Director
Fr. Juan José Hernández, L.C. | (919) 684-1882
Fr. Juan José Hernández, L.C. became Director of the Duke Catholic Center on July 1, 2022 as appointed by Bishop Luis Rafael Zarama, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Raleigh, NC. Previously, he spent 8 years as Head Chaplain at Holy Spirit Preparatory School in Atlanta, GA. Fr. Juan José has been a priest for 10 years with his community, the Legionaries of Christ. Before the priesthood, he studied engineering at Georgia Tech when he encountered Christ and his own vocation. His experience is one that provides him with insight into students’ dreams of success, as well as a perspective on what truly matters.
Assistant Chaplain
Fr. Nicholas Sheehy, LC | (919) 684-3354
Fr. Nicholas Sheehy was ordained a Catholic priest in 2013 for the Legionaries of Christ. The mission has taken him to Germany, Italy, the United States and Central America. He is passionate about the New Evangelization and formation for young adults. He has extensive experience in youth work, spiritual direction, and marriage counseling. He enjoys road cycling, writing and following baseball, always rooting for his hometown team, the San Diego Padres.
Campus Minister
Monica Cronin | (919) 717-5332
Monica Cronin joins the Duke Catholic Center as Campus Minister after an impressive academic and ministry journey. She earned her BA in History from the College of William & Mary and her MA in International Politics from Aberystwyth University in Wales. While discerning God's call, she shifted her focus to campus ministry, serving as the Director of Campus Ministry for the Diocese of Richmond and, most recently, as Campus Minister Intern at Washington University in St. Louis. Monica also completed her Masters of Theology from Aquinas Institute of Theology, Her passion for fostering Catholic community and guiding students in their faith formation is a wonderful asset to the DCC.
Music Director
Ed is honored to join the DCC team as Music Director in April 2025. Before coming to Duke, he has served as Music Director at parishes and has led Diocesan and Archdiocesan events in California, before moving to Illinois and finally to North Carolina in 2023. Originally from the Philippines, he developed a love for church music at a young age before moving to Los Angeles at age 13 with his family. His Catholic education kept him inspired to pursue further studies in ministry. As a high school sophomore, he started singing with the university choir from Loyola Marymount, where he eventually graduated.
He enjoys sharing his musical gifts with the musicians he leads to give praise to the Lord at the Holy Masses. As a father of 4 with his wife, Mae, he passionately joins the DCC staff on promoting a deeper relationship with Christ through prayer and service amongst the Duke students and community. Please feel free to contact him if you'd like to get involved with the Music Ministry!
Ed holds BA degrees in Theology and Music (Choral Conducting) from Loyola Marymount University and Masters in Music (Vocal Pedagogy) from Holy Names University.
Business Manager
Ruth Anne Kennedy | (919) 684-3354
Ruth Anne Kennedy joined the Duke Catholic Center in December 2011. She relocated to Durham from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Ruth Anne was previously the Executive Vice-President for the Stillwater Board of REALTORS, a local non-profit trade association and has several years experience in administrative roles and has served in public office. She and her husband have two sons and three grandchildren. Ruth Anne stated “I look forward everyday to working with the students at Duke as we all nurture our faith. As a convert to the church, I am as young in my faith as the students are and know we will all be able to continue to grow and nourish our faith together.”
Communications Coordinator
Katie Richards | (512) 785-8845
Katie Richards joined the Duke Catholic Center in August 2024. She grew up in Austin, Texas and is a graduate of Loyola University New Orleans. Katie has served Catholic entities for more than 15 years, including the Canon Law Society of America, Ecclesiastical conferences, (arch)dioceses, parishes, Catholic schools, and various educational non-profits. Katie and her husband Paul fill their weekends playing taxi-cab for their four young children. She is delighted to have this opportunity to support the DCC mission.
Director of Development
Andy Rubert | (202) 731-7588
Andy Rubert joins the Duke Catholic Center as Director of Development, bringing experience across healthcare, financial services, and nonprofit advancement. He earned his BA in Political Science from Duke University.
Andy began his career in political and financial services roles, developing a strong foundation in analysis, relationship management, and stewardship. He later transitioned into institutional advancement, serving in development roles at large healthcare systems in Northern Virginia. In these positions, he partnered with donors and institutional leaders to secure philanthropic support for patient care, community health initiatives, and mission-driven programs.
In his current role, Andy focuses on engaging parents, alumni, and friends in support of the Duke Catholic Center’s spiritual, sacramental, and formation-centered mission. He is committed to building long-term relationships that strengthen Catholic campus life and ensure the Center has the resources to serve students with faith, integrity, and compassion.
Development Assistant
Cheryl joins the Development team at the Duke Catholic Center as an Assistant, bringing a warm spirit and a deep love for her faith. She was previously an active member of St. Matthew in Durham, where she served as a Catholic Faith Formation instructor and an usher. Now a new parishioner at St. Francis of Assisi in Raleigh, Cheryl is grateful for the opportunity to continue growing in new her faith community.
After nearly 30 years in the life sciences and clinical research fields, Cheryl felt a heartfelt calling to step into work that would allow her to give back more directly to her faith and to the community she loves. She has especially enjoyed attending Mass at Duke Chapel and has loved getting to know the staff, Missionaries, and students who make the DCC such a special place.
Cheryl earned her business degree from Texas A&M University and her MBA from UNC–Chapel Hill. She and her husband have called Durham home for more than 25 years and are proud parents of two college-aged daughters. Cheryl cherishes time spent with her family—especially on trips to the beach or the mountains.