Logos Winter 2021

Information for alumni, donors, and friends of Catholic Theological Union

A GR A DUAT E SCHOOL OF T H EOL OGY A N D M I N IST RY

SPRING 2021

VOL .

32 •

ISSUE

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CTU’s leadership transition: Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, and Rev. Mark R. Francis, CSV.

President Mark Francis, CSV: A Tribute to a Life of Service

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ith the beginning of the New Year 2021, Rev. Mark Francis, CSV, completed more than seven years of service as the sixth president of Catholic Theological Union. His role as the leader of CTU capped a remarkable career of service that began with his ordination in 1984 and has taken him to six continents, but his connection to CTU has been a constant touchpoint over the past forty years.

A native of metro Chicago, Fr. Mark first encountered the Viatorian congregation as a student at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights. His early desire to be a priest was quickened by the example of service and care he witnessed in the Viatorian faculty and staff at the school, leading him to join the community.

The Viatorians were one of the first congregations to join the group of religious communities that sponsor CTU. In 1979 when Fr. Mark was ready to begin his theological studies in preparation for priesthood, he had his first encounter with the school that would be part of his life ever since, graduating with a dual degree of Master of Divinity and a Master of Arts in Theology.

FRANCIS continued on page 6

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

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Muslim Spirituality and Life Management (MuSLiM) Certificate Program Aims to Fix Broken Justice System

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Honoring Two CTU Charter Faculty Members Who Passed in 2020

Sr. Barbara Reid, OP Elected First Woman President of CTU At a special meeting of the Board of Trustees of Catholic Theological Union in November 2020, Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, was elected to the presidency of CTU. Sr. Barbara is the first woman religious to be president of CTU, one of the country’s foremost graduate schools of theology and ministry.

“I have a deep love of CTU and a passionate desire to see it continue to thrive.”

— SR. BARBAR A REID, OP

Her historic appointment responds to the Church’s growing recognition of the vital contribution of women to the life of the church, a contribution reflected as well in the recent appointment of women to key leadership roles in the Archdiocese of Chicago such as Sally Blount, the newly appointed head of Catholic Charities. As Cardinal Blase Cupich commented: “Sr. Barbara has distinguished herself as an expert administrator but also as a first-rate scholar who has deepened our understanding of the Word of God in today’s diverse and challenging world.”

REID continued on page 9

MESSAGE FROM REV. MARK FRANCIS IN A SHORT ESSAY published just before Christmas in 1935 provocatively entitled “Christmas and Salesmanship,” G. K. Chesterton wrote, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.” In looking back over the last seven years as President of CTU, Chesterton’s words very much resonate. Despite the many challenges encountered along the way, I have been incredibly blessed and privileged by these past years at CTU. My overriding feelings are thankfulness, gratitude, and wonder.

I am incredibly thankful for the great people with whom I worked since 2013. I owe so much to my faithful assistant, Sr. Pam Pauloski, SP, whose competence and good humor made our working partnership a joy that helped me stay on track day to day. Fellow administrators on the leadership council, staff, and faculty demonstrated time and again their commitment to CTU’s mission and to a church that is open, welcoming, and inclusive.

Going beyond the demands of their job descriptions they have time and again testified to their dedication to the Gospel and to our students by large and small acts of selflessness and kindness.

In the midst of the COVID pandemic, with stress caused by working remotely, switching to online instruction, coping with family members at risk due to the virus, the members of the CTU community have shown amazing creativity and resilience. All that I have managed to accomplish over these years has been due to the dedication and commitment of these members of the CTU community. Happily for me, they have been generous and forgiving of my faults and limitations.

I am grateful to the members of the Board of Trustees whose concern for the school is always evident and whose support has been crucial in helping CTU move forward — even in the midst of financial difficulties and pandemics. I have learned much from the various committees of the Board who go about their work with a focused expertise. CTU’s Board of Trustees is a perfect

example of how different members of the Body of Christ — religious and lay — put their talents at work for the common good.

I am both amazed and humbled by CTU’s many benefactors — not only the way our corporation communities consistently support the school, but I am especially appreciative of our faithful lay donors — who contribute both morally and materially to what we do. I have always been impressed when they explain why they support CTU — because they, with the religious, believe profoundly in our mission and the difference CTU makes in the lives of so many people, nationally and internationally.

Every commencement I have stood in awe and wonder as our students have graduated and been sent forth to minister to God’s people. Each year I have been inspired by the movement of the Spirit motivating their desire to serve and witness to the divine love that brought them to the school. Coming from over 40 countries, seminarians, women and men religious, lay women and men, form a kind of microcosm of the global church. With the faculty they constitute an amazing community of disciples that is fertile ground for developing profound theological insight that is capable of engaging the world in all its complexity and diversity. As each graduate walked across the sanctuary of the synagogue I thought of all of the people our graduates will be serving around the globe — as priests, teachers, chaplains, counselors, and missionaries — and thanked God for the difference they would make in so many lives. It is for this that CTU exists and I am grateful for having been a part of it!

I have been moved and challenged by God’s amazing grace manifest in the CTU Community during the past seven years.

Chesterton is right. My gratitude for everything is happiness doubled by the wonder of the realization of all that I have received at CTU is unmerited and God’s gift.

All is grace. P

CTU Statement Against Racism, Prejudice, and Injustice Released in June 2020 by Rev. Mark Francis, CSV

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s a Catholic institution we must denounce the evil of racism, which is endemic in our society, in our church, and in ourselves. At the same time, we are called to build a new society, a society of the beloved community that offers peace and justice to everyone.

In the words of St. Vincent DePaul, “Let us love God, but let us love God by the strength of our arms and the sweat of our brow.”

So, we denounce the more than four hundred years of racial hatred directed at our black brothers and sisters and manifested in thought, word, and action. We denounce a hatred that has denied justice, full participation in society and access to the opportunities that lead to authentic human flourishing. We commit ourselves to do more to deconstruct racial hatred and racial violence wherever we find it, including in ourselves, and so we at CTU pledge to fight systemic racism in all our endeavors as a learning community: addressing it in our student orientation and formation programs, in faculty meetings and workshops, in our curricular offerings, and in our common prayer and liturgies. P

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Antiracism Activities at CTU RACE, PLACE AND GRACE

T Christina Zaker

Vanessa White

“This grant provides a great opportunity to engage students in honest conversations about the work that needs to be done.

— CHRISTINA Z AKER, DIREC TOR OF FIELD EDUCATION

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n recent years, the CTU faculty has dug even deeper into key questions about racism: How do we teach theological students to understand the complexities of power and race? And how can our students align themselves with those on the margins of our American culture as an essential part of their ministry? These questions are at the heart of one new initiative underway.

In 2020, Christina Zaker, DMin ’12, Director of Field Education, and C. Vanessa White, DMin ’05, Associate Professor of Spirituality and Ministry, received a grant from the Wabash Center to re-envision a workshop required of all ministerial students, newly named “Understanding the Complexities of Power and Race for Ministry.” The Wabash Center grants, administered annually, are intended to enable teachers to initiate relevant change within their home institutions.

White and Zaker both bring a wealth of wisdom to this initiative. White has been a strong advocate on matters of race throughout her more than twenty years at CTU. Zaker’s focus on ministerial placements with a diverse group of parishes and agencies throughout Chicago allows both of them to guide this new endeavor.

