Rev. Patrick J. McDevitt, CM, Ph.D. Named President & CEO of Saint Luke Institute
Posted on: July 14, 2025
The Board of Directors of Saint Luke Institute (SLI), an independent, international Catholic mental health treatment and education center for priests, deacons, religious women and men, and other ministers, announces the appointment of Rev. Patrick J. McDevitt, CM, Ph.D., as the organization’s new President & CEO. He comes to SLI having served as a parish priest, pastoral counselor, seminary educator and formator, university professor, as well as in international missions and provincial administration. Most recently, he served as the Chancellor and Director of Mission of the Diocese of Belleville, Illinois.
Fr. McDevitt succeeds Rev. Quinn Conners, O.Carm., Ph.D., who served as Interim President & CEO during the search that selected Fr. McDevitt. The new President will begin his term on August 4, 2025. Fr. Conners will be continuing his clinical work with SLI.
“The entire Board quickly recognized in Fr. McDevitt’s background and capabilities the qualities of a leader which will strengthen SLI now and in the future,” said Christine Gill, Esq., President of the Board of Directors of SLI. “As we near our fiftieth anniversary, we are both overjoyed and excited that Fr. McDevitt is joining the SLI team, where his excellent leadership skills will be of great service to our ongoing mission of mental health and spiritual care for clergy and religious. As we happily welcome him we also express our deep gratitude to Fr. Conners for his dedicated work serving as Interim President.”
“I am overjoyed to join Saint Luke Institute as its new President,” Fr. McDevitt said. “Saint Vincent DePaul, the founder of my community, called his members to dedicate their lives to the formation and care of the clergy, religious, and laity in ministry. The mission and work of SLI beautifully aligns with that of St. Vincent DePaul, and my life’s work.”
Fr. McDevitt was born and raised in Chicago and was ordained to the priesthood in 1986. He holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University in Baltimore, Maryland. He received his M.Div. from St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, Colorado, and his BA from St. Mary’s College Seminary in Perryville, Missouri.
He is a Professor Emeritus of DePaul University, a Vincentian-sponsored school in Chicago, and the largest Catholic university in the United States. Fr. McDevitt taught psychological assessment, psychopathology, and counseling theory, and he supervised practicums and internships. His research interests include the psychology and spirituality of professional ministers and human service professionals, exploring effective methods in clinical practice, and clinical work related to personality disorders. He has written on education, leadership development, the psychosocial influences on ministry and education, and on aspects of community mental health. Throughout his professional career, Fr. McDevitt has maintained a small private practice of counseling and spiritual direction for clergy, religious, and laity.
Fr. McDevitt served as President of All Hallows College, Dublin, Ireland, from 2011-2016. In 2019, he was appointed the Rector and Superior of the Vincentian Seminary – DePaul Centre – in Nairobi, Kenya. He was elected and served as the Provincial Superior of the Congregation of the Mission (the ecclesiastical name of the Vincentians), Western Province, from 2020-2024. The Vincentians in the Western Province serve parishes, conduct parish missions, operate assistance programs for the poor, and serve a range of ministries from hospital chaplaincy to seminarian formation in the spirit of St. Vincent DePaul, who founded the Congregation in 1625. The Vincentians have had a presence in the United States since 1816.
In addition to the extensive service noted above, Fr. McDevitt has served in community and civic leadership through his work on boards and membership in various professional associations.
As he takes up his work as President, Fr. McDevitt highlighted recent remarks by Pope Leo XIV to the priests of Rome saying that they “are all precious in the eyes of God,” and assuring them of his closeness, affection and willingness to walk with them. “Similarly, I hope that everyone – clergy, religious, or lay – who comes to SLI will know that awareness of God’s precious love, especially through the excellent care provided by our clinicians, spiritual integrators and staff,” McDevitt said. “Walking together with the SLI community, I look forward to supporting our mission of love, healing, and care.”
Saint Luke Institute is an independent, international Catholic mental health treatment center dedicated to healthy life and ministry for priests, deacons, religious and all church ministers and leaders. The mission of SLI is to bring the healing ministry of Christ through integrated psychological and spiritual treatment and education for those they serve. SLI provides clinical evaluations to identify and recommend mental health treatment, and affordable day treatment or traditional individual or group outpatient care. SLI also offers in-person and online ongoing education and psychological and spiritual wellness programs to clergy, religious, and laity, and provides candidate assessments for those preparing for seminary, diaconate or religious life.
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