Search Menu About Office of the President Section Menu Monsignor James Patrick Shea, President of the University of Mary Monsignor Shea has served as the sixth president of the university since 2009. He is a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Bismarck, North Dakota. Contact Information Office of the President University of Mary 7500 University Drive Bismarck, ND 58504 Monsignor stopped using email in 2013. If you have a question, concern, or encouragement touching upon a specific area of responsibility at the University of Mary, please do reach out to us. Scheduling Requests We are happy to assist you in scheduling Monsignor for an event or meeting (or to assist at a wedding). Kindly submit your request using one of the forms below. Request Attendance at an Event Request to Meet in Person Request Attendance at a Wedding University of Mary Mace The president leads our university community in carrying out the mission first entrusted to the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monastery, who founded and sponsor the University of Mary. This office of leadership finds particular expression in the University of Mary Mace. The elected leader of the teaching faculty carries the mace on behalf of the president in solemn academic procession. In ancient days, a mace was carried for protection, but since medieval times, has come to symbolize the order of a university in formal session and its authority to carry out its mission. The Benedictine cross, a symbol of the University of Mary’s Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine identity, sits at the top of the mace. The Benedictine medal and University of Mary seal, both imprinted with the cross, are encased on opposite sides. The cherry staff is ringed with six bands that alternate between wood and gold. These stand for the Benedictine values of community, hospitality, respect for persons, prayer, service, and moderation that are formative to the servant-leadership experience at the University of Mary. Twelve vertical grooves are a reference to the Church’s 12 Apostles. At the bottom of the mace is a brass hame ball (harness decoration). It stands in tribute to the pioneers who worked the land and to the founding Sisters who collaborated with them to develop a center of higher learning to serve the region. COVID 19 FACULTY & STAFF DIRECTORY JOBS AT MARY UNIVERSITY OF MARY ONLINE PRIME MATTERS 7500 University Drive, Bismarck, ND 58504See All Locations Contact Us enroll@umary.edu 701-355-8030 800-288-6279 (MARY) © University of Mary HEERF Privacy Policy Accreditation Title IX & Related Policies University Policies