This time of the year always bring a fullness of happiness and sadness to our CTU community. Thursday, May 16, we celebrated the 45^th annual commencement for the 2013 class. We have prepared our graduates to go out into the world and do the work that God has called them to do. As stated in our mission, we prepare effective leaders for the Church, ready to witness to Christ’s good news of justice, love, and peace. We say now to our graduates, “Go now and become the overflowing spirit of God as a campus minister, DRE, or leader of the Church. Foremost, continue to be the engagers in ministry in the United States and around the world.”

 The CTU community, along with the graduates, families, and friends, celebrated this vast achievement. The feelings that arise at this time of the year are bittersweet; there is the sadness that the relationships that you have built are changing, but we at CTU know that this part of the graduate’s journey is not the end but a continuation -- they are moving on to new beginnings and their future is blazing bright. We at CTU are grateful that we had them here with us. Congratulations to the class of 2013!

I spent a few days last week in Boston. The plans to visit had been made months ago, and the city’s focus on capturing the alleged perpetrators of the Marathon bombing had ended. To be honest, I felt some apprehension making the trip. Was it safe? Would the atmosphere feel tense and oppressive?

I flew in on a glorious spring day that seemed to warm as each hour passed. Myriad cherry blossom trees were bursting with flowers in delicate or deep shades of pink. The hotel was near the Boston Common (founded 1634), and after stowing my suitcase I headed for the park. Hundreds of people were on the lawns, having picnics, throwing Frisbees, clowning around, stretching out in the sun.

Not what I expected.

I was struck by the sheer force of life; life going on.  Part of me wanted to shout, “Wait a minute, you’re not forgetting so quickly are you?”  I knew that couldn’t be the case. Another part of me wanted to say, “Thank you for embracing life; for taking back the day. Thank you for being here now.”

The trip included miles of walking, a ball game at Fenway, Paul Revere’s house, museums, churches, and chowder. My friend and I went to the memorial on Boylston Street to pay our respects. No, this wasn’t a city, a people, who were forgetting too quickly. Not by a long shot. They were grieving, and coping, and reflecting; leaving tender messages of solidarity for those who had been touched by the violence. They were also meeting with friends, going to the park, sunning themselves, laughing, and planning. They were, simply, living.

When I got home I learned that the mayor of Boston had encouraged people to repopulate the downtown area, to support the business owners, to carry on. I was newly touched that the citizens of Boston, with characteristic hardiness and civic pride, did so. Then, on the drive to work, I listened to the resilient comments of a woman who lost both legs to the bombing, and of her daughter who lost one leg. The mind reels, the heart aches in imagining their journey. How can we hurt each other this way?

We are kind and cruel; fragile and tough. We are vulnerable flesh and mighty spirit. My thoughts and prayers are with you, Boston, as you heal from your wounds.  Thank you for the warm welcome to your beautiful city even as you own a new page of your incredible history. I wish you great peace.

This past week and a half has reinforced my strong belief that education needs to make people globally minded – a sentiment that is, thankfully, put into practice every day at CTU.

The Boston marathon bombing was atrocious, no doubt. But the news coverage in its aftermath would have us believing it was the most atrocious thing to happen in the world in months. I’m sorry, but it probably wasn’t even the most atrocious thing to happen in the world that week!  

I don’t mean to be political. My point is that I worry that we, as a society, are becoming too quick to victimize ourselves, which creates a false barrier between the U.S. and the rest of the world.

CTU was fortunate to welcome eighth president of Ireland, Mary McAleese, to campus last week – a day after the Boston bombing. In 1997, Mrs. McAleese was elected to lead the independent Republic of Ireland, even though she had grown up in Belfast, Northern Ireland, amid much violence.

In her candid talk, she took the words right out of my mouth: “If you just think of the dreadful events yesterday in Boston; the sheer craven, awful, anguish that is in people’s hearts today – who set out yesterday healthfully running, and today face life without limbs, face life without a child, face life without a life’s partner – well, multiply that up, because for 40 years that was how Belfast, Northern Ireland – my home – was. Everyday that possibility of a Boston existed, and probably happened.”

Forty years. That, for me, put the events in Boston into a proper context. We are incredibly fortunate that something like Boston doesn’t happen every day in our country. But not every country is that fortunate. Leaders of every corner of society moving forward need to understand the global context in a meaningful way. The world is too small for us to continue to think that the things that make us different from one another are bigger or stronger than the things that make us alike.

I have great confidence that the international exposure CTU students have, both inside the classroom and out in the world, will go a tremendously long way to build a more peaceful global family.

