Providence College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. has been invited to attend an address on Catholic education by Pope Benedict XVI during the pontiff's upcoming visit to the United States.

The hour-long address will take place on Thursday, April 17, at The Catholic University of America (CUA) in Washington, D.C. CUA is the national university of the Catholic Church. It is the only papally-chartered university in the U.S. and the only institution of higher learning sponsored by the nation's bishops.

CUA is extremely familiar territory to Father Shanley, who also is a professor of philosophy. He was a faculty member in the university's School of Philosophy for 11 years before becoming College president in 2005.

Father Shanley will be among a distinguished group of presidents of U.S. Catholic colleges and universities to attend the pope's address. Catholic school superintendents representing every U.S. diocese or archdiocese also have been invited.

"It will be an honor to be in the presence of the Holy Father," he said. "I look forward to hearing his address because he is a deep thinker. I am sure that whatever he has to say about Catholic higher education in America will be thoughtful and stimulating."

This will be the second time that Father Shanley will be in the presence of a pope. He attended the installation of John Paul II in 1978 while an undergraduate at PC.