Fr. Michael Sweeney, OP, was appointed in June 2004 as the President of the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology (DSPT) at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. Ordained in 1979, Fr. Michael has served as both a university chaplain and as a pastor in a parish setting.
Fr. Michael’s chief interest is the mission of the Church to the world. This requires, he notes, an understanding of the relationships within the Church between the clergy, the laity and parish community in light of that mission, and formation of the laity for their task as apostles.
In 1997 he co-founded with Sherry Weddell, a lay woman, the Catherine of Siena Institute , whose purpose is to assist parishes to provide a formation for lay men and women. The Institute has addressed over 50,000 Catholics throughout North America (and Asia).
Fr. Michael has developed and offered workshops in priestly formation, the theology of the laity, the theology of vocation, the theology of pastoral governance and Catholic social teaching. In addition to his duties as President of the DSPT, he has offered classes at the School on the role of the laity in the Church, particularly in light of the documents of Vatican II and John Paul II. Father Michael serves as a consultant to the California Catholic Conference.
Fr. Michael receives numerous invitations to give lectures and workshops related to the question of the mission of the Church to the world. At www.dspt.edu, you will find a collection of talks, lectures, and articles Fr. Michael has written and presented at universities and parishes around the country.