Two rectors leaving Notre Dame
By MELISSA LOU
News Writer
Two rectors will leave the Notre Dame this year to explore new options outside the campus. John Mojzisek of St. Edward's Hall and Father Tom Bednar of Zahm Hall will officially resign from their positions at the end of this academic year.
Mojzisek, a Notre Dame alumnus, will leave his hall after a year of service to return to his hometown of Baltimore to continue work in counseling and teaching. Mojzisek said he is leaving because his heart is in counseling and teaching, and he felt it was time to do something else.
Mojzisek said he leaves behind him a group of "exceptional young men who are creative and very energetic." He is confident that the transition will be smooth, especially since the current assistant rector will return next year.
The 37-year-old will also leave his position with the Masters in Divinity Program, where he taught pastoral counseling, as well as his job as a Notre Dame Encounter leader.
As a student at Notre Dame, Mojzisek was a double major in the program of liberal studies and psychology and eventually obtained a Ph.D in pastoral counseling.
"The students," Mojzisek said, "have been very supportive of my decision." He added that he will miss Notre Dame.
The University has yet to announce Mojzisek's replacement.
Jim Kleckner, a senior in the College of Engineering, points out that this transition might be "especially hard on the underclassmen, as they will have had three rectors in three years."
Kleckner added that Mojzisek did a good job making everyone feel at home after Father David Scheidler left last year and is sorry to see him go.
Mojzisek, Kleckner said, was approachable and "took an interest in getting to know us."
Bednar of Zahm was not available for an interview. However, the Office of Student Affairs nominated Father Daniel Parrish to take over his position as rector.
Nicola Iaria, a senior economics major, said that Bednar has been the rector in Zahm for the past three years. According to Iaria, Bednar has brought a different atmosphere to the dorm that stems from his experiences in Chile.
"He has an open feel for the campus and is very open for the students," he said.
Iaria remembers Bednar's first year in the dorm when during a Freshman Orientation activity he wore a du Lac T-shirt, showing off his unique sense of humor.
"He has always been willing to listen to people and always tried to be a part of the dorm. He was also very active in multicultural events," said Iaria.
Bednar often celebrated the Spanish Mass held in Zahm each Sunday.
Iaria, who works in dorm government concluded by saying that Bednar "was fair in his dealings with students and flexible in how he handled situations in the dorm. He was always willing to work with hall government."
All News Stories for Wednesday, May 7, 2003