Working together with a team of five faculty members, White and Zaker enlisted the services of a CTU alumnus, Ryan Lents, of Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training. Lents received an MA in Justice Ministry in 2018 with an emphasis on racial justice, reconciliation, and peacebuilding.

The near-term objective of this initiative is the development of an antiracism workshop designed specifically for CTU students. A pilot of this workshop will be launched this spring, with an institution-wide rollout next year. All ministry practicum students will be required to participate in this workshop in preparation for ministry.

Zaker noted, “Deconstructing white privilege and coming to terms with individual and institutional racism, xenophobia, and antisemitism takes a lifelong commitment for myself and all of us. This grant provides a great opportunity to engage students in honest conversations about the work that needs to be done. Their role in ministering to people from all sides of these issues is critical, especially at this moment in history.”

Other current initiatives include:

HROUGHOUT THE MONTH of November 2020, CTU’s Center for the Study of Consecrated Life, at the direction of Sr. Maria Cimperman, RSCJ, joined together with the National Black Sisters’ Conference to begin a conversation about the role of religious life in addressing and dismantling racial injustice. The response to the three-part series, A Call to Transformative Love: Race, Place and Grace, was astounding, with between 600 to 800 participants tuning in each session — a total of more than 2000 registrants across the three programs.

With powerful witness, the seventeen panelists spanned vocations, congregations and generations, They included Sr. Anita Baird, DHM, CTU alum Br. Ernest Miller, FSC, former faculty member Sr. Lyn Osiek, RSCJ, Danielle Harrison, and Fr. Joseph Brown, SJ. Among the group were two descendants of enslaved persons, Sr. Cora Marie Billings, RSM and Roslyn Chenier. Cimperman noted, “As I was watching our nation’s original sin of racism continue to run rampant through the spring I began asking, ‘Where is religious life in this? What would it be like if we came together across congregations to learn, share and respond?’ I was blessed to connect with women from the National Black Sisters’ Conference who were also asking these questions.”

The first session, “Sharing Our Histories and Our Stories,” focused on the journey of persons of color who entered predominantly Eurocentric congregations and their experiences of religious life, church, and society. The second session, “Looking Back to Look Forward,” explored the process of discovering and acknowledging a congregation’s history of enslaved persons. Powerful testimony illustrated the impact of this history on congregation members and descendants today. In the final session, “How Do We Intentionally Transform our Congregations to be More Welcoming,” discussion focused on how to invite and support men and women of color who join religious congregations.

The series was also featured in the Global Sisters Report, where Sr. Josita Colbert, a Sister of Notre Dame de Namur and president of the National Black Sisters’ Conference, shared that one of the goals of the series was to make “good trouble.”

“Colbert told Global Sisters Report that consecrated religious need to lead the way on racial justice.

‘We have a lot of really good things written, but we have to actualize what’s on those papers’ she said. ‘We can’t change people. They’re going to have to change themselves. The approach has to be different.’

Colbert said the overwhelming response to the series shows ‘people are ready to talk. ... It’s just the beginning, and I’m glad to be part of it.’”

All of these engaging panel discussions are available for viewing on learn.ctu.edu. The next programs in the series will take place March 8, 15, and 22.

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A resource site with a bibliography and other materials for faculty and staff in their work on antiracism.

• A book study group open to CTU faculty and staff members to be launched in the spring, featuring discussion of Isabel Wilkerson’s book, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent.

• A Summer@CTU course offering, “Caste and Racism in the Catholic Church,” to be taught

by Professor White.

The work of antiracism is an ongoing commitment. CTU faculty have made numerous individual efforts to engage their students and the wider community in these important conversations. Much more work lies ahead for the CTU community. P

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Leaning into CTU’s Mission: Catholic-Muslim Studies and the Dialogue of Social Action B Y S Y E D AT I F R I Z WA N , P H D, A S S I S TA N T P R O F E S S O R O F I S L A M I C A N D I N T E R R E L I G I O U S S T U D I E S A N D D I R E C T O R O F C A T H O L I C- M U S L I M S T U D I E S P R O G R A M A T C T U

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n the Catholic-Muslim Studies Program (CMSP) at CTU, the Second Vatican Council’s mandate for dialogue continues to thrive in substantive and enriching ways. Through course offerings in Islamic studies, community organizing, and Muslim-Christian relations, the CMSP trains CTU students to be better scholars and leaders for the communities in which they will serve. Through socially-relevant and cutting-edge public programming, the CMSP is showing students how to put into practice things they learn in texts and in lectures. As a way of leaning into CTU’s mission “to witness to Christ’s good news of justice, love, and peace” and the school’s vision of pursuing this witness “with its intercultural, ecumenical, and interfaith partners,” the CMSP resolved to live into the imperative of justice as articulated in the divine revelations of Jesus Christ and the Qur’an, and to engage in what Catholic teaching on interreligious dialogue refers to as the dialogue of social action.

PUB L IC F ORUMS ON SPIR I T UA L I T Y, MEN TA L HE A LT H , T R AUM A A ND BUIL DING R EL AT IONSHIP S F OR S OCI A L JUS T ICE AC T I V ISM Funded by a multi-year grant from the Waraich Family Foundation, starting in the 2018-2019 academic year the CMSP embarked on a series of programming that brought together Muslim and Christian scholars, teachers, and activists dedicated to bringing justice and equity to the U.S. criminal justice system.

The CMSP continued to focus on criminal justice issues into the 2020-2021 academic year with public events that were outstanding both in substance and level of interest. In September 2020, Margiri Hill, Executive Director of the Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative, and Suzanne Chopra, Clinical Psychologist, engaged criminal justice issues by discussing the relationship between Muslim spirituality and mental health within the framework of anti-racism. In December 2020, Dr. Harriet Lewis, CEO of Konesens Development, joined Dr. Kim Lymore, Director of CTU’s Tolton Program, to offer insights on building and maintaining relationships in times of adversity and for social justice. View these events at learn.ctu.edu.

G ROUNDB R E A K ING MUSL IM SPIR I T UA L I T Y A ND L IF E M A N AG EMEN T (MuSL iM) CER T IF IC AT E PROG R A M One of the most unjust aspects of mass incarceration in particular and, the U.S. criminal justice system in general, is the consequences of laws and/or policies which, either by design or collateral effect, perpetrate undue and long-term harm on persons convicted of crimes. In a report released in October 2020, the Sentencing Project revealed that approximately 5.2 million ex-convicts would not be allowed to vote in the 2020 national election. Sadly, voter disenfranchisement of citizens with felony convictions is just one example of a penal infrastructure designed to facilitate excessive harm that reaches well beyond the parameters of an offender’s sentence. In fact, survivors of mass incarceration are ineligible to receive student loans they desperately need to make a fresh start and, in many cases, are not even permitted to enroll in higher education. In other words, the system is set up in such a way that those who wish to better their lives are unable to do so.

“It was a very transformative experience for me, especially listening to the stories of the brothers and realizing that we all share the same struggles even though we come from different faith traditions.”

