Maureen O'Connell

Maureen H. O'Connell is an educator, writer, and community organizer who holds a PhD in Theological Ethics from Boston College and a BA in History from Saint Joseph's University. She is the most recently the author of Empowering People Through Encounter: Catholic Social Teaching and Community Organizing with Dr. Erin Brigham (Liturgical Press, 2024). From 2022 to 2025, she served as Director of Synod and Higher Education Engagement with Discerning Deacons, creating pathways for participation in the global Synod on Communion, Participation, and Mission. She now serves as Program Director for the CENTERS initiative at Loyola University Chicago's Institute of Pastoral Studies, a $10 million Lilly Endowment Inc. project fostering synodal collaboration among 16 Catholic higher education institutions.