Karla Dawn Meier | Marketing and Communications Assistant | 773.371.5416 | kmeier@ctu.edu

Beacons of Light

In recent days, we’ve been called to pray together at special services and liturgies for those who were victims of the bombings at the Boston Marathon and for the victims of the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas.  In coming together and sharing grief, we’ve been reminded that love prevails when confronted with unexpected loss and in spite of the fear and the hatred that terror tries to instill.  We are each invited to be beacons of light.  We are called to seek stronger and deeper relationships.   

Last week, we had a number of events at CTU that were inspiring that served to provide hope and light.   Fr. Mark Francis was named to succeed Fr. Donald Senior as the seventh president of CTU.  (Fr. Donald Senior, the current President, recently announced his retirement.  Fr. Don has been a remarkable leader and visionary – someone who has led the school with wisdom and grace.  Fortunately for CTU, he plans to continue as a professor at the school.)

Fr. Mark Francis, a Viatorian priest, comes to CTU with enthusiasm, with vision, and with a global perspective.  He served as Superior General of the Viatorians and has written extensively.  He was ordained a priest in 1982 and earned a masters of divinity and a masters of arts degree in theology from CTU.  In 1988, he earned a doctorate in sacred liturgy in Rome and then returned to CTU as a professor of liturgy for 12 years.  Fr. Mark inspires hope, and a bold and faithful response to the needs of the world.  We will be formally welcoming him to his new position soon. To access an interview with Fr. Mark, please go to
http://learn.ctu.edu/content/ctu-welcomes-president-elect-rev-mark-r-francis-csv  and YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmVA9oy-Yao&feature=youtu.be

CTU also welcomed Mary McAleese, the eighth president of Ireland, who was the recipient of the 2013 “Blessed are the Peacemakers Award” given at the Catholic Theological Union Trustee Dinner.  Mary presented at a CTU community forum and at the Trustee dinner.  Her talk was life-giving as she told story after story about the peacemaking and reconciliation work that was initiated in Ireland and continues today.  Her courage and faith were evident as she told of her commitment to justice through the lens of seeing all people as “children of God.”  She spoke about the challenges and healing that needed to take place when she took office, about reaching out to those who had once considered each other enemies, about eating together, and about building friendships and trust.  (If you are interested in listening to her talk, you can go to learn@ctu.edu the talk will be posted after May 1.)

The welcoming of Mary McAleese and Fr. Mark Francis to CTU somehow fit as the stories of so many at CTU are inspiring.  As Director of Recruitment and previously Director of Admissions, I’ve heard the stories of students and graduates - the next generation of leaders who will and are already immersing themselves in transforming the world through relationships.   Many are working in parishes, non-profits, schools, or businesses.  Some work in government.  They bring to these ministries a sensitivity, respect, and voice for those who are often voiceless.  They minister and serve.  Often students and graduates are called upon to build bridges between people of different faith traditions.  At CTU we have an remarkable student body and an extensive alumni/ae community that brings the global voice to issues.  We also have an extraordinary faculty who not only write, teach, and lecture, but who are also involved in building a more just and peaceful world.  CTU is a place where professors and students of many faith traditions hold the value of respect toward others as a guiding principle.   

We are all invited to bring about change and transformation by committing to accompany those in need and by protecting the human dignity of the vulnerable.

Let us be beacons of hope to a complex and sometimes violent world by sharing the vision of how we can do relationship, of how we can build bridges of peace and reconciliation between faith traditions, and by gaining a deeper understanding what it means to live in a multifaith world.  As Mary McAleese recently reminded us, “Let us remember who we are - we are all children of God.”

Kathy Van Duser, Director of Recruitment | kvanduser@ctu.edu | 773-371-5450

  Holocaust Remembrance Day occurred this week.  In Israel the entire country comes to a halt at 10am as a 60 second siren wails across the land.  People stop what they're doing and stand in memoriam. Traffic ceases, drivers emerge from their vehicles and stand like statues. Even dogs sense the day and pause.

This collective ritual reinforces the power of pausing to reflect on the atrocities in the world. It is fitting that this week, CTU presented two screenings of the award-winning documentary film Beneath the Blindfold.  Filmmakers Ines Sommer and Kathy Berger spent six years creating this poignant work that looks at the lives of four torture survivors. Far from a pity piece, the film celebrates the survivors' strength and resiliency.  Beneath the Blindfold offers us an opportunity to reflect about injustice and witness the journeys of four survivors on their path to becoming whole. 

I had the opportunity to interview Ines and Kathy about their film.  We covered a range of topics from activism to how faith based communities can interact with the film.  I invite you to listen to the podcast. It's a chance to pause, witness and reflect. 

You can also find out more about Beneath the Blindfold and see a trailer at beneaththeblindfold.com.