— AKIZOU K AMINA , S VD, MDIV AND MA STUDENT

Inspired by his many years of experience accompanying survivors of mass incarceration and his co-teaching the CMSP’s course on “Community Organizing for Racial Justice” with Professor Scott C. Alexander, Shamar Hemphill, Deputy Director of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN) — and clinical instructor, and current CTU student — worked closely with Alexander and current CTU seminarian Akizou Kamina, SVD, to conceive of a pilot program that would afford the underserved population of Muslim returning citizens an opportunity to explore how their spirituality can equip them to reclaim their dignity and meet the many challenges that lie ahead. After taking over the directorship of the CMSP in July of 2020, I was grateful to God, humbled, and excited to accept responsibility for working with Shamar, Akizou, and others dedicated to bringing this groundbreaking, one-of-a-kind program to fruition.

“This program is a clear articulation of what it means to have interfaith dialogue that is rooted in social justice principles.”

— SHAMAR HEMPHILL , MAPS STUDENT, CLINICAL INSTRUC TOR, AND MUSLIM CP PROJEC T MANAGER

By living into CTU’s mission and vision, the pilot Muslim Spirituality and Life Management (MuSLiM) Certificate Program achieved its stated objective. The program offered returning citizens enrolled in the Green Reentry Program at IMAN an opportunity to explore their spirituality and develop important life-management skills in a safe and supportive environment dedicated to celebrating their dignity and advancing their empowerment. Inspired by the social justice activist principle of leadership by those most affected, the design and execution of the MuSLiM CP also involved the relevant life-experiences and professional expertise of Bilal Evans and Nasir Blackwell, both of whom are themselves survivors of mass incarceration and who have dedicated their lives to accompanying other survivors as counselors, community organizers, and public advocates.

“Once upon a time in my life, if I walked past a room like that, with the positive stuff that was going on in [CTU], I knew automatically that was not a place for me and I would not be welcomed in a setting like that because of the way I lived and where I belong…did I ever think that I could walk into a building like [CTU] in Hyde Park, to sit in a class setting and to be respected as I was respected, to be honored as I was honored…and what we had to say was important…it definitely was a great experience.”

— IMAD SA ADEH, MUSLIM CP PARTICIPANT

“Our legal system may continue to be at a moral crisis, all too often retributive, but the program is designed as a foil.”

— SUZ ANNE CHOPR A , CLINIC AL PSYCHOLOGIST AND COUNSELOR FOR MUSLIM CP PARTICIPANTS

The Program is committed to the principles of active and collaborative learning. This means that, although the six intensive sessions were carefully planned and structured around preselected input in the form of brief presentations by special guest interlocutors, session leaders understood their primary role to be one of facilitating the active and collaborative learning of the participants, as opposed to providing content to passive learners.

The seven participants graduated on November 11, 2020, with continuing education credits for their immersive participation in this new program.

The leadership of CTU hopes that the CMSP’s public programming and the MuSLiM CP will inspire CTU’s students (i.e., future leaders) and friends to take much-needed action to help fix our broken criminal justice system. We must continue to do whatever we can to support and elevate the powerless by helping to build institutions that not only treat everyone with justice and compassion, but first and foremost, with dignity. P

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FRANCIS continued from cover

AFTER HIS ORDINATION IN 1984, Fr. Mark was assigned as a missionary in Bogotá, Colombia. His life-long commitment to education and religious formation began here in his service as chaplain and formation director at the Colegio San Viator. He would also become fluent in Spanish — and later in French and Italian — adding to his repertoire of service. After three years, his community asked Mark to take up studies in Rome, recognizing his exceptional academic abilities. This would be his first encounter with the Eternal City. He pursued liturgical studies at the famed Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Sant’Anselmo, earning a Doctorate in Sacred Liturgy in 1988 — an achievement that would also be an integral part of Mark’s lifelong commitment.

Fr. Mark’s first transfer from Rome to Chicago and CTU began that same year of 1988, as upon completion of his doctoral studies he joined the faculty as a professor of liturgy. Fr. Mark would serve at the school for the next twelve years, earning a reputation as a strong scholar, an excellent teacher, and a beloved colleague. His fluency in Spanish enabled him to take a leading role in CTU’s program of outreach for Hispanic candidates and involved him in the life of the Archdiocese of Chicago, especially as a regular lecturer at the Liturgy Institute of Chicago which served both English and Spanish speaking students.

Rome and the Viatorians came calling again in 2000 when Fr. Mark was elected as the Superior General of his community, a singular recognition of his abilities and his standing among his fellow religious. Here, too, his two terms of service would extend for 12 years. In reflecting on those years, Fr. Mark found his visits to his worldwide community of Viatorians to be one of the most satisfying parts of his ministry of leadership. Along with his responsibilities as Superior General, Fr. Mark also used his educational skills with some teaching and lecturing at Roman universities, as well as making good friends with his counterparts in other religious communities, including a lasting friendship with the Redemptorist Superior General, Joseph Tobin, who later would be ordained a bishop and elected as a Cardinal, serving in the Vatican and ultimately becoming Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey and one of the outstanding religious leaders of the Church in the U.S. Cardinal Tobin would speak at Fr. Mark’s installation as president of CTU in 2013, and again with a personal tribute at a ceremony thanking Mark for his service in December 2020.

Fostering the CTU Mission

At the completion of Fr. Mark’s service as Superior General, he would once again make the trek back to Chicago and CTU, at first with a brief stint as Visiting Scholar at Santa Clara University and then firmly back at his alma mater when elected the sixth president of CTU in 2013.

…he would once again make the trek back to Chicago and CTU, at first with a brief stint as Visiting Scholar at Santa Clara University and then firmly back at his alma mater when elected the sixth president of CTU in 2013.

The CTU Fr. Mark would encounter as its new president had evolved considerably over the years: including an expanded student body with a larger percentage of lay men and women; more diverse representation of international students; a brandnew campus; the establishment of the Bernardin Center; a newly launched program in Catholic-Muslim studies; a number of collaborative programs with the Archdiocese of Chicago, and a fast-growing educational alliance with DePaul University.

Intensified by the demands of the pandemic, CTU has also dramatically expanded its use of technology in its educational programming. Yet CTU still held fast to its core mission of preparing men and women for service to the Church. In a providential way, Fr. Mark’s own skills and experience as a scholar and teacher, as a missionary at home in diverse cultures, and as a religious leader on an international scale, were in strong harmony with the deepest commitments of CTU and no doubt paved the way for the CTU Board of Trustees to select Fr. Mark as president.

Under Fr. Mark’s oversight the defining characteristics of CTU would continue to thrive: a sound program of Catholic theological education and pastoral training; deep collaboration between religious and laity, between men and women at every level of the school’s make-up, from its student body to its faculty and staff, and to its Board of Trustees and Corporation; a vibrant international character that brought the global church to CTU’s door; and an abiding commitment to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue.

Service in a Time of Change and Turbulence

During the seven years of Fr. Mark’s leadership of CTU, the Church and the world would face a series of unprecedented crises. The clergy sexual misconduct scandal had rocked the church and sapped its moral standing. A variety of factors posed economic and demographic challenges to higher education, including seminaries and schools of theology across the country and across denominations. Perhaps even a more profound challenge was the unanticipated and ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic that forced radical changes in every feature of education, including the physical presence on campus of faculty, staff, and students, all the while the country and the world community faced urgent financial problems and the terror of widespread hunger. At the same time, racial conflict and violence tore open the scars of deep-seated racism in our country.

