The Rev. Guillermo (Memo) Campuzano, C. M. will serve as the vice president for Mission and Ministry, effective March 1, 2020. A DePaul alumnus, Fr. Memo previously held multiple positions at the university, including director of the Office of Religious Diversity, university chaplain in Catholic Campus Ministry, as well as adjunct professor. (DePaul University/Jeff Carrion)
DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D., announced today, Dec. 12, the Rev. Guillermo (Memo) Campuzano, C. M. will serve as the vice president for Mission and Ministry. His appointment is effective March 1, 2020.
A DePaul alumnus, Fr. Memo returns to his alma mater from an assignment at the United Nations, where he currently serves as a representative for the Congregation of the Mission. He previously held multiple positions at DePaul, including director of the Office of Religious Diversity, university chaplain in Catholic Campus Ministry, as well as adjunct professor in the departments of Religious Studies, Catholic Studies, Modern Languages and the School for Public Service.
“Our Catholic, Vincentian and urban mission has always been and will always be at the heart of everything we do at DePaul,” Dr. Esteban says. “As a Vincentian priest, teacher and scholar, and through his lived experience, Fr. Memo has made the mission central to his life. His theological knowledge combined with his passion for DePaul will enable and inspire the university community to continue to put our mission and values into practice.”
During his eight years at DePaul, Fr. Memo also helped design and implement an interfaith framework for service and learning called Vincentians in Action, a program that engages more than 2,000 DePaul students each year.
In his current role at the United Nations, Fr. Memo directs global advocacy on behalf of the Vincentian mission. He is the creator and coordinator for the Vincentian International Network for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation. He also has served as chair of the United Nations’ Working Group to End Homelessness since 2017.
“For me, as a man of faith, my journey has never been by accident,” Fr. Memo says. “As Vincent would say, ‘this is the work of Providence.’ I love DePaul University very much and as a vowed man, I desire to commit my life fully through my passion, my energy and my time, to advance the university’s mission, in the service of the students, faculty and staff.”
Born and raised in Colombia, Fr. Memo was ordained as a Catholic Vincentian priest in 1993. Last year, he was among the 30 global experts invited to Rome by the Dicastery of Consecrated Life in the Vatican to discuss religious life.
“As Provincial Superior of the Western Province, I am very pleased to confirm the appointment of Fr. Memo as the new vice president for Mission and Ministry at DePaul,” the Rev. Ray Van Dorpe, C.M., says. “Fr. Memo returns to DePaul after having represented the Congregation of the Mission at the United Nations. His devotion to the mission of DePaul is quite evident to those who know him, and I believe his vast experience will bring an international perspective to the Department of Mission and Ministry. Speaking for all the Vincentians of the Western Province, I am confident that Fr. Memo will continue the work of instilling the Vincentian charism into every corner of DePaul University.”