It is with great joy and excitement that the Province announces Fr. Jeremy Hiers, O.S.A as the new Director of the Office of Peace and Justice.  

Fr. Jeremy currently serves as the Director of Evangelization and Discipleship at National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia. In his new role, he will lead and oversee the areas of social justice, evangelization and the strategic coordination of current Province ministries such as the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (A.D.R.O.P.), the National Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, the Cascia Center, and other new Province initiatives.

Fr. Jeremy Hiers was born in Cincinnati, OH. He completed his undergraduate studies in Computer Information Systems and Mathematics at Thomas More College in 2003. He earned a Masters Degree in Management of Information Technology from the University of Virginia in 2007. Prior to becoming an Augustinian he worked for the Army as a program manager for 13 years in Washington D.C., where he oversaw the acquisition and implementation of various IT systems.

While he was raised Lutheran, he entered the Roman Catholic Church in 2010 during his time with the Army. Over the course of his career he discerned a call to religious life and entered the Augustinians in 2015. He completed his seminary studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 2021.

We are grateful to Fr. Jeremy for assuming this servant leadership role for our Province! Please join us in prayer for him as he takes on this important new role.

As Fr. Jack Deegan, O.S.A. steps down from his role as director of the Office of Justice and Peace, we express our gratitude for his years of service. Under his leadership, he designed programs for the community that promote justice for all based on a respect for the dignity and sanctity of human life.

In 2003, Fr. Jack founded the Augustinian Defenders of the Rights of the Poor (A.D.R.O.P.) where he stepped into action to develop programs that responded to the needs of a low-income, immigrant population in South Philadelphia.

Fr. Jack comments, "The face of poverty is diverse, and it is of the utmost importance never to stigmatize and always to recognize the dignity of everyone and the beauty of every creation of God.”

God bless you, Fr. Jack. The Fr. John E. Deegan Fund for Justice & Peace will always serve as a reminder of your commitment to promote social justice.