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The CTU Response

During Fr. Mark’s tenure as president, the school had taken several steps that fortified it for such challenges, some of them as yet unseen, that lay ahead.

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Under the leadership of its then Academic Dean, Sr. Barbara Reid, OP — who would become Fr. Mark’s successor — the faculty had undertaken a thorough strategic review of CTU’s curriculum to adapt the preparation of its students for a rapidly changing world and for the needs of both the local and global church.

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With its new Director, Dr. Steven Millies, the Bernardin Center would extend its outreach programming. At the same time, the interreligious programs were invigorated by a new generation of leaders with the appointment of Dr. Malka Simkovich as professor of Jewish Studies and director of CTU’s Catholic-Jewish studies program, and the CTU Catholic-Muslim studies program would be led by its first Muslim director, Dr. Syed Atif Rizwan. A unique program fashioned by Fr. Mark and Rabbi Yehiel Poupko would enlist CTU faculty, along with faculty from Mundelein Seminary and some nearby Protestant seminaries, to inform Chicago area rabbis about Christianity in order to foster deeper understanding and collaboration.

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CTU would also continue its strong ecumenical commitment. To the long term collaboration with local Protestant seminaries in the Association of Chicago Theological Schools, CTU would inaugurate on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation, the annual Paul Wattson Lecture through a covenant with the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement, bringing outstanding Protestant scholars to the school.

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With Fr. Mark’s backing and the generous support of the Hilton Foundation, CTU also intensified its outreach to women and men religious through the innovative programs of the Center for the Study of Consecrated Life led by Sr. Maria Cimperman, RSCJ. At the same time CTU welcomed new initiatives, such as the Together Program, a collaborative effort with the Religious Formation Conference, which offers new members of religious communities the opportunity to live in community and continue their formation while studying at CTU.

BERNARDIN CENTER PRESENTS FR. MARK WITH PLAQUE AT VIRTUAL EVENT

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N BEHALF OF THE BERNARDIN CENTER, director Dr. Steven Millies honored Fr. Mark in November with a plaque with the Cardinal’s phrase Gaudium et Spes ( Joy and Hope) sharing, “Many of you will know that these are the first words of the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World an important document for us here at CTU and for Cardinal Bernardin, too. In those connections, let me just add one more word about why we have given that name to this token of recognition. Cardinal Bernardin came here to CTU in 1992 to speak on the thirtieth anniversary of the Council’s opening. When he was here, he said:

The image we have of the Church and society may at times be distorted because we view them through the lens of the negative realities of the moment. This can and does discourage us. But, in faith, we know that Jesus, who is ever present among us through his Holy Spirit, is still Lord of the universe and head of the Church. We have the firm assurance that, if we persevere in fidelity to him — a fidelity that calls for the best of which we are capable — in the end his will, his plan, will prevail. That assurance gives us hope that overcomes discouragement and calls us to greater things, even in the midst of adversity.

With those very timely sentiments, Mark Francis, a cleric of Saint Viator, professor of liturgy and president of Catholic Theological Union, and our very good friend, we thank you for your support for The Bernardin Center that has given us hope to seek greater things and the assurance of faith that our zeal will bear fruit. We thank you for being a source of joy and hope and empowering us to continue Cardinal Bernardin’s ministry every day here at CTU, as we will go on doing in the words of the Viatorian founder, Louis-Joseph Querbes, bearing witness to “faith in action.”

Forward in Faith

No president of a school of theology can escape the responsibility of seeking financial support. For Fr. Mark, a major exercise of this responsibility was the Forward in Faith capital campaign launched in 2018 together with the leadership of Vice President for Institutional Advancement, Colleen Kennedy. Fr. Mark would spearhead the launch of the $16 million dollar initiative, inviting our friends and sponsors a chance to reimagine what theological study and a seminary education can offer men and women — religious and laity — while building on a half century of success.

The campaign would reach more than 80% of completion during Fr. Mark’s tenure.

Half of this goal provides scholarships for outstanding students who have the qualities to serve the church with integrity. The remaining goals are to maintain and develop our superb faculty — one of the hallmarks of CTU — and to equip the institution with emerging technology that will advance CTU’s critically important mission throughout the country and the world. Lay students and seminarians, choosing a vocation of ministry, are not blind to the challenges facing the Church.

A Joyful Anniversary: CTU at 50 Years

A highlight of Fr. Mark’s tenure as president was the joyful celebration of CTU’s 50th anniversary, a year-long celebration during the 2018-2019 academic year. CTU began in the turbulent year of 1968 — a time itself filled with crises: the lingering Vietnam war; the chaos of the 1968 presidential campaign; the sharp divisions in our society. Yet the three founding religious orders of CTU — the Franciscans, the Passionists, and the Servites — began something new and life-giving — combining their resources and bringing their schools of theology together in the heart of the city. They sought to prepare future leaders of the Church in the midst of the dynamism, and problems, of a great city. And so CTU began and, through the grace of God, thrived. Fr. Mark would preside over the school anniversary celebrations, including a gathering in October 2018 that recounted CTU’s founding story, and would continue later that spring for a 50th Anniversary Mass at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish where Cardinal Blase Cupich presided and preached, symbolizing the vital connection between CTU and the Archdiocese of Chicago. At Fr. Mark’s insistence, the focus of the anniversary Mass would be three CTU graduates who were martyred in the course of their ministry, taking the occasion to raise up three inspiring alums who paid the ultimate price for the sake of the gospel.

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A Time of Gratitude

Over the past several weeks, the students, faculty, staff, trustees, and friends of CTU have expressed their gratitude to Fr. Mark for his service to CTU, wishing him every blessing as his life of service continues. We know he will continue to use his gifts and rich experience for the sake of the Gospel. At his farewell celebration in December, Fr. Mark himself reflected on his time at CTU as a time of grace: “Being president of CTU has been a wonderful and life-changing experience. I will remain forever grateful to God for the privilege of this ministry. I have often said that I have had three incarnations in this institution: as student, faculty member, and president.”

The founders of CTU deliberately chose Chicago as the place where it would be “incarnated” — this vibrant city, full of life and full of challenges—the right environment for those preparing to proclaim the Gospel to the world. In thanking Fr. Mark, it is right for the leader of this local church, Cardinal Blase Cupich, to have the last word:

With deep gratitude, I offer my sincere best wishes to you, Fr. Mark, as you retire from the presidency of Catholic Theological Union. Your wise leadership over the past seven years has added to its international reputation as a graduate school of excellence for theology and ministry in the Catholic Church. CTU’s outstanding role in educating and forming future ministers has benefited greatly from your insight, faith, warmth, and wisdom.

Your global vision, shaped as superior general of the Viatorians for twelve years, has been fundamental.

CTU’s diverse community which embraces men and women, religious and lay leaders from over 60 countries models the Gospel’s universal message of love, justice, and peace. The ecumenical and interreligious leadership of CTU is also clearly seen in your Hyde Park seminary community, your Jewish and Islamic studies programs, and the Bernardin Center’s role in bringing about a more just and peaceful society. Under your guidance, Catholic Theological Union has enhanced its unique and valued contribution to our local church, other dioceses, and to the world, for which I am deeply grateful.

