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Chair and Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Theology
Rev. Patrick J. Lynch, S.J., chair and associate professor of religious studies and theology, says that the Jesuit mission to find God in all things is a major reason education is so important to the Order. At Canisius College, this is demonstrated by the Jesuits and faculty alike when they interact with students in the classroom and tend to their intellectual and spiritual needs.
A passion to educate others and a calling to the priesthood led Father Lynch join the Jesuits. Now, as an instrumental leader in many areas at Canisius, he is heavily invested in its academic affairs and mission. Father Lynch currently serves as vice chair of the faculty senate and was its president for three years. He also served as a member of the Canisius College Board of Trustees from 2001-2007.
As rector of the Canisius College Jesuit Community from 2000-2007, Father Lynch oversaw the completion of renovations to Loyola Hall and worked to promote a greater sense of community and interaction among the Jesuits. As chair of the Department of Religious Studies and Theology for the last two years, he developed the college’s interdisciplinary Catholic studies minor, which began in the fall of 2005.
An engaging classroom professor, Father Lynch obtained his PhD in Christian theology from the University of Chicago, an STM in the history of ethics from Yale Divinity School, a master of divinity degree from Woodstock College and master and bachelor degrees in classics from Fordham University. He has a particular interest in Christian social ethics and religion, politics and liberation theologies, and has published many articles in religious journals. Father Lynch is the host of Crossroads, a monthly public affairs radio show, on WJYE-FM and WBUF-FM.
Father Lynch says “My goal as a Jesuit educator at Canisius is to develop leadership skills in others, to nurture their talents--especially educational and spiritual, and to help them to find God in their lives. I also like to connect people with one another, and therefore help them to become women and men for and with others who have a special concern for those on the edges of society. In all, I strive to witness to Jesus Christ and God’s greater glory.”