Pope Francis appointed Sister Helen Alford OP, the
daughter of James and Margaret Tinneny Alford of London,
England, to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
She was appointed September 4, 2020.
In an interview with Vatican News, Sr. Helen explained
that her appointment to the Pontifical Academy puts her
in a community along side other experts who are tasked
by the Pope to study certain topics in the field of
social sciences as well as to research and publish and
to vote in new members of the Academy. At the time of
her appointment there were 23 members of the academy.
Helen is currently the Vice-Rector of the Pontifical
University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, also known as
the Angelicum. She holds both a Management Engineering
and a Doctorate degree from the University of Cambridge,
England.
Helen is the granddaughter of William Tinneny and Mary
Ellen McShane of Belturbet, County Cavan, Ireland;
great-granddaughter of Robert Tinneny and Bridget Rooney
of Belturbet; great-great-granddaughter of
Francis Tinneny and Anne Elliott
of Belturbet and great-great-great-granddaughter of
Thomas Tinneny
of Goladuff, Newtownbutler, County Fermanagh, Northern
Ireland.
Note: The full Vatican News item by Fr. Benedict Mayaki,
SJ including an audio interview by Sister Helen can be
found at this
link.