May God bless you always, and in all ways, as you embark upon your sabbatical and future endeavors in servant leadership for the People of God. P

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REID continued from cover

In accepting the presidency of CTU, Sr. Barbara noted, “I have a deep love of CTU and a passionate desire to see it continue to thrive. It is an understatement to say that we are facing changes in our world and church of a kind and magnitude that are unprecedented. But with the expertise of CTU’s Board of Trustees, the commitment of the Corporation, along with our extraordinary faculty, dedicated and skilled staff and formation directors, amazing students, and myriad friends and supporters, we are well equipped to be a transformative force in the Church and world, witnessing to Christ’s good news of justice, love, and peace in these new circumstances.”

The Rev. James Halstead, OSA, chair of the CTU Board of Trustees said, “I’m excited that Sr. Barbara has accepted the presidency of CTU. She is an excellent leader and has a unique background that will help to lead the school into the next decade. As the first woman religious to lead CTU — a union of twenty-four men’s religious orders — Sr. Barbara’s leadership is an important statement of CTU’s commitment to Vatican II and the vision of Pope Francis.” Current president, Fr. Francis said, “I have known and respected Sr. Barbara Reid since we came on the Faculty of CTU together in 1988. I’m fully confident that she will help lead CTU into a new future. I know that CTU is in good hands.”

“I want to commend Catholic Theological Union on the magnificent choice of Sr. Barbara Reid to serve as the next president, said Frank Yamada, Executive Director of the Association of Theological Schools. “I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Reid as senior administrative colleague while in Chicago, and she has served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Association of Theological Schools. This is a timely appointment. Dr. Reid is the right leader to guide CTU in this time of significant change in theological education. She is an embodiment of the mission of CTU. I cannot think of a better person to guide CTU into its future.”

President Sr. Barbara Reid is a Dominican Sister of Grand Rapids, Michigan, and has been a member of the faculty of CTU since 1988 where she also served as Vice President and Academic Dean from 2009 to 2018. She is widely respected as a leading biblical scholar in the United States, particularly for her work in feminist biblical interpretation. President Reid has been actively involved in the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada, including service for two terms on their Board of Directors.

She is also past President of the Catholic Biblical Association. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards including an honorary doctorate from the University of Graz, Austria, induction into the Aquinas College Hall of Fame, the Yves Congar Award for Theological Excellence from Barry University, the St. Martin DePorres Award from the Southern Province of Dominican Friars, the Jerome Award from the Catholic Library Association of America, the Theological Award for Distinguished Women Theologians from the College of Mount St. Joseph, and the Sophia Award from Washington Theological Union.

More information can be found at ctu.edu/meet-the-president. P

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The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century

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TU’s biblical department play an important role in a brand-new edition of a renowned Catholic biblical resource. The Jerome Biblical Commentary ( JBC) is a one-volume resource that provides commentaries on each book of the Bible plus a host of other topical articles on biblical subjects. The first edition appeared in 1968, shortly after the Second Vatican Council and was spearheaded by Raymond E. Brown, SS, one of the premier Catholic scholars of the era. All of the authors were Catholic scholars to demonstrate the maturity of Catholic scholarship following upon the biblical renewal of the Council. The JBC quickly became an internationally recognized resource. A second edition appeared in 1990.

Now a completely new version has appeared. Barbara Reid, OP, and Donald Senior, CP, are the New Testament co-editors of the new edition and four other CTU Bible faculty contributed to the volume: John Barker, OFM, Laurie Brink, OP, Leslie Hoppe, OFM, and VănThanh Nguyễn, SVD. The new edition reflects the advances in the Church and in Catholic biblical scholarship over the past thirty years, including a more international and diverse cast of authors. Where the authors included in the 1990 edition were mainly priests and religious, nearly half of the authors of this new edition are lay women and men. Where the previous edition had nine women

as contributing authors, this latest edition has thirty-five. There is also a dramatic increase in the ethnic diversity of the current edition’s authors, including representation from several international scholars. Also reflecting new technology, this major resource is appearing in both online and print editions from the international British publisher, Bloomsbury.

A crowning flourish of this new edition is that Pope Francis himself wrote the preface to the volume! The entire work is dedicated in honor of the Pope whose own writings are steeped in the spirit of the Bible.

For more information, visit theologyandreligiononline.com. P

Pathways in Professional Ministry

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his fall CTU launched a new strategic initiative with a generous grant from the Rukavina Foundation. The Career Services team rolled out the Pathways in Professional Ministry program dedicated to the transformation of CTU students’ charisms, talents, and aptitudes into fully actualized marketable business and non-profit ministry skills.

The goal of the program is to help students in their career planning such that every student will have a paid ministry placement waiting for them prior to graduation if that is their desired vocational path. Both religious and lay students can learn organizational skills to advance their vocations through career coaching, job search networking techniques, management skills workshops and internships.

Workshops stress networking to explore applicable job opportunities with a broad horizon in both traditional and non-traditional ministries. Job search strategies are aimed at opening doors at parishes, non-profits, healthcare, social justice advocacy and social entrepreneurship organizations as well as ethics and corporate responsibility placements. Patrick McGarry, a student in the master’s in justice ministry program commented, “For those who seek guidance on how to start down their own career path, the resources provided offer myriad ways to not only begin the job search, but to identify which career or calling best fits an individual’s strengths and talents.”

Erika Tello, a student in the master’s in pastoral studies program agrees, “I have learned a lot about LinkedIn and networking, and how to write a ministry resume…I never really connected my profession with my vocation; now I know they go hand and hand.” P

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HAPPENINGS ELECTION NIGHT WITH THE BERNARDIN CENTER The Bernardin Center partnered with the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago to produce a series of virtual events focused on the 2020 election, “the most important election of our lifetimes.” These events can be viewed at learn.ctu.edu.

A panel discussion, “There is No Catholic Vote — and, It’s Important,” in September featured E.J. Dionne from The Washington Post, Emma Green from The Atlantic, Michael Bayer, and CTU’s Steven P. Millies, PhD. Dr. Millies also delivered a lecture, “The Gift of Our People: A Fresh Look at Our Faithful Citizenship in a Foreboding Moment,” in October, as part of his Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. Fellowship in Catholic Studies. The Hank Center awards this visiting fellowship each fall semester to invited scholars whose work intersects with the rich intellectual, artistic, and historical tradition of Roman Catholicism.

In November, the series continued with a panel, “Election Round-up: Results, Reflection, Renewal.” This panel focused on the importance of Catholic thought to citizenship and the common good, reflecting on the current political context. Joining Dr. Millies were Molly Andolina, Associate Professor of Political Science at DePaul University; Amanda Bryan, Associate Professor of Political Science at Loyola University; Miguel H. Díaz, PhD, John Courtney Murray University Chair in Public Service at Loyola University; and Dr. Bernard Prusak, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the McGowan Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at King’s College.

THRIVING IN MINISTRY VIRTUAL EVENT Thriving in Ministry brought together Marian Diaz, DMin, and the Rev. Richard Fragomeni for a threeweek series entitled Pondering Death in the Month of Holy Souls. The series explored the following topics: Stories of Immortality: The Way We Talk about the Afterlife, The Catholic Doctrine of Purgatory in a New Key, and Preparing for and Celebrating Funerals: Ours and Others.

The series is posted on learn.ctu.edu.

