Andrew Greeley

A Professor of Sociology at the University of Arizona and a Research Associate with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago, Father Greeley is a respected scholar whose current research focuses on the Sociology of Religion. Throughout his priesthood, Father Greeley has unflinchingly urged his beloved Church to become more responsive to evolving concerns of Catholics everywhere. His clear writing style, consistent themes and celebrity stature have made him a leading spokesperson for generations of Catholics. Many claim to have remained within the Church because Father Greeley fosters meaningful debate on significant issues that would otherwise remain unexplored. He has chronicled his service to the Church in two autobiographies, Confessions of a Parish Priest and Furthermore! In 1986, Father Greeley established a $1 million Catholic Inner-City School Fund, providing scholarships and financial support to schools in the Chicago Archdiocese with a minority student body of more than 50 percent. In 1984, he contributed a $1 million endowment to establish a chair in Roman Catholic Studies at the University of Chicago. He also funds an annual lecture series, “The Church in Society,” at St. Mary of the Lake Seminary, Mundelein, Illinois, from which he received his S.T.L. in 1954. A Chicago native, he earned his M.A. in 1961 and his PhD in 1962 from the University of Chicago. He is a penetrating student of popular culture who is deeply engaged with the world around him.