BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Christ the King Seminary has a new president-rector.
On Tuesday, Bishop Richard Malone announced that Rev. Kevin Creagh, CM would be taking the post at the East Aurora seminary.
This comes after a 7 Eyewitness News I-team investigation revealed that the priest serving as the interim president-rector tried to crack down on seminarian whisleblowers.
Shortly after the seminarians reported vulgar and inappropriate behavior by three priests, seminary leadership launched a full-scale "leak investigation" that involved interrogations of the same seminarians who came forward to report wrongdoing. The investigation, reportedly spearheaded by Rev. John Staak, OMI, who has been serving as the interim president-rector for the past eight months.
“I have come to know Father Creagh as a faithful, gifted and committed priest and educator. He will provide inspiring leadership as president-rector of Christ the King Seminary. I am grateful to the Vincentian Fathers for sharing him with us,” Bishop Malone said.
Father Creagh is currently the vice president for International Relations and special assistant to the provost at Niagara University. Before this current position, he was the vice president for Mission and Ministry as well as the local superior of the Vincentian community at Niagara University for six years. Previously he served as associate vice president for International Sites and assistant to the vice president for Institutional Advancement at St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y.
Father Creagh has taught courses in the areas of theology and ethics at Niagara University to undergraduates and doctoral students, respectively, and has taught a course on leadership and organizational theory at Christ the King Seminary. He has been a chair and member of numerous doctoral dissertation committees in the university’s Leadership and Policy Doctoral Program. Father Creagh is experienced in the area of board governance and currently serves the board of trustees of St. John’s University, N.Y., Christ the King Seminary and the Niagara Community Center Inc., N.Y.
Father Creagh said, “I am deeply grateful to Bishop Malone and the board of trustees of Christ the King Seminary for offering me this opportunity to be of service in providing leadership at this important time in the seminary’s rich history. I look forward to serving the seminarians, theology students, and the whole campus -more- community of faculty, administrators and staff. I also look forward to our seminary being of service to the dedicated clergy of the Diocese of Buffalo. Finally, I thank God for my vocation to the priesthood which has given me immense joy and fulfillment for 23 years. Please pray for me and, most especially, the students of our seminary.”
He holds a bachelor of science degree and a professional diploma in Supervision and Instruction from St. John’s University, N.Y., a master of divinity and a master of arts from Immaculate Conception Seminary in Huntington, N.Y., and a doctoral degree in Higher Education Management and Policy from the University of Pennsylvania. His doctoral dissertation was entitled, “Building an Effective Bishop and President Relationship for the Mission of Catholic Higher Education: A Case Study of Five Bishop and President Partnerships.”
Father Creagh was ordained a Vincentian priest in 1996 and has had the privilege of serving in Catholic higher education, vocations ministry, and the Vincentian mission.
Father Creagh is expected to take over the role sometime this summer.
