Media CenterCRS President Carolyn Woo on the Importance of Theology in Catholic Education
Dr. Carolyn Woo, currently the president & CEO of Catholic Relief Services, was the dean of the University of Notre Dame's Mendoza College of Business from 1997 to 2011. Notre Dame is considering dropping the Theology requirement for students and has asked for input from the Catholic community. In response, Dr. Woo authored an article, published America Magazine, that stresses the integral place Theology holds in Catholic education. She writes:
“…our students cannot serve well what they do not love; they cannot love deeply what they do not know....
St. Pope John Paul II taught in “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” that God, along with man and nature, must be a part of the Catholic University’s search for the whole truth. God is “the Way, the Truth and the Life.” Thus the distinguishing commitment of a Catholic university in its search for truth is the study of Theology. Through investments in resources and emphasis in the curriculum, the university’s mission is to provide the intellectual foundation for students to understand, appreciate and interpret the revelation of God. This is the robust grounding needed for an adult faith, one that progresses beyond grade school catechism, to accompany and inform the Catholic students’ intellectual growth in their professions, for the composition of meaning, purpose, commitment and vocation.”
Read the full article, "The Theology Requirement at Notre Dame: A Former Dean's View," on America Magazine
Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Based in Baltimore, MD
Paul oversees agency efforts in market research, brand positioning, creative development, public relations, advertising and strategic communications. Paul previously served as Catholic Relief Services’ Director of Communications.
Paul has more than 25 years of experience in marketing & communications. Prior to joining CRS, he served...More
