Rev. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., director of campus ministry at the University of Notre Dame, has been named the inaugural assistant vice president for campus ministry. Three current Office of Campus Ministry assistant directors have also been promoted to director positions. 

As assistant vice president, Father McCormick will lead the University’s faith formation, spiritual life and liturgical offerings of undergraduate, graduate and professional students within the Division of Student Affairs. Additionally, he will continue to oversee the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, provide pastoral support to all faculty and staff and guide the mission of the Office of Campus Ministry in collaboration with the division strategic plan. 

Father McCormick has served as the director of Campus Ministry since 2015. Prior to this role, he was an associate director in Campus Ministry and the rector of Keough Hall. He was ordained a Holy Cross priest in 2007, and earned both his master’s degree in divinity and his EMBA from Notre Dame. He also serves as the chaplain for the Notre Dame men’s basketball team. 

“Father Pete has clearly and consistently demonstrated his leadership and presence on our campus and, as we prepare to implement our next strategic plan, I am grateful for the many ways Father Pete and our Campus Ministry team have and will continue to contribute to discussions around the role of faith in our students’ lives,” said Rev. Gerard Olinger, C.S.C., vice president for student affairs.

Also in campus ministry, Tami Schmitz, Kate Barrett, and Mike Buckler will transition to director roles in the areas of pastoral care, liturgy and student ministry, respectively. 

Tami Schmitz has been appointed director of pastoral care. In this role, Schmitz is responsible for guiding student faith formation through long-term strategic planning as well as direct work with students, colleagues and the Congregation of Holy Cross. More specifically, she will lead and coordinate all programming and staffing related to spiritual direction, grief ministry, vocational discernment and faculty and staff chaplaincy.

For 25 years, Schmitz has served as a dedicated member in a variety of campus ministry roles, most recently as the assistant director for pastoral care. In addition to her responsibilities in campus ministry, Schmitz also serves as an adjunct faculty member for the ACE Remick Leadership Program and as a Moreau First Year Experience instructor. In 2021, she was honored by the Division of Student Affairs with the Rev. John Francis “Pop” Farley, C.S.C., Award for her demonstrated service to student life at Notre Dame. She holds a master’s degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from St. Norbert College.

Kate Barrett, who has also served in campus ministry for more than two decades, has been appointed as the director of liturgy. In this role she is charged with leading the liturgical life of the campus community, including all sacramental and liturgical opportunities in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and the 32 on-campus residence halls. She is also responsible for advising, training, and preparing students, faculty, and staff for Masses, prayer services and other opportunities for spiritual expression and worship at the University.

Barrett, who earned her bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and her master’s degree in divinity from Notre Dame, points to her time in the Notre Dame Liturgical Choir as an undergraduate student, her two years with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and her experiences on campus as a resident assistant, assistant rector and rector as very formative to her faith and desire to serve in ministry. 

In addition to Schmitz and Barrett, Mike Buckler has been appointed as director of student ministry after serving as an assistant director. As a director, Buckler oversees all ministerial outreach and engagement related to faith formation. This includes retreats, pilgrimages, service-related and social justice programs and events, and multicultural and ecumenical ministry. 

Prior to coming to Notre Dame in 2021, Buckler worked in youth and young adult ministry in Florida for nearly 15 years. He holds a master’s degree in divinity from Notre Dame and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Florida.