Center for Catholic Studies Welcomes New Team Member, Sam McDonald

The Center for Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University is delighted to welcome Sam McDonald as the Center’s programs manager. McDonald brings a deep well of experience in arts education, community engagement, and faith-centered ministry that will enrich the Center’s mission and programming.

Bringing a Rich Background in Education and the Arts
Before joining Seton Hall, McDonald spent several years working in arts education and community engagement, most recently with the New Jersey Symphony, where he managed youth orchestras and educational partnerships across the state. His teaching career spans both university and K–12 settings, including Montclair State University, Bucknell University and Our Lady of Sorrows School.

McDonald’s academic background includes graduate study in voice and music history at Miami University of Ohio, where his research explored the intersections of race, gender, and performance practices in American music. He also holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a concentration in musical theater from Montclair State University.

Alongside his work in education, McDonald has maintained an active career as a freelance musician and performer, collaborating with artists and communities across the region. For more than 20 years, he has served as a cantor in both the Archdiocese of Newark and the Diocese of Paterson, singing for ordinations, diocesan liturgies, and major celebrations, including the recent archdiocesan pilgrimage to the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. Most recently, he served as director of music at St. Rose of Lima Church in East Hanover.

Across every role, McDonald has remained passionate about helping others discover confidence and purpose, not only in their creative gifts, but also in how those gifts can reflect their faith and calling.

Drawn to a Mission that Integrates Faith, Intellect, and Service
McDonald shared that what drew him to Seton Hall, and to the Center for Catholic Studies in particular, is its mission to integrate intellect, faith, and service in a way that forms the whole person. “I’ve always believed that education should nurture not just knowledge, but also imagination, compassion, and a sense of vocation,” he said.

Having attended high school in the South Orange–Maplewood School District, returning to Seton Hall is also a meaningful homecoming. “To be part of an institution that shaped so much of my early sense of community and learning is a true blessing at this point in my life,” McDonald reflected. He is inspired by the Center’s work in making faith a relevant and critical part of education, helping students, faculty, and the wider community engage questions of meaning, purpose and human dignity.

Looking Ahead with Hope and Enthusiasm
Patrick Manning, Ph.D., the director of the Center for Catholic Studies, remarked, "We are thrilled to have Sam join the team at the Center for Catholic Studies. He brings many skills and a hospitable spirit that I know will aid us greatly in our ongoing work of forming an intellectual community at Seton Hall grounded in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition where everyone can learn, grow, and flourish." In this new role, McDonald looks forward to supporting the Center’s ongoing work and learning from the students, faculty, staff and colleagues who bring its mission to life. He hopes to help cultivate spaces for dialogue, collaboration and creativity through lectures, retreats, and gatherings that invite the Seton Hall community to explore the intersections of faith, intellect, culture and service.

Categories: Faith and Service