Mr. Eric Tamney is the newest member of the Archbishop Carroll Theology department and the first-ever lay campus minister in the history of the school.
Mr. Tamney, a former seminarian, joined the Carroll family this summer following the departure of Fr. Mark Cavara, who was given a new assignment at West Chester university by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Mr. Tamney worked at Monsignor Bonner-Archbishop Prendergast last year.
This decision left Carroll without an active presiding priest for the first time in the school´s 56-year history. Mr. Tamney, however, said he hopes to instill the same love and faith for the Lord that a priest would.
¨My first goal is to help young people understand how much they are truly loved,” said Mr. Tamney. My second is to help young people to not look for acceptance in social media which I believe is a hollow form of affirmation.¨
Mr. Tamney, an Exton native and graduate of Bishop Shanahan High School, entered the seminary following high school but left before taking his final steps toward priesthood.
¨I felt that I had more growing to do,¨ Mr. Tamney said. ¨Ï felt had to do a bit more personal growth before I took that final step to be ordained. But I am still very open to the idea that God could still be calling me to be a priest.¨
Mr. Tamney took over the Faith In Action curriculum, formally taught by Fr. Cavara. He teaches two classes of juniors and seniors. Those in his classes have come to have a familiarity with one of Carroll´s newest faces.
¨Mr. Tamney is very charismatic,” junior Anya Devlin said. “I always enjoy his class.”
Another junior also had kind words to say about the new campus minister.
“I felt like he welcomed us to his class with open arms,” Kate O’Neil said. “He is a great teacher.¨
Mr. Tamney acknowledged some students may have had qualms about him joining the staff following Fr. Cavara´s departure.
¨Ï understand very well the reality of having your priest reassigned,” said Mr. Tamney. ¨I’m not Fr. Cavara. I would just hope that you know that I want what’s best for you, and help you to thrive and succeed. I want to get to know you. I want to do my best to help you to get to know God during your time here, and I hope that you can come to trust that I have your best interest at heart. I hope we can get to know each other and really walk this journey of faith together.¨
