Passing of Father Michael Russo

Dear Saint Mary’s Community,

I write today with a heavy heart as I share the news of the passing of Father Michael Russo on August 10. Father Mike was a beloved professor, colleague, and friend to many in the Saint Mary’s community and well beyond. His impact on our College, and on the lives of those who knew him, will resonate far into the future.

Father Mike arrived at Saint Mary’s in 1984 and served as a Professor of Communication Studies until his retirement in 2015. When he arrived at SMC, he assumed the role of chair of the Communication Department, a duty he would fulfill for 12 years, and during that time he also served as Chair of the Academic Senate. Under his leadership, the Communication Department grew to welcome about 10% of the undergraduate student body at any given time during his tenure. Father Mike also secured necessary resources for the department, often through skilled fundraising. He was the driving force behind the Disney Forum, funded by the Roy E. Disney Family, in response to his description of the need for support for public dialogue and deliberation on important issues. 

As an instructor, Father Mike used mass media as a lens to understand the evolution of American society and the impact of popular media on humanity. He developed a series of courses in Political Communication, hoping to inspire students to choose lives of meaningful participation in democratic processes. He also guided students through Senior Thesis at a time when few SMC departments required such capstone projects. In all of his classes, Father Mike routinely brought exciting speakers from the fields of media and government to campus and planned social gatherings to encourage his students and colleagues to interact with the guests in real conversation. 

Father Mike’s pursuits outside of the classroom were equally impactful. In 1971, he was ordained as a Catholic Priest through the Archdiocese of his native New Jersey. Early in his career, he was assigned to St. Aedan’s in Jersey City, an assignment that included an affiliation with Jersey City Medical Center. There, he said, he acquired an understanding of compassion that would inform the rest of his career.

Thanks in part to a longtime association with CBS News, Father Mike was a noted media expert, especially in the field of church history. He traveled to Rome to report on the death and funeral of Pope John Paul II as well as the election of Pope Benedict XVI. He covered numerous national political conventions and presidential elections, and in 2010 he was part of the team that brought a U.S. Senate debate to Saint Mary’s. His work with and as part of the media came as no surprise given his background. As a college student at Seton Hall, he served as a desk assistant to legendary news anchor Walter Cronkite during special event broadcasts of the space program. Additionally, his doctoral dissertation at NYU, “CBS News and the American Political Experience: A History of the CBS News Special Events and Election Units,” won the 1983 Bayard Still Prize in Historical Writing.

While on the faculty of Saint Mary’s, he was also an active pastoral minister in a variety of East Bay parishes, including Saint Monica’s Church in Moraga. After retiring from Saint Mary’s, Father Mike served as a chaplain to the high school division of the Santa Catalina School in Monterey, Calif. His “Sunday to Sunday”  webcast on preaching won an Emmy Award in 2020 and also earned a Gabriel Award, the highest honor given in the field of Catholic Media. 

These accolades and accomplishments only represent a small slice of Father Mike’s impact on our community. A longer reflection that includes remembrances and stories from his colleagues and friends will be shared soon. 

Corey Cook
Executive Vice President and Provost

EDITORIAL UPDATE (AUG. 30, 2022): Father Mike's memorial will be held on Tuesday, September 13 at St. Perpetua's Church in Lafayette, with service commencing at 10:30 AM. 

For those located in Monterey County, there will be another memorial mass on Friday, September 16 at San Carlos Cathedral in Monterey, CA, starting at 12 pm.