Madison Silvert, president of Brescia University in Owensboro, (left), stands with president emeritus Fr. Larry Hostetter on the day of Silvert’s inauguration as the university’s sixth president at St. Stephen Cathedral on Aug. 15. RACHEL HALL | WKC
Setting out
Silvert inaugurated as sixth president of Brescia University
BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD, THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC
On Aug. 15, the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Brecia University in Owensboro officially welcomed its new president, Madison Silvert.
An inaugural Mass preceding Silvert’s inauguration was held at 11 a.m. in the Immaculate Heart of Mary Chapel on Brescia’s campus, and was presided over by Bishop William F. Medley, and concelebrated by president emeritus Fr. Larry Hostetter, Brescia alumnus Fr. Jamie Dennis, and campus chaplain Fr. Mike Williams.
That afternoon, at 3 p.m., Silvert was inaugurated as the sixth president of Brescia University during a special ceremony held at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. Silvert is the first layperson to serve as Brescia’s president in its 100-year history.
The ceremony was presided over by Bishop Medley, and Susan Montalvo-Gesser, chair of Brescia’s board of trustees, administered the Oath of Office. Remarks were offered by Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council of Postsecondary Education, and Fr. Hostetter.
During the ceremony, Silvert was sworn in to uphold the four pillars that define Brescia University: respect for the sacred, devotion to learning, commitment to growth in virtue, and promotion of servant leadership.
In an interview with The Western Kentucky Catholic this past winter, Silvert said that “As with so many people, your faith journey starts with the people who came before you,” citing the faith formation of his family and mentors.
He added that serving as Brescia’s president “will always be a ministry – whether the president is a religious or a layperson,” he said in the Jan. 8, 2025 interview, during which he commended the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, who founded the school in 1925.
Bishop Medley spoke on this theme during the Aug. 15 inaugural Mass, explaining that Silvert “has been preparing for this role his entire life – whether or not he knew it.”
Citing the day’s Gospel reading, in which Mary is asked by the angel to be the mother of God and then sets out to serve her cousin Elizabeth, the bishop likened this response to Silvert’s new calling.
“Perhaps, the most important words in the Gospel today are ‘Mary set out,’” said the bishop.
Rachel Hall contributed to this story.
On Aug. 15, members of Madison Silvert’s family, including his wife, Amy, extend their hands in prayer for Silvert during his inauguration ceremony at St. Stephen Cathedral in Owensboro. RACHEL HALL | WKC
Originally printed in the September 2025 issue of The Western Kentucky Catholic.
