Father James M. Shea, S.J., has been named as the next provincial of the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus.
Currently Father Shea is the pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Georgetown in Washington, D.C. His appointment takes effect July 31 and will last for six years.
The 61-year-old was ordained a priest in 1975. Father Shea, who holds a doctorate in pastoral care and counseling from the Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, has also served as the director of medical center ministry at Georgetown University Medical Center.