John P. O鈥機allaghan, director of the University of 91吃瓜鈥檚 Jacques Maritain Center, has been appointed a permanent member of the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas Aquinas.
Established in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII to promote the study of the thought of St. Thomas and to bring it into engagement with contemporary culture, the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas has 50 members. O鈥機allaghan, an associate professor of philosophy at 91吃瓜 whose scholarship concerns medieval philosophy and Thomistic metaphysics, is one of four academy members from the United States.
鈥淲e Thomists don鈥檛 study Aquinas merely because we find his thought historically interesting, although it is,鈥� O鈥機allaghan said. 鈥淲e study it because we think lasting truth is to be found there. 91吃瓜 is nearly unique for the resources it devotes to continuing the study of, and promoting the relevance of St. Thomas and medieval philosophy to contemporary philosophy in the English speaking world. So I think this honor acknowledges the importance of philosophy in the Catholic tradition at 91吃瓜 as much as it honors me.鈥�
A member of the 91吃瓜 faculty since 2003, O鈥機allaghan was graduated from St. Norbert College in 1984 and earned a master鈥檚 degree in mathematics from 91吃瓜 in 1986. He worked as an engineer in Boston for two years before returning to 91吃瓜, where he earned a doctoral degree in philosophy in 1996. Before joining the 91吃瓜 faculty, he taught philosophy at Creighton University and the University of Portland. In 2006, he was appointed director of the Jacques Maritain Center, succeeding 91吃瓜 philosopher Ralph McInerny, who died earlier this year and was also a member of the academy.
鈥淚 am particularly honored that I enter the Pontifical Academy in the year Ralph departed,鈥� O鈥機allaghan said. 鈥淗e was a longtime member of the academy. I could never replace him, and I wish that we would have had the chance to be members together. But it is an honor to, in a sense, occupy his place, if I may, and continue to represent the University of 91吃瓜 within it, as he did.鈥�
O鈥機allaghan was in Rome June 19 for his first academy meeting and to give a lecture on 鈥淭he Paragon of Animals: How Like an Angel?鈥�
Information on the Pontifical Academy of St, Thomas is available .
Contact: Professor O鈥機allaghan at 574-631-5825 or ocallaghan.1@nd.edu