Thank You, VP Sebastian!

May 7, 2025

Dear LMU Community,

With gratitude for his longstanding leadership, I share that John T. Sebastian, Ph.D., has decided to step away from Vice President for Mission and Ministry on December 31, 2025. Following a well-earned sabbatical, VP Sebastian will return to the professoriate as a tenured professor in our Department of English.

Since joining LMU in 2017, VP Sebastian has stewarded our mission and identity with wisdom, integrity, and care, nurturing our campus's spiritual and intellectual life with generosity. As our second VP for mission and ministry, he succeeded Robert Caro, S.J., and he has guided our community through significant transformations.

VP Sebastian has consistently anchored our Catholicity in the Jesuit and Marymount traditions, ensuring that all are always invited to take part in its richness. His leadership has integrated our mission into the daily life of our university—through retreats, mission-centered faculty formation, and partnerships with our sponsoring religious orders, the L.A. Archdiocese, and other organizations that support our work. His consistent call to cura personalis has challenged us to think deeply, serve lovingly, and act justly.

Before LMU, VP Sebastian served as VP for mission and ministry at Loyola University New Orleans, where he led initiatives that remain vibrant today, including a Jesuit center, a lecture series on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, and the Ignatian Faculty Fellows Program. He was a founding participant in the Ignatian Colleagues Program and earned graduate certification from the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College. These commitments continue to shape his approach to mission integration and community formation.

At his core, VP Sebastian is an educator and scholar, passionate about medieval literature, religious drama, and mystical writing. His return to teaching will be a gift to our students, who will benefit from his intellect, humor, and dedication.

I remain blessed by John’s friendship, counsel, and clarity. He has strengthened LMU with humility and authenticity, keeping us aligned with our greater purpose. In the months ahead, the community will celebrate and thank John for his contributions and impact. For now, please join me in thanking him for his leadership, his service, his faith, and his enduring commitment to the LMU community. 

With sincere appreciation and thanks,

Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President