July 12, 2017
Steven P. Millies Named New Bernardin Center Director
Catholic Theological Union (CTU) Welcomes New Bernardin Center Director
CHICAGO — Steven P. Millies, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of South Carolina Aiken and an award-winning biographer of Joseph Cardinal Bernardin, has been appointed as Director of Catholic Theological Union’s The Bernardin Center.. Actively involved with the Bernardin Center’s Catholic Common Ground Initiative for many years, Millies will build on the work of past director Sheila McLaughlin, who guided the Bernardin Center for 16 years and retired in April. In his new role, Millies will also serve as Associate Professor of Public Theology.
The Rev. Mark R. Francis, CSV, said, “Steve’s passion for public theology makes him an ideal fit for leading the Bernardin Center into a new era here at CTU. His deep familiarity with the life and work of Cardinal Bernardin is a great asset as we look to educate new generations of leaders for the Church in light of his vision.”
Millies’ biography of Cardinal Bernardin, Joseph Bernardin: Seeking Common Ground, recently won first place in the biography category of the Catholic Press Association book awards for 2017. While Millies’ Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America is in political theory, his scholarship and teaching have focused consistently on theological concerns, specifically on the intersections between the church and civic life. In addition to his work on Cardinal Bernardin, Millies has written extensively on figures such as Thomas Merton, Alfred Delp, John Courtney Murray, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, among others.
Millies was raised in Chicago and attended Loyola University Chicago. In accepting the role with CTU, he said, “In many crucial ways, my own faith was shaped by Cardinal Bernardin’s visionary leadership in this archdiocese. I can’t wait to find ways to bring his vision into meaningful conversation with the present moment. I’m thrilled to be returning home to Chicago, and especially thrilled to have the chance to serve the Bernardin Center as director.”
Millies will assume part-time Directorship on August 1 and will begin his full-time appointment on January 1, 2018.