CTU CELEBRATES MARY-FRANCES VEECK’S 100 TH BIRTHDAY This past September, surrounded by her immediate family, Mary-Frances Veeck celebrated her 100 th birthday at CTU with the backdrop of a birthday card exhibit in the art gallery named for her and her late husband, Bill.

From a 2013 issue of Logos: Mary-Frances Veeck moved to Hyde Park in 1959 when she and her late husband, Bill, acquired the Chicago White Sox. Alongside her friend Mary Therese, MaryFrances became acquainted with the new neighborhood Catholic school, CTU, with values that mirrored Vatican II. “This is what I’d been looking for,” she said. “I would go to my church and fulfill what I was used to, and then here was this wonderful place, CTU! I found myself in school before I knew it!”

In Mary-Frances, CTU not only acquired a lifelong learner, but also an ardent supporter who shared her talents to help CTU become better known throughout Chicago. “It was an embryonic Catholic school and not enough people knew about it,” she said.

Mary-Frances was one of the founding leaders of what is now the annual Blessed are the Peacemakers Trustee Dinner, and in 2006, CTU’s art gallery was named the Mary-Frances and Bill Veeck Gallery in honor of this generous couple. P

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KUDOS ANNOUNCEMENTS

Catholic Theological Union welcomes Sr. Maribeth Howell, OP, as the new Coordinator of the Together Program. Sr. Maribeth is a native of Chicago, and holds a doctorate in sacred theology and philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium.

PUBLICATIONS Sr. Maria Cimperman, RSCJ, published Religious Life for Our World: Creating Communities of Hope (Orbis Books).

Rev. Robin Ryan, CP, published Gazing on His Face: A Christ-Centered Spirituality (Paulist Press).

Rev. Ferdinand Okorie, CMF, published Favor and Gratitude: Reading Galatians in Its Greco-Roman Context (Lexington Books).

Rev. Donald Senior, CP, published The Landscape of the Gospels — A Deeper Meaning (Paulist Press).

Rev. John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, was interviewed for the book Faith for Earth: A Call for Action (UN Environment Programme).

Br. Antonio D. Sison, CPPS, published The Art of Indigenous Inculturation: Grace on the Edge of Genius (Orbis Books).

Christina Zaker, DMin, published Surprised by God: Teaching Reflection through the Parables (Rowman & Littlefield).

Steven P. Millies, PhD, Director of the Bernardin Center at Catholic Theological Union, was selected as the fall 2020 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, Fellow in Catholic Studies at Loyola University Chicago’s Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage.

Gratitude for Rev. Richard Benson, CM New leadership in a time of transition

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n fall 2020, CTU announced the retirement of Rev. Richard Benson, CM (pictured above left), as CTU’s Vice President and Academic Dean at the end of the fall term 2020. Benson shared his news noting “I will always be grateful for the privilege to have been a part of the mission of CTU and to have had the honor to have worked with such a dedicated community of staff, faculty and administrators, second to none.” He will be moving away from administration in order to focus on research and writing.

On behalf of CTU President Mark Francis, CSV, thanked Benson “CTU owes a debt of sincere gratitude for the able way in which Dick Benson stepped into the role of Vice President and Academic Dean in the fall of 2019. His years of previous experience as a Dean were a great asset as he helped see the school through the breaking COVID crisis. His common sense and good humor were especially prized on the Leadership Council.

With the gratitude of the CTU community, and the approval of his provincial, Rev. Roger P. Schroeder, SVD, MDiv ’79 (pictured above right), Professor of Intercultural Studies and Ministry, has agreed to serve as Interim Vice President and Academic Dean. His term began January 1, 2021. Schroeder has worked closely with both Benson and new president Sr. Barbara Reid, OP, in preparing for his role during this year of transition at CTU and the search for Fr. Benson’s successor.

We ask for your prayers during this special time when new leadership is in the process of being called forth for CTU. P

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CTU Partners with Archdiocese in Preaching for Deacons in Spanish “It has been a terrific opportunity!” said Rev. Eddie De León, CMF, Assistant Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Preaching about the recent partnership with the Archdiocese of Chicago. At the encouragement of CTU’s president, Fr. Mark Francis, Eddie visited with Bishops Alberto Rojas and John Manz asking how CTU could be of service to the Archdiocese of Chicago as they respond to the pastoral needs of the Latinx community.

A partnership soon launched for CTU to assist with preaching preparation for the diaconate program in Spanish.

A growing momentum and energy developed from these conversations with the bishops and consultation with the deacon candidates. Nelly Lorenzo, Director of the Instituto de Liderazgo Pastoral and CTU alumna, then welcomed Eddie to the Instituto and applauded CTU’s generous collaboration. The second ordination class is scheduled for Spring 2021. ¡ Adelante!

Dr. Barry Rankin Sundays@CTU Lecture Series on God’s Creation Annual lecture explores themes of eco-theology

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s part of CTU’s 50th Anniversary Forward in Faith campaign, the Dr. Barry Rankin Sundays@CTU Lecture Series on God’s Creation was established by Mrs. Donna Rankin to permanently remember the scholarship and contributions of her late husband, Dr. Barry Rankin, a key organizer of Catholic Theological Union. The annual lecture will be held each year to explore themes of eco-theology, celebrating a “cosmos saturated with divinity.”

At the time when the founding religious orders were considering the possibility of beginning a bold joint venture of a new collaborative School of Theology in the heart of Chicago, Barry Rankin was a leading member of the Passionist theology faculty. His courageous voice helped propel the project from a daring dream inspired by the spirit of Vatican II into a reality that was born in the Hyde Park university neighborhood of Chicago.

Barry was also a key member of the charter faculty of the new school, helping to shape its curriculum and guide its beginning years. After his retirement from the priesthood and taking up his work with the Federal government, Barry, together with his wife Donna, were generous supporters of CTU and faithful participants in its programs.

The Inaugural lecture was held in November 2019 given by Sr. Dianne Bergant, CSA, on the subject of Laudato si’. This year, Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, will present, Enfolded with Affection: Imagining “Us” in Creation Theology. Johnson is Distinguished Professor emerita at Fordham University. The recipient of numerous honorary degrees including one from CTU, she has been deeply involved in the life of the church, serving on the national U.S. Lutheran-Catholic Dialogue, the Vatican-sponsored dialogue between science and religion, and the original committee of the Catholic Common Ground Initiative started by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin to reconcile divided factions in the church.

UPCOMING EVENT: On March 14, CTU will feature Sr. Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, Distinguished Professor emerita at Fordham University, for the second annual Dr. Barry Rankin Sundays at CTU Lecture Series on God’s Creation. P

ALUMNI NEWS ANNOUNCEMENTS Rev. Patrick Bergin, MDiv ’20, formerly CEO of the African Wildlife Foundation, was ordained a priest June 29 by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich for the Archdiocese of Tabora, Tanzania. The story of his calling and ministry appeared in the summer 2020 issue of Logos.

Rev. Jerry Bleem, OFM, MDiv ’82, has a solo exhibition, entitled Still, at the Riverside Arts Center in Riverside, Illinois. This exhibition is a continuation of his extended series, Nationalism. Begun in response to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the project transforms well-used American flags into contemplative objects.

