, president emeritus of the University of Notre Dame, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of Commonweal鈥檚 Centennial Award.
Commonweal, the oldest independent, lay-led, Catholic journal of opinion in the United States, created the award in 2024 in recognition of the journal鈥檚 100th anniversary. Father Jenkins will be presented with the award, which is given biennially, at the Commonweal Benefit Dinner on Oct. 5 in New York City.
Father Jenkins was named the 17th president of Notre Dame in 2005 and stepped down as president in 2024 after serving four terms. Under his leadership, the University continued to pursue academic excellence with a renewed emphasis on its mission of educating the whole person 鈥� mind, body and spirit 鈥� to be a force for good in the world.
In announcing the award, Commonweal noted that Father Jenkins 鈥渄emonstrated an unwavering commitment to higher education, civil discourse and ethical considerations of the most pressing issues of the day,鈥� while working to enhance Notre Dame鈥檚 influence within higher education, the Church, the United States and the world at large.
鈥淲e are proud to honor Father Jenkins with our Centennial Award,鈥� said Ellen B. Koneck, executive director of Commonweal. 鈥淣ot only is he a valued friend of the magazine, he is a towering figure in American Catholicism today. His work and scholarship, so clearly animated by his vibrant faith, align with Commonweal鈥檚 century-old mission of promoting rigorous and reflective discussions about religion, politics and the arts, centered on belief in the common good.鈥�
Ordained a priest of the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1983, Father Jenkins earned his bachelor鈥檚 degree and master鈥檚 degree in philosophy at Notre Dame. He earned his master of divinity degree and licentiate in sacred theology at the Jesuit 91视频 of Theology at Berkeley and his doctoral degree in philosophy at Oxford University. He joined the philosophy faculty at Notre Dame in 1990.
鈥淚n Father John Jenkins, the roles of distinguished philosopher and accomplished University president cannot be separated,鈥� said John T. McGreevy, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost at Notre Dame. 鈥淗is confidence that the resources provided by the Catholic intellectual tradition allow us to understand and confront contemporary challenges inspired his colleagues during his 19 years of extraordinary service as president of the University of Notre Dame. And that same confidence will inspire Commonweal readers and supporters, too, as the magazine moves into its second century.鈥�
During his 19-year tenure, Father Jenkins is credited with advancing Notre Dame鈥檚 mission as a Catholic research university, fostering dramatic growth in research, securing Notre Dame鈥檚 admission in the Association of American Universities (AAU), promoting continued excellence in undergraduate instruction and expanding Notre Dame鈥檚 global engagement. A longtime member of the Commission on Presidential Debates, he is recognized nationally as an advocate of civil discourse and a leading voice on the future of college athletics.
He is the author of 鈥淜nowledge and Faith in Thomas Aquinas鈥� and of scholarly articles published in the Journal of Philosophy, the journal Medieval Philosophy and Theology and the Journal of Religious Ethics.
Father Jenkins is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A popular teacher, he has taught courses on ancient and medieval philosophy, faith and reason and Thomas Aquinas. He was elected as an Honorary Fellow at St. Edmund鈥檚 College at the University of Cambridge in 2023 and received the Christus Magister Medal from the University of Portland in 2025. Father Jenkins is also the recipient of honorary degrees from the following institutions: Wabash College, King鈥檚 College London, Saint Mary鈥檚 University of Minnesota, Ukrainian Catholic University, University of Notre Dame Australia, Aquinas College, University of San Francisco and Benedictine College.
Since 2005, Commonweal has hosted a biennial gala to honor individuals whose noteworthy work, informed and inspired by their Catholic faith, serves the common good. Over the years, Commonweal has honored luminaries including Timothy Shriver, Mark Shields, Sister Carol Keehan, Kerry Alys Robinson and Amy Goldman, as well as university presidents John Sexton, John DeGioia and Tania Tetlow, the inaugural Centennial Award recipient.