Summertime when the living is easy, fish are jumping and the cotton is high…

Every year this favorite song comes to mind when the hot, humid days of summer arrive.  It takes me back to lazy summer days when school was out, the pace was different, and the summer seemed to be an endless stretch of time.

Here in Chicago, the “hot days of summer” have not arrived yet.  Our temperatures have been cooler, in fact, we’ve had to remind ourselves that it really is summer!  Some of us have even been seen wearing a parka.

Next week we begin Summer Institute at CTU.   It’s a time when we offer short courses (one or two weeks long) designed to provide knowledge, to help people sharpen their skills, or to broaden their perspectives.  Many students begin their degree or certificate programs at CTU during this time.  Others, like myself, just wanted to try out master’s level classes before committing to a program, still others take the courses for the sheer enjoyment of learning more in their field or a new field.  Many of CTU’s distinguished faculty or guest lecturers teach in the summer.

Some of my favorite picks from Summer Institute this year are: The Gospel of Matthew, Rahner and Spirituality, Imaging the Reign of God:  Social Justice and Global Cinema, and Beyond Pizza and Icebreakers:  Imagining Youth Ministry that Makes a Difference.  If you’d like to check out what we’re offering or sign up for one of the Summer Institute courses offered over the next three weeks, check out this link:  http://ctu.edu/summer-institute

We’ve offered opportunities to visit CTU and sit in on a class during this time with our Visit Events options, Summer Visit Days

What better way to enjoy the summer than sitting by the pool, sipping a cool drink, and reading your latest assignment from a Summer Institute course.   

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

Meet John Angotti, Jean Rogers and Robert Cowlishaw. These folks, along with three of their peers, were the first class to obtain a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (M.A.P.S.) degree through CTU’s distance learning program.

I had the opportunity to interview John, Jean, and Robert when they were in town for graduation. I admired their discipline, drive, and curiosity.  The group had a purpose in life greater than themselves. A common theme emerged as John, Jean and Robert discussed how CTU deepened their faith.

Robert hails from Salt Lake City, Utah where he works as a systems analyst and is planning to transition to a career in ministry. Robert described having a traditional, static view of God as “a guy with a beard on a throne.” CTU challenged these beliefs. “My first year I took a class at CTU’s Summer Institute – ‘God and the Modern World,’” he said. “I realized that God is beyond our conception. God is a mystery, and that mystery is a beautiful thing.”

Robert likened his awakening process to “letting go of Santa Claus…it was probably the most powerful and disruptive concept I learned at CTU.”

Musician John Angotti is a successful performer who uses music as a tool to bring a message of hope. He enrolled at CTU because he recognized that if he was going to continue writing for the Church, he needed to further his education and go deeper than his own personal experience.

“CTU has allowed me to recognize that everything around me is a gift,” he said. “I’ve opened up now to [see] that every relationship, every moment is an encounter with God.”

Jean serves both as associate campus minister of community building and as director of music and liturgy at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. “Studying at CTU has deepened my faith,” she said.  “There have been difficult times in my job; a new generation of students that do not see Catholicism or the Church or spirituality the way I was raised. Learning the things I’ve learned has reinvigorated my faith in humanity and the Church.”

I found all three students to be quite inspirational. I value their ability to be comfortable in the gray areas of life – the space where we ask questions but don’t necessarily receive answers.  I like this space too.  As a child, my Jewish faith taught me that there is one God.  As an adult, I still believe in a “higher power,” though not shaped, gendered or perceived in the traditional view. I am happy to be working at an institution where questions are just as important as answers.

To see John, Jean and Robert’s interviews, visit learn.ctu.edu in a few days. And for more information on CTU’s distance learning program click here.

With the official school year behind us,  “journey” is a prime topic of conversation at CTU.

Our graduates now journey to new homes and new ministries.  Our current students and faculty, whether they journey to summer work or rest, welcome the opportunity to break outside of the typical routine.  And while our staff keeps the lights on at CTU in the summer months, talk of the upcoming event or vacation infuses us with some renewed energy. 

Although, admittedly, my next three weekends feel pretty exhausting, with trips to help my sister move into her first home, as well as to attend my little brother’s graduation, an ordination of a fellow CTU grad, and the wedding shower of a long-time friend.  Yes, that was four trips, and three weekends!!!

Like our graduates, each of these friends/ family members (the line blurs) embarks on his or her own journey.  For some, it will signal a physical relocation, taking them to places and situations altogether unfamiliar.  For others, it will mean a deepening of roots and commitment to an existing place or way of life.   For each, it is an invitation to further the journey within, to know oneself better, and in so doing, to better know the One who created us. 

So whether we have a grand road trip planned this summer, a “staycation” is more in order, or…we work harder this time of year than all others, know that there is still a road beckoning.

A friend recently shared this poem with me…I resonated quite a bit with it, as it addresses the sort of journey I had to make to get to CTU--the sort of journey, in one way or another, we will all eventually get asked to make.   Probably more than once.

Where are you headed this summer?

============

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice --

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do --

determined to save

the only life you could save.

~ Mary Oliver ~

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

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