President Announcement

November 17, 2025

 

Dear Faculty, Staff, Families, Alumni and Friends of SLUH:

I am very pleased to inform you that the Board of Trustees of St. Louis University High School has unanimously voted to approve Fr. Matthew C. Stewart, SJ ’98 as our next school president. Fr. Stewart will become the 18th president of SLUH since it moved to its current location on Oakland Avenue, succeeding Alan R. Carruthers on July 1, 2026. The Provincial of the USA Central and Southern Province of the Society of Jesus, V. Rev. Thomas P. Greene, SJ, has also approved Fr. Stewart’s appointment.

Fr. Stewart has demonstrated strong leadership as principal of SLUH since July 1, 2023. After entering the Society of Jesus in 2009, he thrived in a variety of roles in Jesuit schools, including: adjunct professor at Saint Louis University, associate director of the Alum Service Corps, chaplain and teacher at Loyola Academy, board member of Arrupe Jesuit High, and associate university minister and faculty member at Regis University. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Rockhurst University and on the SLUH Board of Members.

Throughout his rich experience in Jesuit education, Fr. Stewart has been well known for his commitment to cura personalis, caring well for students and colleagues, relationship building and collaborative leadership. A Christ-centered, mission-driven, dynamic and passionate individual, he is the first Jesuit to assume the role of president since Fr. Paul G. Sheridan, SJ (1997-2005) and the first Jesuit alumnus since Fr. Robert T. Costello, SJ ’47 (1992-97).

Fr. Stewart holds several degrees, including a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (Liturgy and Sacraments) from Boston College; a Master of Music in Choral Conducting from the University of Denver; a M.A. in Philosophical Resources from Fordham University; and a M.A. in Theology from Saint Louis University with highest distinction.

Following Alan Carruthers’ announcement in January that he would be completing eight years of service at SLUH in 2026, we formed a search committee to find his successor. That committee included current and former members of the Board of Trustees, parent / past parents, a Jesuit, a representative of the Province and a member of the SLUH faculty. After conducting a comprehensive, nationwide search and considering a number of candidates with deep experience in Jesuit secondary education, the search committee concluded that Fr. Stewart fully embodies the attributes of a successful president and strongly recommended his hiring to the Board of Trustees.

I want to extend my gratitude to the search committee members for their tireless work on this important effort. I also want to thank Alan Carruthers, not only for his outstanding service to SLUH, but also for providing 18 months’ notice of his departure, allowing us time to conduct a thorough search and to have an orderly leadership transition.

We are blessed to embark on a principal search to select Fr. Stewart’s replacement from a position of tremendous strength. SLUH continues to be the high school of choice for qualified students in the St. Louis area, providing a premier academic program with exceptional, highly qualified faculty (more than 95% have advanced degrees). A strong internal leadership team, coupled with the continuity of Fr. Stewart’s leadership at SLUH, will ensure the school remains committed to its tradition of excellence in academics, faith formation and all aspects of student life, while conducting need-blind admissions and committing to meet the full financial needs of all admitted students.

Thank you for your continued support of St. Louis U. High, and please join me in congratulating Fr. Stewart as our new school president.

AMDG

Thomas P. Berra, Jr. ’85
Chair, SLUH Board of Trustees