Joe Donnelly. File photo.

The announcement was made in a series of other nominations released by The White House. Donnelly, of Granger, served as U.S. Senator from 2013 to 2019 before losing his seat in 2018 to Mike Braun. He also formerly served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2007 to 2013, representing Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District.

He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Notre Dame and a law degree from Notre Dame Law School. He has served as a professor at Notre Dame, and he is a partner at Akin Gump in Washington, D.C.

“I am honored that President Biden, a man of deep faith, has nominated me to be Ambassador to the Holy See,” Donnelly said in a statement. “If confirmed, I will work hard every day on behalf of the American people.”

As a professor at Notre Dame since 2019, Donnelly taught courses in the Keough School of Global Affairs on American politics, public policy and leadership.

In a release from Notre Dame President Rev. John I. Jenkins, he congratulated Donnelly’s nomination.

“Joe has been an exemplary public servant in Congress, an invaluable friend of Notre Dame and of me personally, and he is an ideal choice to represent the United States at the Vatican,” Jenkins said. “He will bring to this role a deep understanding of the issues currently facing our nation and the world, a genuine Catholic faith and an understanding of the role the Church can play in our world.”

Donnelly also serves as chairman of the board at the Soufan Center in New York. He also serves on boards with multiple corporations, including Inovateus Solar in South Bend; Living Greens Farms in Faribault, Minn., Hawkeye 360 in Herndon, Va.; and Champ Title in Cleveland.

This article is being used with permission from Hoosier State Press Association.