Rev. William M. Lies, C.S.C., has been elected provincial superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers.
Lies was elected to a six-year term by his peers during the Provincial Chapter in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, on Thursday, June 14, 2018. He succeeds Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., who served for one term. As provincial superior, Lies will oversee the work and welfare of more than 500 priests, brothers, and seminarians in the US Province, which also includes apostolates such as Ave Maria Press, and missions in East Africa, Chile, Peru, and Mexico.
His election was confirmed by the superior general of the Congregation in Rome, Rev. Robert Epping, C.S.C.
A native of Little Falls, Minnesota, Lies was born on July 4, 1962, and is one of ten children. He has a twin brother, Jim, who is also a Holy Cross priest. Lies earned his bachelor’s degree in English with minors in French and Philosophy from Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. He entered the Congregation of Holy Cross on Aug.15, 1988, professed First Vows on Aug. 12, 1989, received his master's of divinity degree from the University of Notre Dame and took Final Vows on Aug. 28, 1993. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 9, 1994.
Lies earned his doctorate in Latin American politics from the University of Pittsburgh. His research and teaching have focused on human rights, religion, and politics in Latin America, and the politics of poverty. He has given talks and lectures throughout the country, and serves on a number of related domestic and international boards. In 2013, Lies received Catholic Charities USA’s “Keep the Dream Alive” award that honors Martin Luther King Jr.
Prior to his election as provincial superior, Lies served as vice president for mission engagement and church affairs at Notre Dame. In that role, he acted as liaison for Notre Dame to the Congregation of Holy Cross, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and the Holy See. Lies also oversaw the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem.
He previously served as executive director of ND's Center for Social Concerns and taught in the Department of Political Science. Lies is a fellow of both the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies and the Kellogg Institute for International Studies.
