Reverend John P. Cush, S.T.D.

Rev. John P. Cush is a priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn. A native of Windsor Terrace and Park Slope, Brooklyn, he studied at Cathedral Preparatory Seminary in Elmhurst, New York for high school, graduating in 1990 and then attended Saint John’s University, Jamaica, New York, earning a B.A. in English and Philosophy in 1994 while having priestly formation at Cathedral Seminary Residence of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York. Fr. Cush was then assigned to major seminary studies at the Pontifical North American College, Rome, Italy. There, he earned the S.T.B. (1997) and the S.T.L. (1999) in fundamental theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy.

Fr. Cush was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas V. Daily in 1998 and was assigned as parochial vicar of Good Shepherd, Marine Park (summer 1998) and to Saint Helen, Howard Beach (1999-2004). From 2004-2012, Fr. Cush was assigned as a full-time teacher at Cathedral Preparatory Seminary, Elmhurst, where he taught Italian, English, Fine Arts, and Religion and was the spiritual director. During these years, he also taught at the Brooklyn Diocesan Diaconate Formation Program, the Diocesan Pastoral Institute for Lay Formation, the Diocesan Liturgical Ministry Training Workshops, the Diocesan Pre-Cana Program, and as an adjunct professor for pre-theology at the Cathedral Seminary House of Formation, Douglaston, New York. Fr. Cush also was a part of the Brooklyn Diocesan Ecumenical Commission and served as a censor of books.

In 2012, Fr. Cush was assigned to doctoral studies in dogmatic and fundamental theology by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio. After a year of classes (2012-2013) in dogmatic theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (The Angelicum) , Fr. Cush completed his Doctorate in Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) in the field of fundamental theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University. In 2015, he was asked to join the faculty of the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy, first as assistant vice-rector, and then, in 2016, as academic dean. In his time at the College in Rome, Fr. Cush has been a formation advisor in the external forum for many seminarians. He has been an adjunct associate professor of Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; an adjunct associate professor of Church History and Social Communications at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, Rome; and as an adjunct professor of Theology at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 2016, Fr. Cush had the opportunity to study for certification as a seminary spiritual director at the Institute for Priestly Formation, located at Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.

Fr. Cush is the author of The How-to-Book of Catholic Theology (Our Sunday Visitor, 2020) and has contributed a chapter, based off his doctoral dissertation to Intellect, Affect, and God (Marquette University Press, 2021). He is also the co-author, with Msgr. Walter Oxley of the text, Theology as Prayer: A Primer for Diocesan Priests (Institute for Priestly Formation Publications, 2022), and is the author of another forthcoming text for Word on Fire Press on Priestly Formation and Priestly Spirituality.

He has two books on priestly formation forthcoming from Word on Fire Press and Institute of Priestly Formation Press. He is a regular contributor to The Tablet (Diocese of Brooklyn), The Evangelist (Diocese of Albany), National Catholic Register, and Church Life Journal from the University of Notre Dame. Fr. Cush also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the well known journal from Ignatius Press, Homiletics and Pastoral Review.

Fr. Cush feels very blessed to join the faculty of Saint Joseph’s Seminary in Dunwoodie as a full-time professor of dogmatic theology, teaching classes in fundamental theology, sacramental theology, Trinity, and Christology, as well as serving as a faculty advisor in the external forum this academic year and is grateful to Cardinal Dolan, Bishop Brennan, and Bishop Massa to continue to serve in theological education and priestly formation.