This year, Easter Vigil shone with even greater brilliance as our friend and colleague Valerie was initiated into the Church at St. Thomas the Apostle, parish home to many members of the CTU community.   In the last few days, people have visited Valarie to ask her about the experience, to talk about their own Easters with family and faith community and, to dip into the bowl of jelly beans on her desk—a sweet reminder of our celebrations.   As the visitors have added up, the candy has diminished somewhat.  By late Friday afternoon, I had begun to feel that Easter was draining away…and I sat somewhat uninspired to write this blog entry…

…Until Professor Maria Cimperman, RSCJ, stopped by my office.  For the end of the week, she still seemed pretty energized—and clearly still carried Easter with her.  She shared a question she had posed to her students this week: “We all had our Lenten practices, but what will be our Easter practices?”  

A new Alleluia struck me.  That’s right.  Easter does not end with Easter Sunday, or Easter Week, or whenever the jelly beans run out.   We have FIFTY days of Easter.   We may find Lent to stretch a bit long at times, but Easter Season is actually longer!   

We adopted our Lenten fasting practices to make room in our minds, hearts, and bodies for the transforming Love that is God.  Now is the time to relish, and even revel a bit in the joy that Love brings us—in our renewed ways of being with ourselves, with those we encounter, with the world.

Each year, our “Taste of CTU” event provides an opportunity for our global community to share stories, song, and dance—those from our homeland, and those closest to our hearts.  This year’s “Taste of CTU,” which happened the day we returned from our Easter Recess, modeled some good Easter practices for all of us. It was an intentional time to set aside for joy, even when confronted by fear (stage fright) or obstacles (getting the right music to play).  And by the end of the evening, we were all out of our seats (even this double-left foot gal) dancing together.

We have kept the fast.  Now the dance floor is open.  How will we keep the feast?

Angela Paviglianiti | Director of Admissions | angelap@ctu.edu

Celebrating My First Palm Sunday!

As I sat in the pew of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Hyde Park and anticipated all the glory of the celebration of Jesus Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, I was excited! This Sunday before Easter marks the beginning of Holy Week. We started off as a community at the front of the church and blessed the palms and then entered the sanctuary to begin our Journey with Jesus Christ. There are other factors that make this first Palm Sunday for me special, not only has the church had a major change by electing a new Pope, Pope Francis but I am also in the middle of a new beginning. I have been going through the process of becoming Catholic since November of last year and my big exciting day is in the horizon, I will take my sacraments and become Catholic Easter eve at the Easter Vigil. To say that I am excited is an understatement but to say I am ready to live the life of a Christian and follow the teachings of Jesus Christ would be accurate. In the reading of the Passion on Palm Sunday we sat intensely and as one and heard of Christ triumph entrance into Jerusalem, in which his supporters greeted him as the coming messiah, the last supper with his disciples and hours after when he was betrayed by Judas and arrested on Holy Thursday, the crucifixion of Christ came on Good Friday and the resurrection on Easter Sunday. After the reading the pastor gave his homely and he asked that we reflect on Jesus and his death on the cross. I decided to take the symbolic approach to this reading for myself. I look at Jesus on the cross and his suffering for the life that he gave all of us.  The cross represents the call to absolute surrender, in my journey that I am on, I have surrendered my heart and soul to Jesus Christ. My heart is full at this time of excitement and the feeling of being part of a community and sharing this wonderful event in my life with loving and supportive friends from my CTU community and my personal life. Words cannot describe the joy and peacefulness that I am feeling, I have encountered some people here at CTU that are defiantly god’s children and their light shines so brightly that I have opened up my heart to receive their offerings, their light, Jesus light.

Valerie D. Holloway |  Enrollment Management- Assistant to the Director/ Enrollment Management Department-Administrative Assistant |   Catholic Theological Union  |  5416 S. Cornell Ave.  |  Chicago, IL 60615  |  USA

Office 773-371-5451 |  Fax 773-371-5452

admissionassist@ctu.edu  |  www.ctu.edu

Tuesday night, CTU showed the film “A Band of Sisters,” a moving documentary about Catholic sisters and their work for social justice after Vatican II. It reminded me again of the invaluable “boots on the ground” service that women in the Church have given for centuries, and the contributions of sisters today here at CTU. At the film’s conclusion, I overheard a young nun remark that she regretted that the movie showed very few younger sisters. “Are we invisible?” she said.

Let’s hope not. CTU is truly fortunate to count several young religious women among its students. These women will go on, no doubt, to do great work as their fellow sisters have done before them.

Then on Wednesday at lunchtime, a large group gathered in our Atrium, which was resplendent with textiles and fabrics from around the globe, to celebrate International Women’s Day. We prayed together for the women around our world who face unspeakable struggles, including violence. And we celebrated women’s gifts and contributions. The service was led by Academic Dean and Vice President Barbara Reid, O.P., a formidable scholar, and included prayers led by several CTU students in their native languages. It was beautiful and powerful.

