Fr. Bob McLaughlin
Senior Director, Priest Service Strategy
Rev. Dr. Robert P. McLaughlin, known to most as “Father Bob,” has spent his life serving the Church and helping others grow as leaders and communities. His involvement in ministry began long before entering the seminary. As a teenager, he volunteered in parish ministries, served on his parish council, and later worked in youth ministry at both the parish and archdiocesan levels.
Answering a call to the priesthood, Fr. Bob earned a Master of Divinity and Master of Theology from Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University and was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Newark in 2011. Since ordination, he has served the Church in a variety of settings, including parish ministry, campus ministry, hospital chaplaincy, and as Pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Church in Oakland, New Jersey.
Fr. Bob now serves as Senior Director for Service Strategies for EIUS, a program dedicated to the ongoing formation of priests. In this role, he helps develop and strengthen approaches that equip priests for the spiritual, pastoral, and leadership demands of ministry and support their continued growth throughout their priesthood.
Throughout his ministry, Fr. Bob has had a particular passion for social justice and serving society’s most vulnerable members. That commitment led him to pursue advanced studies in social work, earning a master’s degree from Ramapo College and a doctorate from Fordham University. His doctoral research examined collaboration among the diverse organizations and professionals serving survivors of human trafficking in New Jersey through the lens of complexity theory.
That research reinforced a lesson Fr. Bob has experienced throughout his ministry: meaningful change rarely happens through the efforts of one person or organization alone. It requires bringing together people with different experiences, talents, perspectives, and resources around a shared purpose. Doing that well requires more than goodwill; it requires intentional leadership, trust, effective processes, and the ability to navigate complexity.
Fr. Bob is particularly passionate about building sustainable leadership structures and parish programs—efforts designed not simply to succeed under a particular leader, but to develop the people, practices, and shared ownership necessary to endure and grow over time. In his own pastoral leadership, he has sought to put into practice many of the same principles now taught through EIUS, engaging the gifts of others, developing collaborative leadership, establishing effective structures and processes, and aligning people around a common mission.
Drawing upon these experiences in pastoral ministry, social work, organizational collaboration, and leadership, Fr. Bob is passionate about helping priests and other Church leaders develop the practical skills, frameworks, and habits necessary to lead in an increasingly complex environment. His work with EIUS allows him to accompany other priests in applying these principles within their own ministerial contexts, strengthening both their leadership and the communities they serve.
Outside of his ministry and professional work, Fr. Bob enjoys spending time with family, traveling to experience new cities, countries, and cultures, and occasionally playing golf—although he insists that keeping score would only diminish the experience. He is also a longtime supporter of worthy causes, including America’s Special Children’s Pilgrimage Group (ASCPG). A good movie, a Broadway show, and a great New York City meal are also among his favorite ways to recharge.
