The Rev. James J. Maher, C.M., president of Niagara University, returned Friday from Vatican City after joining a select delegation of North American Catholic higher education leaders for a weeklong seminar that culminated in a private audience with Pope Leo XIV.
The 2026 Rome Seminar, held June 1-5, was organized by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) in partnership with the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas. The biennial program acts as an intellectual and spiritual incubator, connecting university executives with the global leadership of the Catholic Church to reinforce the mission of faith-based higher education.
The centerpiece of the seminar took place Wednesday, June 3, when Father Maher and his peers met with Pope Leo XIV in a room adjacent to the Paul VI Audience Hall. Speaking to the U.S. and Canadian educators on a rainy morning in Rome, the pope praised their dedication but issued a sharp challenge regarding the current state of modern university life, specifically targeting the fragmentation of knowledge and the rise of new technologies.
The pope cautioned that while universities excel at creating specialized experts, many students “struggle to find direction in their lives, partly due to an inability to connect information with deeper knowledge or maintain a sense of purpose.” He urged university presidents to cultivate a “living environment” where disciplines intersect with the search for truth and human dignity.
Pope Leo XIV also addressed the practical disruption of artificial intelligence in the classroom. He noted that the proliferation of AI tools makes evaluating student work increasingly difficult, demanding that educators adapt creatively.
“It is crucial that young men and women learn to engage positively with new technologies,” the pope said, “while at the same time truly developing their God-given skills and capacities to reason, to think critically and commit knowledge to memory.”
As part of the visit, the ACCU delegation presented the pontiff with a symbolic papal gift: a framed pledge titled “A Gift of Service,” representing 5,000 hours of community service to be performed by students across the member institutions.
Throughout the five-day seminar, university leaders stayed at the Residenza San Paolo VI, located directly on St. Peter’s Square. The dense itinerary featured high-level briefings with representatives from various Vatican dicasteries – the administrative departments of the Holy See – as well as interactions with scholars at Rome’s historic pontifical universities. Discussions focused heavily on Catholic social thought, sustainability, global migration, and synodality.
For Niagara University, a Vincentian institution founded in 1856, the program will assist the university in growing its Catholic identity and Vincentian mission, as the seminar’s core themes directly mirror its campus values. Father Maher’s participation alongside other prominent leaders underscores a collective effort among U.S. institutions to navigate modern technological challenges while preserving core spiritual values.
Father Maher, who has served as Niagara University’s 26th president since 2013, will bring the insights gained from the Vatican and the ACCU back to the Western New York campus as the university continues to implement its long-term strategic goals. He previously served as a national media correspondent during Pope Francis’ visit to the United States in the fall of 2015, appearing on “The Tavis Smiley Show,” which airs on PBS, Telecare TV, a 24-hour Catholic news network, and several ABC, CBS, and NBC affiliates.
