A Lewiston native and Catholic priest has been named the founding dean of a new school at Boston College.

The Rev. Richard J. Clifford, 73, has been named the founding dean of the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, which will begin holding classes in the fall of 2008.

In announcing the appointment, Boston College President William P. Leahy praised Clifford as a respected scholar, administrator and Jesuit. Leahy said Clifford has the experience and leadership to make the new school an internationally respected Catholic center for future priests and lay ministers.

Clifford was born in Lewiston, one of eight children born to William Clifford Sr., a prominent lawyer.

Today five of his brothers live in Lewiston. They are Jerry, Clifford and William, all lawyers, and Robert Clifford, a judge. Another brother, David, is a doctor.

As a boy Richard Clifford attended Lewiston public elementary schools and graduated from St. Dominic Regional High School in 1952. He left Lewiston to attend the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

While he’s lived in Massachusetts for decades, “I return to Lewiston frequently to visit my family. I usually offer Mass at St. Joseph’s,” Clifford said Friday.

When he was a college freshman, he decided to become a priest. “I was interested in studies, and thought serving as a Jesuit priest would suit me just fine.” He got his Ph.D. in the Old Testament from Harvard.

For 37 years he has taught at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, which after 33 years has reaffiliated with Boston College, and is now the acting president of the Weston theology school. He is considered a renowned professor of the Old Testament.

Clifford said he’s excited to be able to shape the new Boston College school. “It’s a new professional school, like a law or business school, that will train young men to be priests and also educate lay people. Half of our student body is lay people” headed into the ministry. Years ago, the Catholic ministry was done by all priests and nuns, but today there are more opportunities for lay people to become full-time ministers, Clifford said.

Clifford said he’s excited to be the founding dean, and hopes to make the new school a great one for theological research to help prepare men to become ordained, and men and women to become lay ministers.

The new school will consolidate professors and students from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology into Boston College. Bringing together so many faculty members, staff and students to build the new school will be a historic moment for BC, Clifford said.

In addition to his 37 years at Weston Jesuit School, Clifford has served as visiting lecturer at Harvard Divinity School, president of the Catholic Biblical Association and general editor of the Catholic Biblical Quarterly. He has also served as a consultant for the National Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Liturgy, and chairman of the Boston Theological Institute’s Old Testament/Hebrew Scriptures Colloquium. He has written seven books and published hundreds of articles.

The School of Theology and Ministry will be on the Brighton campus of Boston College.