Thomas Kopfensteiner, STD

As Chief Mission Officer, Tom plays a pivotal role in upholding the organization's core values and guiding principles. Since joining the ministry in 2004, he has made valuable contributions toward building the organization’s culture of compassion, integrity and service, helping drive forward the mission of healing and hope for all. In his role, Tom focuses on theology and ethics, ministry formation, community health, mission integration, and pastoral and spiritual care. Before joining CommonSpirit Health, Tom was an Associate Professor of Moral Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology at Fordham University in New York City. He has been involved in the governance of several health care organizations, including CHRISTUS Health Care System and St. Joseph Health in Orange, California. Tom started his career as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. After receiving his Doctor of Sacred Theology from Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, he returned to St. Louis to teach moral theology at the Paul VI Catechetical Institute for Teachers. He also served as an Assistant Professor at Kenrick School of Theology. From 1988 to 1994, he worked with the National Catholic Conference of Bishops on the current edition of the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Healthcare Services.