Catholic Charismatic Renewal Leader Scanlan Retires

Known for bringing the Charismatic Renewal to a Catholic university campus, Father Michael Scanlan, TOR, retired on June 30.

The 80-year-old served for nearly 12 years as the Franciscan University chancellor after leading the school as president for 26 years.

Scanlan founded Catholic summer conference programs for adults and teens in 1975 with a national Catholic charismatic conference for priests and deacons. Today, Franciscan’s summer conferences reach over 40,000 people annually with the good news of authentic Catholic renewal and the New Evangelization.

“The Lord has given me countless blessings through my years of service at Franciscan University,” Scanlan said. “It has been a remarkable privilege and deep joy to work with so many committed Christian faculty, staff, administrators and donors in the vitally important ministry of Catholic higher education.”

Father Terence Henry, TOR, president of Franciscan University, says the university is deeply grateful to Scanlan for all he has done for the renewal of Franciscan University, the renewal of Catholic higher education, and the renewal of the worldwide Church.

“Father Mike heeded those same words that were spoken to St. Francis of Assisi over 800 years ago, ‘Go and rebuild my church,’” Henry says. “And he did so by transforming Franciscan University into an internationally recognized Catholic university.”

Steubenville Bishop R. Daniel Conlon says it’s hard to imagine the university without Scanlan, who made an indelible mark on the institution. Conlon called him a champion of civil rights and the common good in the larger community.

“As the bishop of the local diocese, I am also aware of and grateful for the pastoral care Father Michael has offered many people over the years, especially those involved in the charismatic renewal,” Conlon says. “I invite all the people of the Diocese of Steubenville to give thanks to God for this faithful servant and to ask blessings upon him.”

Scanlan has retired to the Third Order Regular Sacred Heart Province’s motherhouse in Loretto, Pa., where he will continue a ministry of prayer and pastoral work .

“Father Mike brought the Charismatic Renewal to the then dying campus of the College of Steubenville, and through his dreams, preaching, and sacrifice, the Holy Spirit breathed new life into the school,” says Micah J. Wright, a student at Franciscan University.

“I think it is safe to say that tens of thousands of marriages, and thousands of priestly and religious vocations have come out of FUS, and has set the church afire with Holy Ghost power! Franciscan University of Steubenville has made a giant contribution to the Charismatic world, Protestant and Catholic alike, that we will never able to measure until we are with Him.”