“By rearranging the surface of the flag,” Fr. Bleem says, “I hope to turn it from something familiar into something that must be deciphered.” He teaches in the Fiber and Material Studies department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Rev. Alfred Orwa Bwana, CP, MA ’12, is currently pursuing a doctorate in sacred theology, specializing in sacred liturgy, at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa in Nairobi, Kenya.

Cirstin Conneely, MDiv ‘99, is now a nationally certified adult psychoanalyst in private practice. She completed her training at National Psychological Association for Psychoanalysis. She is also a board member for Sacred Spirit Yoga and Healing Arts Center.

Stephanie Clary, MA ’17, joined U.S. Catholic magazine as digital editor. She previously worked as the assistant director of communication for the Diocese of Burlington, Vermont, and assistant editor of Vermont Catholic magazine.

Sr. Glenna Czachor, OSF, MAPS ’10, was recently elected to the leadership team of her religious community, the Wheaton Franciscans, also known as the St. Clare Region of the Franciscan Sisters Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. She was installed in a simple service on October 5, the feast of their foundress, Mother Clara Pfaender.

Sr. Susan Francois, CSJP, MA ’15, participated in the virtual Nuns on the Bus national tour ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Nuns on the Bus, a social justice advocacy group, is sponsored by NETWORK, a national Catholic lobby based in Washington, DC.

Beth Knobbe, MDiv ’07, is a regular contributor to “Into the Deep: Exploring Ignatian Spirituality through the Voices of Women,” a new blog website hosted by author Becky Eldredge and a team of committed lay women. “Into the Deep” provides reflections and resources for those who wish to go deeper in their walk with Christ through the lens of Ignatian spirituality. You can read her latest posts at: tinyurl.com/y6tcb58t.

Ryan Lents, MA-JM ’18, recently joined Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training as a national organizer and trainer. He had previously worked for eleven years with the Archdiocese of Chicago, four of them as director of the Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity.

Joan F. Neal, MA ’02, is a strategist and independent organizational development consultant in the Washington, DC area. She recently served on the planning team for a new group dedicated to developing an influential Black Catholic voice in the Church and in society, which sponsored a lecture by Fr. Bryan Massingale on racism in the Church. She also served as a national co-chair for the Biden campaign’s Catholics for Biden committee, and was a panelist for both the Mexican American Catholic College’s “Weaving Cultures” program and the Center for Migration Studies’ Catholic Immigrant Integration Initiative Conference, which was hosted by the University of Notre Dame.

Deacon Mark Plaiss, MA ‘06, celebrated ten years of writing his column “Notions & Ruminations’’ for the Northwest Indiana Catholic newspaper in October.

He teaches in the Department of Religious Studies at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, Illinois.

Bernadette Raspante, MA ’17, teaches high school theology full time at DePaul College Prep, and evening courses in theology at Calumet College of Saint Joseph.

She has joined the board of directors of Women’s Ordination Conference, and has contributed two articles to the October 2020 issue of U.S. Catholic magazine: one coauthored with Nathaniel Hunter and entitled “Which Catholic women inspire you?”, and another entitled “Was Jesus a feminist?” Find the articles at tinyurl. com/y4umff77 and tinyurl.com/y23p3zd4.

Raspante is also on a personal pilgrimage to bring awareness to the cause of women’s ordination. Learn more about her pilgrimage at her blog: ridingforrites. wordpress.com Justin Sengstock, MA-ICM ’19, has been the development associate at CTU since June 2019. In August 2020, he also assumed general responsibility for alumni relations. Outside of work, he volunteers with the religious education program at St. Agnes Church in Chicago Heights, Illinois.

Timothy J. Sovereign, MDiv ’88, is entering his thirty-second year as a theology teacher at Marian Catholic High School in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He has served as department chair since 2018. In April 2019, he was inducted into the East Suburban Catholic Conference “Hall of Fame” for more than twenty-five years of coaching cross country and track.

Sr. Peg Spindler, CSA, MAPS ’97, is retiring after her twenty-third year as head of the Sojourner Truth House in Gary. According to Sr. Spindler, “We work with homeless and at-risk women and their children to get them into stable housing in a sustainable, healthy way. We also have a pantry and women’s closet. We serve about 2,000 people a month.” In 2018, she was named a “Difference Maker 100” honoree by the TIAA, as one of 100 individuals working in the nonprofit sector throughout the U.S. who have made significant contributions in their communities.

Jane Sprankel, CPS ’80, was named co-director for ministry on the Sisters of Mercy Institute Leadership Team. The purpose of the soon-to-be established Institute Ministry Office is to support and encourage the more than one hundred spiritual, social, pastoral, and healthcare ministries now sponsored by the Institute in their response to the needs of our time.

Stephanie Gado, MA-ICM ‘20, (pictured above center) served as the 2020 Census Ambassador at the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County, Inc. (CEDA). A Tolton alumna, she describes her work with CEDA as a ministry and a blessing, for which her degree well prepared her.

Edwina Gately, MTS ’81, gave a special live-streamed presentation on “A Spirituality during COVID-19” for the University of St. Francis in Joliet, Illinois, on September 8. Gately is a noted spiritual writer and speaker whose topics have included the faith journey, discipleship, women in Scripture, justice, mission, spirituality, mysticism, and the feminine divine. She expects that this was her last stateside lecture before returning to her homeland of England.

Anne Gibbons ’84 celebrated thirty years in campus ministry at the University of Lynchburg in Lynchburg, Virginia, in 2017. The university dedicated an eight-foot peace pole in her honor. Read more at tinyurl.com/34pnlmdv.

Maggie Kast, MTS ’87, has participated in several launch events for her new book, Side by Side but Never Face to Face. Watch her at Women & Children First Books at tinyurl.com/y6fdxepr and Annie Blooms’ Books at tinyurl.com/y6he6wl4.

Sr. Mumbi Kigutha, CPPS, MA-JM ’19, contributed an article to the October 2020 issue of U.S. Catholic magazine, entitled “We must find creative ways to ensure access to the Eucharist.” You can read her article at tinyurl.com/y6btrwn4.

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Dr. Lawrence E. Sullivan, MDiv ’75, was appointed by Pope Francis as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. He is director emeritus of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School.

Rev. Michael Surufka, OFM, MDiv ’91, was appointed rector and pastor of the Cathedral of the Holy Angels in Gary, Indiana, as well as pastor of Saints Monica and Luke Parish in Gary, by Bishop Robert McClory. This appointment was made with the intention of forming a Franciscan community at Holy Angels. Fr. Surufka has been serving as administrator of these parishes since June 2019. For now, he also retains his responsibilities as pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Cedar Lake, Indiana.

Joshua van Cleef, MDiv ‘16, MA ’19, published an op-ed in the Lexington Herald-Leader entitled, “The most vulnerable carry the heaviest burden of this pandemic. Congress must act.” Read the article at kentucky.com/opinion/op-ed.

Van Cleef is coordinator for peace and justice at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky, and the parish life director of Holy Cross Catholic Church in Jackson, Kentucky.

Sr. Julia Walsh, FSPA, MAPS ’17, is the 2020-2021 intern for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development at the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity.

IN MEMORIAM: CTU FOUNDING CORPORATE MEMBERS

IN MEMORIAM

Rev. Sebastian MacDonald, CP, Founding Corporate Member The CTU community joins the Passionists in mourning the loss of Rev. Sebastian MacDonald, CP. He was one of CTU’s charter faculty members and its first professor of Moral Theology, serving on the faculty from 1968 to 1971.

