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.
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.”
Director of Music Ministry
Blake Bruchhaus | (919) 236-7972
Originally from Kinder, Louisiana, Blake Bruchhaus is a liturgical musician and liturgist with over 17 years experience directing music ministries. He holds an MAR in Liturgical Studies from Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music where he was awarded the Liturgical Studies Prize. He completed the Master of Sacred Music degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Notre Dame and the Bachelor of Music degree in Sacred Music at Centenary College of Louisiana. Blake gained extensive pastoral ministry experience serving as Director of Music and Liturgy at St. George Catholic Church in Baton Rouge, LA and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Shreveport, LA. He is excited to work with students in his ministry, praising the Lord alongside them at the Duke Catholic Center.
Communications Coordinator
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
Emma Carpenter '11 | (704) 267-3439
Emma has served at the Duke Catholic Center since her graduation from Duke in 2011. Emma began her career at the DCC on the ministry side as Peer Ministry Coordinator and, later, Director of Communication. After ten years of student-facing ministry, Emma pivoted to the DCC development team. Emma served two years as Associate Director of Development before stepping into the role of Director of Development in 2023. Emma is excited to invite Duke Catholic parents, alumni, and other stakeholders to partner in the DCC's mission to build Christ's Kingdom at Duke and beyond.
Associate Director of Development
Alejandra Mack | (919) 935-3734
Alejandra joined the Duke Catholic Center in 2023 as the Associate Director of Development. Originally from Mexico City, she earned a bachelor’s degree in Pedagogy and has over a decade of experience in International Business Development. This journey culminated with the successful completion of an MBA in 2021.
What drew Ale to the Duke Catholic Center was the unique opportunity to integrate her professional background with her deep faith. She is enthusiastic about contributing to the expansion of the DCC's mission and the continued development of a nurturing community for Duke University students. She envisions a place where students find a sense of belonging, deepen their faith through a profound connection with Jesus, and develop the leadership skills necessary for the next chapter in their lives. She is committed to help develop the resources to make this vision a reality.
Ale lives in Durham with her husband Michael, and enjoys traveling, golfing, and cycling, especially on the Tobacco Trail.
Assistant Director of Development
Ali Shoenfelt | 919.593.0964
Ali is thrilled to serve as Assistant Director of Development for the Duke Catholic Center. Originally from Long Island, New York, she and her husband John have called Durham home since 2004. Ali has a Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a Master of City and Regional Planning from UNC-Chapel Hill. When asked how her graduate degree relates to her work at the Duke Catholic Center, Ali explains that she is passionate about building a healthy spiritual community, one with Christ at its core.
Ali is a cradle Catholic but spent some time away from the church as a college student and young adult. She had a deep conversion experience when she and her family began worshiping at a local Presbyterian church, where she worked for six years in administration and communications. As she continued to follow Christ, she was inspired to reclaim her Catholic faith and is now marveling at all the beauty and richness she previously overlooked. When Ali isn’t busy raising her two spunky teenagers, you'll find her catching up with a friend or digging in her garden.
FOCUS Missionaries
The DCC is excited to have four FOCUS missionaries on our campus. FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) is a Catholic organization dedicated to inviting college students into a life of discipleship with Christ.
The missionaries will be reaching out to students and starting special Bible studies to lead students into a personal experience and relationship with Christ. Many of those students will then in turn start Bible studies of their own and be a part of the spiritual multiplication Jesus calls us to.
Student Directors
Undergraduate and graduate students also serve as Student Directors and Coordinators in the Duke Catholic Center. They are an essential part of every aspect of ministry at Duke. They are responsible for assisting in the development of programs and coordinating student engagement in liturgy, justice and service, intellectual and spiritual formation, and community building. Through serving in their respective ministries, these Student Directors live out the baptismal call, sharing personal gifts and talents within the Duke Catholic community with an eye toward lifelong service to the Church and the world.