The Very Rev. David M. O’Connell, C.M., 14th president of The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C., announced today that he will resign as president in August 2010.  Fr. O’Connell is currently serving his 12th year as president of CUA, which is the national Catholic university of the U.S.  He is a firm supporter of Ex corde Ecclesiae, the Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Higher Education, and is a Consultor to the Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education.  As president, Fr. O’Connell made many contributions to CUA’s Catholic identity. He hosted Pope Benedict XVI on campus in April 2009 during his visit which featured the historic Address the Catholic Educators.  He led a renaissance of Catholic spirituality on campus, as witnessed by more than 80 young men and 30 young women deciding to enter religious life or the priesthood after graduation.  The Newman Guide to Choosing a Catholic College, which promotes CUA for its Catholic identity, quoted a CUA professor as saying, “CUA has come a long way in terms of strengthening its Catholic identity in the last 20 years, especially the last 10 years under [President] O’Connell.  There is a strong Catholic mission and identity.”  Read more about Fr. O’Connell’s contributions to CUA’s Catholic identity at TheNewmanGuide.com, now a free online resource.  Source: The Catholic University of America