Rev. Faustino Cruz, S.M. is a member of the faculty at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry (STM). He was born and raised in Manila, the Philippines and migrated to the United States in 1982 to join the Society of Mary (Marists), the religious community of which the fourth bishop of Seattle, Bishop Gerald Shaughnessy, was a member.

For over 25 years, Cruz ministered with migrants and refugees at parish, diocesan, and national levels as catechetical consultant, educator, community organizer, and pastor in the United States, Latin America, and the Philippines. In 2000, before completing a Ph.D. in Theology and Education at Boston College, he joined the faculty of the Franciscan School of Theology (FST) in Berkeley, California. Prior to joining STM’s faculty, Cruz taught in the area of Practical Theology and Education, while concurrently serving as Executive Vice President and Academic Dean of FST.

His interdisciplinary research is in the area of religion, education, and immigration. He teaches courses in intercultural leadership, educational ministry, and Filipino American/Asian theologies and assists students in integrating their academic, ministerial, and spiritual formation. He also brings expertise for the school’s strategic plan, particularly in the areas of curriculum development, global engagement, and recruitment of Latino/a and Asian students.

Recent articles:
―Locating Multiple Identities and Belonging in Relatedness: Toward Intercultural Leadership.∥ In C(H)AOS Theory: Reflections of Chief Academic Officers in Theological Education, eds. Bruce Birch and Kathleen Billman. Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada (Grand Rapids, MI/ Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans Publishing House, 2011).

―Religion, Ethnicity, and Immigration in the United States: Engaging Critically with the U.S. Catholic Church’s Pastoral Response. Journal of Sophia Asian Studies 26. Institute of Asian Cultures. Sophia University--Tokyo, Japan (2008)