President-Rector’s Office

Very Rev. Raúl Gómez-Ruiz SDS, Ph.D.

President-Rector

  • Ph.D., The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC
  • M.Div., Franciscan School of Theology in Berkley, CA,
  • M.P.A., California State University in Sacramento

rector@shsst.edu
414-529-6972

Greetings from the President-Rector of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology!

Our mission: Preparing evangelizing disciples through specialized formation to conform our world to the Heart of Christ
The world is changing, and our specialized formation programs continue to adapt to the changing needs of our sponsors and students. From our new propaedeutic program, new Master of Arts in Catholic Studies, expanded experiential learning opportunities, affinity groups to build community, English & Culture programs, and continuing formation programs such as Pastors’ Toolbox, we strive to provide outstanding human, spiritual, pastoral and intellectual formation to seminarians and lay ministers around the world. Please contact us if we can be of service.

Very Rev. Raúl Gómez-Ruiz SDS, Ph.D.

About

Very Rev. Raúl Gómez-Ruiz SDS, Ph.D., has been named the tenth president-rector of Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. He succeeds Fr. Thomas Knoebel as of July 1, 2019. His appointment is through the end of the 2025-2026 academic year.

Fr. Gómez recently completed a six-year term as vicar general and general secretary of the Society of the Divine Savior (Salvatorians) in Rome. Prior to his appointment in Rome, he served for nearly 25 years in a variety of capacities at Sacred Heart. From 1988-2004 he was director of the Hispanic Studies Program, one of the first seminary programs in the country to specifically address the pastoral concerns of the growing Hispanic population of the Catholic Church in the United States.

From 2002-2005 he was SHSST vice-rector, and from 2005-2012 he was vice president for academic affairs and director of intellectual formation at SHSST.

Fr. Gómez left Sacred Heart in 2012 to become director of accreditation and institutional evaluation for the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Soon after, he was elected to serve his religious order in Rome.

He has a bachelor of arts in Spanish from the University of Arizona in Tucson, a Masters degree in Public Administration from California State University in Sacramento, a master of divinity in Pastoral Theology from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkley, CA, and a doctorate in Liturgical Studies from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

He is originally from Bisbee, AZ, and professed his first vows with the Salvatorians in 1982; Fr. Gómez was ordained to the priesthood in 1987. A well-published author, Fr. Gómez has written five books and has contributed to ten others. He has also published dozens of articles and book reviews. Fr. Gómez will be the first native-born Hispanic president-rector of a major seminary in the United States.