Father Enzo Del Brocco, CP, Ph.D., priest associate at Church of Our Saviour in Manhattan since 2021, is now serving as the ninth president of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He started in early September, and his official inauguration is scheduled for September 28.
During his four years at Our Saviour, Father Del Brocco worked primarily with young adults, fostering opportunities for community prayer, faith formation, and service, the CTU announcement stated.
In addition, Father Enzo worked in close collaboration with the New York chapter of the Community of Sant’Egidio, extending the parish’s outreach to the homeless, the poor, and the marginalized. The CSE, established in Rome in 1968, is rooted in prayer, service to the poor, and work for peace.
Global mission work
A native of Pittsburgh, Father Del Brocco, 55, has been a Passionist priest since 1996. He is fluent in six languages and has served in leadership, education, and pastoral outreach in a number of countries, including Italy, Haiti, and the United States. At Catholic Theological Union, he will lead an institution that trains students from more than 40 countries for leadership in the global Church. He has a Ph.D. in healthcare ethics.
“Serving at Our Saviour parish has been a profound blessing,” Father Del Brocco said in a statement. “The friendships, the faith, and the shared mission of service here will always remain in my heart as I take on this new responsibility at CTU.”
He later told The Good Newsroom that given the societal ills of the world today, “We really have to prepare students to be missionary leaders around the world, and also as lay ministers for the Church. Participation of the people of God, lay and religious, is so important — for everyone to have a voice in building a Church that is always conformed to Christ and in which the Holy Spirit inspires us.”
Monsignor Kevin Sullivan, administrator at Church of Our Saviour, expressed gratitude for Father Enzo’s dedicated service at the parish, saying, “He did assist quite effectively in celebrating Mass and other pastoral ministries. Our parish was blessed to have his ministry with us.”
Catholic Theological Union
Catholic Theological Union is considered a leading school of theology and ministry in the United States. Founded in 1968 in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, CTU was established by the Franciscans, Passionists, and Servites as a new model of seminary formation.
Today, CTU’s corporate ownership has grown to include 21 men’s religious communities, reflecting its continued vitality and collaborative mission. Pope Leo XIV is an alumnus of CTU, having earned his Master of Divinity there in 1982, the same year he was ordained a priest.
“Pope Leo is a graduate of CTU, and that’s a great honor for us,” Father Del Brocco said. As the new CTU president, the priest replaced Sister Barbara Reid, OP, who will return to teaching and research.