MARQUETTE MATTERS
New directors share vision for Faber Center, Campus Ministry By Lynn Sheka
of the
Faber Center
Eleven years ago, Dr. Michael Dante sat in his office in the Pentagon developing billion-dollar aerospace budgets as a consulting mathematician. Despite his high-powered career, he felt something was missing. After a period of discernment, Dante decided to resign his position and undertake the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, a 30 day silent retreat. While there, he couldn’t ignore God calling him to a different path, which eventually included a master’s degree in Divinity from Washington Theological Union and a doctoral degree in spirituality from The Catholic University of America. Dante will draw on his experience as a retreat and spiritual director, a chaplain in residence at Georgetown University and a visiting assistant professor at Fordham University to shape his vision for the Faber Center. He explains, “My hope is to create an environment for reflection that enhances the university’s community, teaching, research and service.” Dante’s future plans include positioning the Faber Center as a catalyst to facilitate personal spiritual growth, dialogue between spirituality and the academic disciplines, and interfaith conversations. He also hopes to offer a course in spirituality and leadership. “We need to ask ourselves what it really means to have the Ignatian spirit inform the university at all levels,” Dante says. This spiritual vision has guided Dante throughout his life, even as his eyesight deteriorated from congenital cataracts and glaucoma. Despite this hardship, he describes himself as “a kind and thoughtful person who loves life” and he hopes to meet as many members of the campus community as possible. He asks only that people identify themselves by name when they greet him. For Dante — who lives in Abbotsford Hall with his wife, Hall Minister Cathy Dante — the loss of his vision has helped him “come in contact with a deeper passion for ministry.” The Faber Center will host an open house to introduce Dante to the campus community, Monday Sept. 17, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Faber Center, Schroeder Complex, 111.
Photo by Ben Smidt
Dr. Michael Dante, director
Mary Sue Callan-Farley and Michael Dante
Mary Sue Callan-Farley, director
of
Campus Ministry
Helping students strengthen their connection to faith is of paramount importance to Mary Sue Callan-Farley. She comes to campus with 20 years of experience in mission and ministry work, including 11 years as director of Campus Ministry at St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, N.J., an urban, diverse Jesuit university. Her experience there instilled in her the importance of helping students understand their own faith tradition and the traditions of others. Callan-Farley plans to build on the strong relationships Campus Ministry has throughout Marquette and the surrounding community to prompt new conversations and collaboration around strengthening students’ faith lives. Callan-Farley believes meaningful student dialogue about faith occurs when individuals first explore “who they are as a person, what their relationship is to a loving and just God, and finally how they live their faith.” She is excited to tap into Marquette’s well-established Mission and Ministry program and to learn more about the spirit of the campus. “I’ve always been impressed with how Marquette puts its Catholic, Jesuit mission and identity front and center. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that?”
Get to know the 2012 / 2013 THEATRE SEASON
Class of 2016
Freedom To...
2012-13 Performing Arts shows to examine freedom in many forms The shows playing at the Helfaer Theatre during the upcoming academic year were each selected to demonstrate a different expression of freedom. Running from Sept. 27–Oct. 7, The Foreigner tells the story of a shy Englishman who travels to a rural Georgia fishing lodge and pretends he cannot speak English, finding himself on a wild adventure of self discovery. Loosely inspired by the Pan Am 103 tragedy, The Women of Lockerbie depicts a grieving mother searching for her son’s remains seven years after the crash, and will run Nov. 8–18. Other shows include Fiasco Theatre’s version of Cymbeline, running Oct. 12–13; Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, running Jan. 12–13 and Jan. 19–20; A Doll’s House, running Feb. 21–March 3; Urinetown, running April 18–28; and Gathering Blue, running May 10–19.
1,943 students 361 legacy students 326 first generation college students Hail from 43 states plus G uam and Puerto Rico 33 high school valedictorians 1 set of triplets 6 sets of twins