Married Roman Catholic Priest appointed to lead St. Mary’s University

Rev. Fr. Øystein Lund, a married Catholic priest of the Diocese of Oslo in Norway, has been appointed Vice-Chancellor of St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, London.

Fr. Lund brings to the role a distinctive background in both theology and higher education. A former Lutheran priest and theologian in the Church of Norway, he was received into the Catholic Church in 2009. Under the provisions permitting the ordination of married former Protestant clergy, he was subsequently ordained a deacon in 2013 and a priest in 2014 for the Diocese of Oslo.

His journey from the Lutheran tradition into full communion with the Catholic Church has been accompanied by a longstanding interest in theology, education, and the relationship between faith and academic scholarship. His appointment therefore comes at an important time for St. Mary’s as the university continues to develop its academic and professional offering while maintaining its Catholic identity.

Speaking about his appointment, Fr. Lund said that he was “honoured” to have been appointed Vice-Chancellor of the university.

“What draws me most to St. Mary’s,” he continued, “is its ability to combine academic excellence with a genuine commitment to human flourishing, rooted in the Church’s long tradition of learning, scholarship and inquiry.”

His comments reflect St. Mary’s distinctive mission as a Catholic university, where academic study and professional formation are pursued alongside a broader vision of the human person and the common good.

Founded in 1850, St. Mary’s University in Twickenham, is one of England’s Catholic universities and has a long history of providing higher education within the Catholic intellectual tradition. The university is currently preparing to open a new School of Medicine, with its first intake of students expected later this year.

Fr. Lund’s appointment comes as St. Mary’s enters this new phase of development, bringing together its longstanding Catholic educational mission with an expanding range of academic disciplines and professional programmes.