Fordham recently appointed Father Thomas Massaro, S.J., professor of moral theology and associate director of the Center for Ethics Education, as the new Lawrence J. McGinley Chair in Religion and Society. Fordham University announced the appointment on Jan. 9 in a Fordham Now article, three months after Massaro signed the contract for his new position.
The Lawrence J. McGinley Chair in Religion and Society is a position that was established in 1985, “to attract distinguished scholars interested in the interaction of religion with the legal, political and cultural forces in our pluralistic American society,” according to Fordham’s website. The position was named for the 26th president of Fordham, Lawrence J. McGinley, S.J., who was an important figure in Fordham’s history and helped establish the school as a metropolitan university by purchasing the Lincoln Center campus, according to Massaro.
“I think the idea of having me was attractive to the committee because I do work in religion and society,” Massaro said.
Avery Cardinal Dulles, S.J., a well-known author and lecturer, was the first chairholder. Dulles held the position from 1988 until he died in 2008. After Dulles’ death, Patrick J. Ryan, S.J. held the position from 2009 until he died in 2022. Now, Massaro serves as the third chairholder.
Massaro grew up in Queens and attended Regis High School in Manhattan, where he received a Jesuit education. After graduating, he attended Amherst College and majored in economics and political science. He had planned to go into law or politics, but towards the end of his undergraduate education, he decided he wanted to be a Jesuit professor.
“I was like, no, the people that I admire the most are those Jesuits who taught me in high school. And you know, I would say becoming a priest had always been one of the possibilities in the back of my mind,” Massaro said. “And I said, there’s nobody I admire more than those men. I want to at least give it a try. To try to be like them.”
Massaro completed most of his formation in Massachusetts, where he was ordained, but also spent two of his formation years at Fordham. Additionally, he received his doctorate in Christian social ethics from Emory University in 1977.
From 1977 to 2018, Massaro taught at the Graduate School of Theology at Boston College and later at Santa Clara University. In 2018, he was hired by Fordham, where he has taught both undergraduate and graduate students. The primary classes he teaches for undergraduate students are Theologies of Peace and Catholic Social Teaching. Massaro says that he enjoys teaching and sees it as an investment in the future of his students.
“The goal of any teacher is almost like planting seeds or spreading seeds. You don’t know how it’s going to blossom or sprout in other people’s minds,” Massaro said. “It’s really important that I could feel like I’m helping expose young people to these very important questions that they may not have thought of before.”
Massaro discussed the realities of being a Jesuit priest, which includes taking three vows: poverty, chastity and obedience. According to Massaro, he never sees his paycheck. The money that Fordham pays him goes into an account, where some is used towards his expenses and the rest goes into the community. Additionally, Jesuit priests don’t get married or go on dates. The third vow, obedience, means that their superiors determine the work they do. Superiors use discernment to move Jesuit priests around where they are needed at different Jesuit institutions.
Despite the sacrifices he has taken for his profession, Massaro explained that he enjoys what he does and doesn’t regret his decision to become a Jesuit priest.
“It was a natural decision for me. I’ve never doubted it. I’ve always enjoyed it. It’s not the easiest thing in the world. You give up a lot, having a family, making a fortune. I don’t have any of those things, but it’s just something that I have just found a perfect match with,” Massaro said.
In his new position as the McGinley Chair, Massaro will hold two lectures a year, one in the fall and one in the spring. The lectures will cover topics surrounding the overlap and interaction between religion and society. On April 9, Massaro will host his first lecture, in which he will discuss and critique American exceptionalism. The lecture will take place in Keating First at 5 p.m., and it is open to all students and faculty.
Massaro will also represent Fordham at conferences as part of the position. Next month, he will attend two conferences in England, and in April he will attend another conference in New Hampshire. Massaro showed enthusiasm for his new position and is looking forward to the work he will be able to do.
“It’s a great honor for me. The committee that chose me put a lot of confidence in me, my ability to give a good lecture and to represent Fordham at many conferences,” Massaro said. “In some ways, it’s a continuation of the work I’ve been doing for 30 years. I’m still going to continue to be an ethicist, a moral theologian, but this gives me a little bit more time, I have a reduced teaching load, so it gives me more time for research and publication and to go to conferences, to represent Fordham on these occasions.”