Our gathering ended just as the puffs of white smoke emerged from the Vatican chimney! Quickly we commandeered an empty classroom and projected the press coverage onto the screen from a laptop. One by one, then in groups, CTU students, faculty, and staff crowded into the classroom. Cheers and applause erupted as the new Pope’s name was announced and he emerged to voice his first words as Pope.

When we finally disbursed, a sense of hope and enthusiasm flowed palpably throughout the building. A colleague stopped me in the hall and said, “That was so great! Here they were talking on TV about the global Church of today, and I looked around the room and there we were, the global Church of today!”

That is what I treasure about CTU – people of faith and good will from across the globe coming together to build a more just, peaceful, and loving world. And so, for Francis I and for us, too, the work continues of building a healthy and vibrant Church for the good of God’s people.

Nancy Nickel  |  Director of Marketing and Communications  |  773.371.5415  |  nnickel@ctu.edu

My favorite moments in life are those that remind me I don’t have to have all the answers; that life is a process.

On March 2, I was honored and humbled to attend CTU’s annual Harambee! fundraiser, supporting the Augustus Tolton Pastoral Ministry Program, which trains Black Catholics for leadership in the Church. Honored because it was a celebration of life (Harambee means “all pull together” in Swahili), and humbled because the people celebrating had conquered excruciating circumstances beyond my comprehension.

One Tolton Scholar spoke about his belief in not just a “good” God, but an awesome God. This awesome God helped him cope with the loss of several close relatives, including his own infant child, in the span of a few years. He also needed an awesome God when doctors told him both of his kidneys were failing. His challenges were fierce, but his conviction to live, and live victoriously, was fiercer.

Another Tolton Scholar spoke about being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 20 years ago, and how medical professionals warned her about the limitations it would place on her life. She is now happily married with three sons and has earned not one, not two, but three master’s degrees. It hasn’t been a walk in the park, she said, but her faith has sustained her through all the obstacles.

Listening to their stories made me appreciate my relatively small difficulties. But more than that, it reminded me that although life can be bewildering and even agonizing at times, our struggles are our strength. They give us purpose, and bolster our compassion for others.

Everyone’s challenge is unique, but we are all works in progress. Shane Koyczan, an accomplished poet and writer, recently gave a TED Talk about his struggle: being bullied. The pain became his putty. And he has made a masterpiece. That’s the opportunity obstacles give us. So we can harambee and celebrate life to the fullest!

See Shane's TED Talk.

Karla Dawn Meier | Marketing and Communications Assistant | 773.371.5416 | kmeier@ctu.edu

Pope Benedict, as the first pope in 600 years to voluntarily leave office, stepped down this week. The Church now waits “in joyful hope” and anticipation in an interim period called, “Sede Vacante.”

So here we are in a transition time, and what a time it is!  “Odds Makers” in Las Vegas are encouraging people to place bets on who the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church will be. There are sites soliciting people to provide the top characteristic they would want in the next pope. The Cardinals are gathering in Rome.

Questions swirl and dance, tempt and tease.  Will this leader help us face the major challenges of our times?  Will he be a person of courage and spirit - one who will help the Church and the world face the controversial issues that try to divide and destroy us as human beings? Will a leader be called forth who will turn worldwide systems of covering up cases of abuse into new systems that value transparency and promote healing?  How will trust be mended?  Can it be regained?  It will take a healer-leader who exhibits fearless compassion to mend and unite.

Will the spirit of the Second Vatican Council be the guide for ongoing renewal of the whole Catholic Church including the Vatican?  Will the reforms needed in the Church be discussed and promoted? 

We will have opportunities for life-giving reconciliation with our Protestant, Jewish, and Muslim sisters and brothers.  Will we step into them?

Will we make peace with modern science and be a more vocal participant at the discussion table when issues of morality are pitted against issues of progress.  Will we place not only human needs but the needs of a fragile planet forward in the discussion of health and wholeness?

The issues of our day seem too much for one person alone to bear…will collegiality be modeled by the pope and the bishops?  Will the understanding of true community deepen into a new way of being together?  Will Catholics be encouraged to speak up, to speak out for justice in this world as well as for justice within the Church?  Will the new pope encourage the faithful to speak truth to power? Everyone has the ability do something toward the renewal of the Church and the renewal of the world within their own life.  Will the new pope lead by example as the heart and hands of the body of Christ alive in this world?

So many questions to live into, so many hopes, so many dreams for the promise of a new day ... let us pray that the hearts of those choosing the new pope will be inspired to choose a person of great love, compassion, and courage - one who unites, one who includes, one who invites, and one who helps us face our challenges head-on together. 

Kathy Van Duser, Director of Recruitment | kvanduser@ctu.edu| 773-371-5450