Deacon Peter J. McCourt is a passionate ministry leader with experience in Catholic parish and diocesan ministry, Catholic Healthcare, higher education, and secondary education. He is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of Cristo Rey Richmond. He holds a master's degree in theology from the Washington Theological Union in Washington, D.C., and has completed advanced studies in theology at WTU and St. Leo’s University and in executive leadership and business administration at the University of Notre Dame's, Mendoza College of Business. Deacon Pete is a member of the American Academy of Religion and the College Theology Society. Before coming to Cristo Rey Richmond, he served in various leadership roles in Bon Secours Health System for 15 years, most recently as Vice President of Mission & Ethics for the Bon Secours Virginia Medical Group. He has been active in pastoral ministry in the Catholic Diocese of Richmond since 1995 and was ordained a Deacon for the Catholic Church in 2018. He has taught religious studies courses at Virginia Commonwealth University and has lectured on religion at Virginia Tech, and the University of Oxford, UK, and on ministry leadership at Loyola University Chicago. His most important role, however, is as a husband and a father to two young adults.