October 06, 2021
Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard ’78, ’82G inaugurated as president, praised for leadership during pandemic
By Vicki-Ann Downing ’21G
Fifteen months after he took office, Rev. Kenneth R. Sicard, O.P. ’78, ’82G was formally inaugurated as the 13th president of Providence College during an investiture ceremony in Peterson Recreation Center on Friday, Oct. 1, 2021.
Father Sicard’s inauguration was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, which began three months before he became president on July 1, 2020. At the investiture, speakers repeatedly spoke of his success in navigating the challenges, which included his decision to reopen campus for in-person classes in August 2020 and to provide extensive testing for students, faculty, and staff.
“Crises come and leaders lead,” said R.I. Gov. Daniel J. McKee. “Despite the challenges from this once-in-a-century pandemic, Father Sicard navigated with grace. He led PC through COVID-19 while continuing to move the college towards its goal of providing the best educational experience for every single student. On behalf of the entire state of Rhode Island, we thank him for all he’s done through the COVID-19 pandemic and his continued leadership.”
Father Sicard said that on the morning he took office, July 1, 2020, while at Mass with his fellow Dominican priests, he asked God for the grace to lead with wisdom, strength, and humility.
“Our Catholic and Dominican mission and identity define who we are and how we approach the sacred work we do here — that work of helping our students to flourish and to live meaningful personal, professional, and spiritual lives,” Father Sicard said.
A native of Fall River, Mass., and a first-generation college student, Father Sicard studied accountancy as an undergraduate, earned an MBA, and worked in banking before becoming a Dominican priest. He holds a Ph.D. from The Ohio State University. In 1996, he returned to Providence College to work in residence life. He became executive vice president and treasurer when Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 was named president in 2005.
Father Sicard pledged “in even more robust ways” to continue to present the college as “unapologetically Catholic.”
“Our goal is not to be a fortress for the devout, but a place of joyful welcome to every one of our students, faculty, and staff, who, through their experience of our community, will come to know Truth and to know the tender love of God,” Father Sicard said.
He reiterated his support for building what Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called “the beloved community.”
“Particularly as demographics change, we must be prepared to welcome an increasingly diverse population of students, faculty, and staff,” Father Sicard said. “As members of a Catholic and Dominican college, we should not rest until every member of our community feels the love and dignity to which we are all entitled as people created in the image and likeness of God.”
Father Sicard also pledged his commitment to the liberal arts and his excitement about possible new academic programs to complement existing offerings, especially in the health sciences. The Office of Admission reports that the college loses out on students each year who wish to major in nursing, for example, he said.
“Programs in the health sciences would allow us to leverage existing academic programs and faculty expertise, would provide numerous new opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, and would allow us to capitalize further on our outstanding science programs,” Father Sicard said.
During the investiture ceremony, Father Sicard was formally presented with the symbols of the office of president.
Very Rev. Kenneth Letoile, O.P. ’70, prior provincial of the Dominican Province of St. Joseph, presented the Great Seal, which is affixed to all official documents issued by the college, and the Medallion, the traditional symbol of the office of president. Christopher Reilly ’84, chair of the Board of Trustees, presented the College Charter, issued by the R.I. General Assembly on Feb. 14, 1917.
Dr. Kelli J. Armstrong, president of Salve Regina University, brought congratulations to Father Sicard from the 13 colleges and universities in Rhode Island.
“You began your presidency at one of the most challenging times in higher education history, in the midst of a global pandemic,” Armstrong said. “As your colleagues, we witnessed your superb leadership as you shepherded Providence College with grace through many difficult decisions during these last 18 months.
“Your fellow Rhode Island presidents know you to be a smart, generous, strategic, and humble colleague. Ken, we are grateful to call you our cherished friend. We will be here to sustain you every step of the way and wish you and Providence College brilliant success in the coming years.”
Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza praised the transformation of Huxley Avenue from a city street to a pedestrian walkway and said he hoped the relationship between the college and the city would remain strong.
Dr. Robert Barry, president of the Faculty Senate and associate professor of theology, said Father Sicard possesses the enthusiasm and love for the college that is distinctive among its alumni, the institutional knowledge necessary to discern what needs improvement, and, as a Dominican priest, brings “the commitment to the harmony of faith and reason to your judgment about the fundamental nature and direction of our college.”
“Our work with you has already begun under the very challenging circumstances that COVID has forced upon us,” Barry said. “So far we have found you to be a great and generous collaborator in our work together.”
Matthew Lussier ’22 (Ludlow, Mass.), president of Student Congress, said he interviewed Father Sicard to get to know him better before the inauguration.
“Not only is Father Sicard an extraordinary leader, but he remains humble and dedicated to his ministry and mission to make Providence College a better place,” Lussier said. “His humility is truly refreshing, and when combined with the fact that he is an intent listener, it reaffirmed my belief that Father Sicard will be a powerful advocate for our students as president of our college.”
Stephenie Thompson O’Brien ’84, president of the National Alumni Association, brought greetings from the college’s 57,000 alumni.
“Father Sicard, your leadership and your vision these past 17 months have shown the PC community that with you at the helm, we can weather the toughest of times and come out stronger than ever before,” O’Brien said. “As you begin the second year of your presidency, know that the alumni community is championing your success, excited to see your vision realized, and proud to witness PC’s momentum.”
Ann Manchester-Molak ’75, the college’s executive vice president, who has known Father Sicard for more than 30 years, called him “a mentor to me and a real cherished friend.”
“He is a kind and merciful priest, and, as we have seen in sharp relief over the past 15 months, a true leader,” Manchester-Molak said.
The Most Rev. Robert C. Evans, auxiliary bishop of Providence, offered the invocation., while Rev. James Cuddy, O.P. ’98, vice president for mission and ministry, gave the benediction. Daniel Strother ’22 (Providence, R.I.) sang the National Anthem and the Providence College Alma Mater. Symphonic Winds, the student ensemble, performed during the ceremony.
A reception on the Slavin Center lawn followed the inauguration. In the evening, at a dinner under a tri-span tent, students in Friar Choirs performed with singer Darlene Love ’15Hon. Father Shanley was presented the Veritas Medal, the college’s highest honor. A new residence hall to be constructed near Glay Field will be named for him.
Father Sicard began his inauguration day by celebrating Mass in St. Dominic Chapel. The homilist was Rev. Joseph Guido, O.P., former vice president for mission and ministry, who talked about Father Sicard’s commitment to building the beloved community.
Father Guido said that Rev. Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., who at the time was master of the order for Dominicans worldwide, spoke at Yale University in 1996. Father Radcliffe said the purpose of a university was not only to search for truth, “but to learn how to talk to strangers.”
“It is in listening to the stranger that we learn their native language, come to understand the truth of their person and experience, and cross what Pierre Claverie called ‘the abyss of sin that divides us,’” Father Guido said. “The beloved community does not require mere tolerance — such a weak virtue and aspiration. It rather requires a deep knowledge of one another. Not easy compromise or political concession, but the probing of deeply held beliefs, some of which are hard to acknowledge, and some of which are divergent in aim. It is long, hard work. But it is the work of the Holy Spirit. And it is the work that Father Sicard has committed us to.”
watch the livestream father sicard’s inaugural address
