Meghan J. Clark, Ph.D., Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, was named on Apr. 8 to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, a Vatican social justice ministry.
The appointment places Dr. Clark among 11 new members contributing to the Church’s efforts in areas such as human rights, economic justice, environmental stewardship, and migration through this administrative office established by Pope Francis in 2016. The dicastery is led by Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., with members advising on humanitarian priorities within the Roman Curia.
Dr. Clark joins three other American theologians recently appointed: Rev. Daniel Groody from the University of Notre Dame; Léocadie Lushombo from Santa Clara University; and Dylan Corbett of the Hope Border Institute in El Paso, Texas—who received St. John’s Vincent de Paul Medal at its 2024 Vincentian Convocation for his work with refugees along the US-Mexico border.
Dr. Clark has been part of St. John’s faculty since 2011 and previously collaborated with the dicastery’s division for migrants and refugees on a project titled “Doing Theology from the Existential Peripheries” in 2022—a project emphasizing wisdom drawn from marginalized communities to advance Christian thought.
Her experience includes serving on teams assisting both the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and as an expert for the Holy See’s Mission to the United Nations.
“As a moral theologian, I work on Catholic social teaching, seeking to examine the intersections of human dignity, solidarity, and development,” Dr. Clark said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the dicastery and the Church in this new way.”
Teresa Delgado, Dean of St. John’s College and Professor in Theology and Religious Studies at St John’s University—which operates as a Catholic Vincentian institution dedicated to liberal arts education—said Dr. Clark’s appointment reflects her exceptional scholarship: “We are honored that one of our own will bring her expertise and pastoral heart to this vital Vatican dicastery, serving alongside distinguished colleagues from around the world to advance the Church’s social teaching,” Dean Delgado said.
St John’s University supports multicultural initiatives through its centers according to its official website. The university features campuses in Queens and Manhattan as well as international sites in Rome, Paris, and Limerick according to its official website. It offers more than 100 undergraduate majors across six schools according to its official website.
The university is affiliated with both Catholicism and Vincentian traditions according to its official website, under leadership including Rev. Brian J. Shanley O.P., who held its presidency per its official site.
