Dr. Marco J. Clark was installed as the sixth president of Holy Cross College at Notre Dame, Indiana, on Saturday, March 25. He is the first president of the College who is not a Holy Cross religious, succeeding Fr. David T. Tyson, C.S.C., who became president on July 31, 2017.
The celebrations began with a day of service on Thursday in which local charities—including the Boys and Girls Club of St. Joseph County, the Catholic Worker/Our Lady of the Road, LOGAN Industries, Real Services, Reins of Life, and Ronald McDonald House—staffed information booths for students, and the campus community collected school supplies and toiletries for donation. There was also a blood drive and COVID vaccine clinic.
On Friday, there was an academic symposium entitled, A Showcase of Holy Cross College and Its Catholic, Liberal Arts Education, offered a series of talks on a wide range of topics connected to Holy Cross College, including its newest majors and courses of study.
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There was also an exhibition of literature, poetry, and art in the Vincent Hall Atrium that included works by faculty, staff and students, including some who are a part of the Moreau College Initiative at Westville Prison. To top it off, The Echoes, an acapella group from the University of Notre Dame that includes students from Holy Cross College, Notre Dame, and Saints Mary’s College, delighted the crowd with a musical interlude of songs over the decades and the college’s alma mater.
Saturday started with an Inaugural Mass on the Solemnity of the Annunciation celebrated by the Most Reverend Bishop Kevin Rhoades, Bishop of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend. During the Mass, Dr. Clark took the Oath of Fidelity as president of the college.
“The work of Catholic higher education is the work of the Church. Carrying out this apostolic mission is something I take quite seriously. I am honored to be in this position and continue to be grateful for the guiding hand of Providence and our continued fidelity to Christ and his Church,” said Dr. Clark.
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The Installation Ceremony itself was held in the Pfeil Center on campus and included Holy Cross religious, members of the local community, faculty, staff, and visitors. The entire Clark family was also in attendance, including Dr. Clark’s children and grandchildren.
Dr. Clark comes to Holy Cross College from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, where he served as the Executive Director of the Holy Cross Institute. Dr. Clark has worked as a Catholic educator for over 30 years, including 22 years as Principal and President at his alma mater, Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland, a school sponsored by the Moreau Province.
Dr. Clark holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts, a Master’s in Education in Guidance and Counseling from Bowie State University, Maryland, and a Doctorate in Education in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University, Nebraska.
When he asked what he hoped people took away from the weekend, Dr. Clark responded: “To see just how special the Holy Cross College community is. We are blessed to have a world-class faculty and staff, talented and passionate students, and a community that works daily with zeal to make God known, loved, and served. I hope that people leave this weekend with confidence and hope for a bright future for the College and the difference that this college can make in the world through the students that we are blessed to accompany.”