in Rome. The PNAC is the largest American Catholic seminary and currently serves more than 240 seminarians from all over the United States.

In Rome, he taught American Catholic Church history at the Gregorian University and at the Dominican Angelicum University. He also advised seminarians in fundamental theology at Gregorian University and in human, spiritual formation--including preaching and homily preparation--at the PNAC, where he resided.

“I found the seminarians to be spiritual, bright, balanced, happy, talented, and fun. They offer great hope to the Church in the United States,” he said.

At the time of his appointment in Rome, Father Quigley was an associate professor of theology at PC. His faculty and administrative ties with the College began in 1969, when he was appointed a special lecturer in religious studies. He was named to the Ordinary Faculty in 1970.

With the exception of the period of 1989 to 1993 when he served as College executive vice president, he was a full-time faculty member until leaving for Rome. Father Quigley also has served as College chaplain and as vocation director and a member of the Provincial Council of the Dominican (Eastern) Province of St. Joseph.