MacDonald remained closely connected to CTU throughout his life. While serving as provincial of the Holy Cross Province, he was an active member of the CTU corporation, serving two terms from 1983 to 1991. He also represented the Passionist community on the CTU board of trustees from January 2002 to April 2014. The trustees elected MacDonald as a life trustee in July 2014.

MacDonald later served as superior of the Passionist local formation community at CTU from 2007 to 2015. He always made it a point to be present for all of CTU’s public lectures and gatherings. In 2015, he retired to the Passionist community in Louisville, but he never lost interest in CTU and returned for the 50th anniversary celebration in 2018. He died at the age of 90 on January 1, 2021, after suffering a stroke.

Rev. David Brown, OSM, Founding Corporate Member Rev. David M. Brown, OSM, died from complications of COVID-19 at St. Joseph Village Nursing Care Center in Chicago on January 2, 2021. Brown was 97 years old, and a professed friar for 77 years.

At the founding of CTU in 1968, Brown was appointed as a delegate from the Order of Servants of Mary to the organizing committee of the three founding communities. We are grateful for his role in founding CTU, a school of theology that would implement a new model for seminary education.

CTU Alumna Honored by President of Ireland for Her Work Around the World

BY SAR AH MAC DONALD. E XCERPT FROM GLOBAL SISTERS REPORT AND EDITED FOR CL ARIT Y.

CTU alumna, Sr. Patricia Murray, IBVM, MA ‘05, DMIN ‘11, was among 14 people to receive Presidential Distinguished Service Awards for the Irish Abroad. The award is the highest honor for Irish people living overseas.

“Each of these individuals have made a remarkable contribution to Ireland and to our international reputation,” Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney said in announcing the recipients November 6. “I am deeply grateful for their service and commitment to this country.”

Murray of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, also known as the Loreto Sisters, has been recognized for her work in peace, reconciliation, and development. She is currently secretary of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), the Rome-based worldwide canonically approved organization of superiors general of institutes of Catholic women religious.

Pope Francis appointed Dublin-born Murray as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Culture last year. Prior to her appointment as secretary of UISG, she was the founding executive director of Solidarity with South Sudan, an umbrella organization set up to foster collaboration among over 100 religious orders to rebuild the educational, medical, agricultural and pastoral infrastructure of the new African state.

Murray said she was “humbled” by the award because “one never acts alone. In accepting it, I acknowledge all those who are truly part of this award: my IBVM (Loreto) sisters, family and friends, many colleagues and collaborators. In particular it honors the many sisters from Ireland and elsewhere whose faithful quiet service and commitment makes a difference in the lives of so many.”

In 1998, she was elected to the general council of the Loreto order and was based in Rome. During her term of office, her home province of Ireland made the decision to make a new foundation in Rumbek in South Sudan, building the first secondary school for girls in Lakes State in 2006. She herself led Solidarity with South Sudan, which worked to address the vacuum in educational and health infrastructure that had been devastated by decades of civil war with its mainly Muslim northern neighbor, Sudan.

In 2019, Murray gave the keynote address to over 700 sisters at the annual assembly for the U.S. Leadership Conference of Women Religious. She told the assembly that even while sisters work locally, they must think globally, both about the people they serve and themselves.

“Being truly present to one another, being open to a mutual encounter with the other who comes as a stranger, is a prophetic act in today’s divisive contexts,” she said. “Today, the local people call the sisters in the UISG communities ‘Le Suore del Mondo,’ ‘the Sisters of the World.’ Perhaps that is our new calling?” She continued, “We know that the presence of God is all around us and that we are connected to each other through ties both visible and invisible. We need to have global conversations.”

For the complete article, go to tinyurl.com/y2ztebtt.

Rev. Aniello Salicone, SX, MDiv ‘80, MA ‘82, (pictured above left) most recently of Franklin, Wisconsin, died there November 18, 2020 from complications of COVID-19. A native Italian, he joined the Xaverian Missionaries at age 21 and worked in Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the United Kingdom. Later, he moved to the United States and worked at the Animation Center in Holliston, Massachusetts, and St. Therese Chinese Catholic Church in Chicago, Illinois.

Sr. Barbara Doherty, SP, (pictured above right) a former director of the Institute of Religious Formation at CTU, died August 17, 2020. Doherty, who grew up in Chicago, joined the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1951. She spent much of her ministry in education, teaching in various Catholic schools in Indiana and Illinois before obtaining a doctorate from Fordham University and embarking on a career as a theologian.

In 1984, Doherty became the thirteenth president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Terre Haute, Indiana, serving until 1998. A year later Doherty assumed her role at Catholic Theological Union, leading the IRF until 2007. Her final active ministry was as office coordinator for the Shrine of St. Mother Theodore Guerin.

“Being a Sister of Providence has been a great life,” Doherty reflected, according to an interview published on a Sisters of Providence website. “I suspect it’s because when you give your life over to something, you have a pathway that has opened itself to you. You know you can run away from it, but still there is a Mystery that summons you. There is a power of grace that holds you, keeps you steady, and constantly surrounds you with love.”

Sr. Mary Eileen Ghesquiere, OSF, MTS ’82, died on November 14, 2020. Born in Detroit, she joined the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, in 1948 and later worked in administration for her community. In addition to her CTU degree, Ghesquiere held a certificate in Formation and Spirituality from St. Louis University.

Rev. G. Jerome Knies, OSA, died in Crown Point, Indiana on December 8, 2020. A Chicago native who entered the Augustinians in 1954 and was ordained in 1962, he studied at Lateran University in Rome and worked for years at the Tolentine Center in Olympia Fields, Illinois. Knies later held numerous positions of leadership and service in the Augustinian Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel, including member of the province council, member of CTU’s board of trustees, and member of several province committees and commissions. For several years, he also taught Patristics at CTU. Rev. Rudy Vela, SM, DMin ’03, died September 29, 2020, in San Antonio, Texas. Fr. Vela was also an alumnus of St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, where he went on to serve variously as assistant professor of Theology, director of the study abroad program in Spain, and most recently as vice president of mission and rector. In 2015, the Marianist priest also participated in a biblical studies and travel program in Israel sponsored by CTU. Evelyn Eaton Whitehead died November 16, 2020.

She was a long-time mentor of CTU’s Ecumenical DMin program. She and her husband, James, received an honorary doctorate in ministry from CTU in 2004.

They were honored for their contributions in the areas of theological reflection, adult faith formation and pastoral leadership.

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ON APRIL 28, Catholic Theological Union will host its annual Blessed are the Peacemakers Trustee Dinner as a virtual event.

Dr. Anthony Fauci

Dr. Christine Grady

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, and Dr. Christine Grady, Chief of the Department of Bioethics at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, will receive CTU’s Blessed are the Peacemakers award. Join us as we honor this remarkable couple for their extraordinary service as courageous healers and public servants, and their unyielding dedication to the common good.

Register and learn more online at ctu.edu/peacemakers-2021. P

Logos is published twice a year with information for alumni, donors, and friends of Catholic Theological Union.

PUBLISHER Rev. Mark R. Francis, CSV

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EDITORS Colleen Kennedy Kellene Urbaniak