Father Dennis Cleary, M.M., served as missionary in Venezuela and China,. He is appointed Director of The Christophers, a New York-based media organization. Father Cleary, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., assumes the office March 1, 2009. The Christophers was founded by Father James Keller MM in 1945.
Father Cleary is a long term admirer of The Christophers' motto: 'It's better to light one candle than to curse the darkness,'" Father Cleary, ordained for Maryknoll in 1977 by the late Bishop James E. Walsh, M.M., was a missionary in Venezuela from 1976 to 1993. Living among the poor in barrios in the area of Barinas, he showed an early interest in communications projects. He created a popular program called Channel Zero, which included training, filming, editing and disseminating news among three barrios. He also launched a production studio in Caracas that prepared documentaries and barrio forums aimed at motivating faith-based Christian communities as well as resolving problems within them. For three years, beginning in 1990, he was Maryknoll's regional superior in Venezuela.
In 1997 he was elected Maryknoll's U.S. Regional Superior, assigning and supporting men to mission ministries in the United States, and served on the Maryknoll Senior Management Team. He also represented Maryknoll in U.S. Church organizations, including the Conference of Religious Superiors of Men and the U.S. Catholic Bishops Mission Committee, which he chaired.
He taught English and Spanish at a university in Shenyang, China, from 2004 to 2006. During that period, he also led a reflection group for members of the local Church in Shenyang, prepared language and cultural orientation programs for new teachers and counseled university students.
Father Cleary returned to the U.S. in 2006 as Maryknoll's Director of Mission Education and Promotion, continuing in that post until his appointment by The Christophers. He restructured the department and developed stronger connections with Maryknoll sponsors and partners, taking part personally in visits and other pastoral activities involving Maryknoll contributors.
Father Cleary received a B.A. degree from St. John Vianney Seminary, and holds both M.Div. and M.A. degrees from the Maryknoll School of Theology. He has also studied at the University of Notre Dame, the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Cal.; Gonzaga University and Canisius College.
Father Cleary will be the sixth priest to serve as director of The Christophers, which uses the media to promote the message that everyone can make a positive difference in the world. Among its activities are Christopher News Notes, newsletters on timely topics that appear 10 times a year and have a circulation of 1,122,300;"Christopher Closeup" interviews, which are broadcast on The Catholic Channel on satellite radio and 50 other stations; the popular "Three Minutes a Day" series and other Christopher books; the Christopher Leadership Course and its companion Leadership Course for Teens; a Web site ( www.christophers.org ) with interactive features including daily prayers, reading selections and video and podcasts, and the prestigious Christopher Awards, which are presented annually to creators of outstanding work in film, television and books. The 60th Christopher Awards will be presented at a gala in New York on April 16
