THE MESSENGER
The Catholic Newsletter of Xavier University of Louisiana
SPRING/SUMMER 2024
XAVIER AWARDS 655 DEGREES
Xavier University of Louisiana awarded degrees to 655 graduates at its 97th annual commencement ceremonies this May. The commencement speaker was Deborah H. Telman, J.D., Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and General Counsel with Gilead Sciences, Inc., a global bio-pharmacy company and frequent partner of Xavier University, who offered words of inspiration and advice to the graduates.
Rev. Dr. Roy Lee served as celebrant of the Baccalaureate Mass, with several Archdiocesan priests serving as concelebrants. Following the Baccalaureate Mass on Friday, May 10, 2024, Xavier University held its Honors and Awards Ceremony.
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SPIRITUAL RETREAT UPLIFTS SOULS
Xavier University students enjoying their spring spiritual retreat in Covington, Louisiana.
The threatening skies could not dampen the spirits of a group of Xavierites who attended the annual spring spiritual retreat sponsored by the Office of Campus Ministry. This year’s spring retreat was held over two days in early March at the Rivers Retreat, a 13-acre retreat center in Covington, Louisiana, nestled along the Little Tchefuncte River. “The retreat offers our students of all faiths an opportunity to engage in prayer, quiet meditation, song and fun activities,” said Lisa McClain, Director of the Office of Campus Ministry. “Each year, we have more students wanting to participate in this student-led spiritual experience. They find it quite uplifting and fun,” she said.
Peace Be with You
Fr. Victor Laroche, O.P., University Chaplain and Special Assistant to the President for Catholic Identity
On Pentecost Sunday, millions of Roman Catholics and believers of other Christian denominations gathered all over the world to praise God for the many blessings received during this past year, sometimes amid challenges. For Xavierites, this academic year was marked by the deaths of Sr. Donna Gould, SBS, and Sr. Mary Ann Stachow, SBS; Deacon Clifford Wright, who taught students for 50+ years, and other faculty and staff; many Xavierites and generous donors. May they rest in peace.
Speaking of Peace, this word was at the core of the Gospel message throughout the past Easter Season. We heard it in the Gospel according to Saint John from the Risen Christ who said to his first disciples and to us all, “Peace be with you!”
Jesus’ gifts of peace and joy are my favorites, not just on the day when Christian churches worldwide celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit year after year God’s Holy Spirit manifested itself in a special way on the first Pentecost. Along with the Gospel, the first and second readings remind us of the many gifts offered day in and day out by the Spirit of Peace.
The Acts of the Apostles highlighted the gift of unity amid “diversity,” since each one heard the apostles speaking in his or her own language. Our Xavier community can take
pride in being a very diverse family and the only Catholic HBCU of this nation. By taking a quick look around this campus on any given day, even during summertime, we can see a manifestation of this unity within our diversity.
Saint Paul, in his letter to the Christian community in Corinth, highlighted the unifying power of the Holy Spirit, acknowledging that while we receive many gifts, we are one body in Christ, one Xavier Family. The twelfth chapter of the first letter to the Corinthians encapsulates Saint Paul’s pastoral theology: “different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same spirit.”
Two thousand years ago, diversity, mutual respect and collaboration were already identified as manifestations of the Holy Spirit’s presence and gifts to the church. The same Holy Spirit is at work today and every day. This Spirit of Truth and understanding challenges us, first and foremost, as baptized Christians or members of other religious families to continue our journey of on-going conversion within this most diverse, peace-seeking and God-loving community of Xavierites. Peace be with you as we “press forward and fear nothing” to continue the mission initiated by St. Katharine Drexel one hundred years ago, entrusted to her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament and countless other men and women of all faiths, since then. Amen.
CENTENNIAL CAMPAIGN PASSES $100M MILESTONE
Xavier University of Louisiana announced that it has raised more than $100 million marking a significant milestone of its $500 million Centennial Campaign. This achievement demonstrates the value of Xavier, not only as the nation’s only Black and Catholic institution of higher learning, but as one that invests in educating, empowering, and producing the nation’s next generation of leaders.
“Xavier continues to solidify itself as an educational leader and option for young people looking to become trailblazers of tomorrow,” said Campaign Chair Gladstone Jones. “I am beyond confident that by surpassing this first campaign milestone, we are well on our way to reaching our total $500 million goal and setting up Xavier for its next century of excellence and triumphs,” he added.
The Centennial Campaign is built upon the university’s founding mission of creating a more just and humane society through education via four key initiatives:
Increasing Affordability & Access Through Financial Assistance: Xavier will ensure its transformative education is accessible
to more students, regardless of income or socioeconomic status.
Matching Our Campus to Our Potential: Xavier is committed to building infrastructure that enhances the student on-campus experience and reflects Xavier’s academic excellence.
Investing in the Well-Being & Success of the Entire Student Body: Xavier is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment where all students can thrive and reach their full potential.
Recruiting and Retaining Exceptional Faculty & Expanding Academic Programs: Xavier will invest in a world-class faculty and an innovative and research-rich program to ensure graduates are ready to address the most pressing challenges of their communities.
“Our generous supporters know that an investment in Xavier is not only an investment in our current students but it’s an investment in social justice and the communities and the nation they serve,” said President Reynold Verret.
THEOLOGY CLUB’S SPRING LECTURE FEATURES XU ALUM
Dr. LaShaunda Reese (Theology, Class of ‘13)
Xavier University’s Theology Club’s spring lecture focused on the intersection of ethics, theology, and medicine. Dr. LaShaunda Reese led an engaging discussion, presenting an ethical exploration of moral dilemmas. Her presentation focused on a case study of a real life medical situation, addressing the ethics, theology, survival, and medicine narrative from the African American perspective. “How we tell stories about ourselves, one another, and the world is paramount to how we make decisions in our day to day lives,” said Dr. Reese.
Xavier Awards 655 Degrees Continued from page 1
The University recognized the academic and service achievements of members of the graduating class in this special ceremony.
This year’s recipient of the St. Katharine Drexel Award was Kennedy CareyPrescott . The St. Katharine Drexel Award is Xavier University’s top student honor, which is awarded annually to the student who best exemplifies the Xavier mission of service to others and the values of St. Katharine Drexel.
Terrol Perkins, received the Mother M. Agatha Ryan Award. The Mother M. Agatha Ryan Award is named in memory of Mother M. Agatha Ryan, SBS, the
first sister of the Blessed Sacrament to serve as president of Xavier. This award recognizes a graduating Xavier senior who has shown an appreciation of the spirit of the institution.
Pictured L-R: Dr. Marguerite Giguette, Provost; Terrol Perkins, Mother M. Agatha Ryan Awardee; Kennedy Carey-Prescott, Saint Katharine Drexel Awardee; and President Reynold Verret, at the Honors and Awards Ceremony.
Members of the Xavier University Class of 2024 beam with pride.
KNIGHTS OF PETER CLAVER AWARDS XAVIERITES
The Knights of Peter Claver (KPC) and Ladies Auxiliary, an international Catholic fraternal service order, presented scholarship awards to members of the Class of 2024 at the annual Honors and Awards ceremony.
Dahlia Ahmed received the Gilbert Faustina Award, which is named for the first Supreme Knight of the Knights of Peter Claver. The award honors a graduating student who has demonstrated outstanding leadership and organizing ability among his or her fellow students. Alicia Lewis was the recipient of the Louis Israel Award, named for the Second Supreme Knight of the Knights of Peter Claver. This award is given annually to the student who has shown outstanding spirit of self-sacrifice in the service to others. Nia-Hyatt Eldosougi received the Alphonse Pierre Auguste Award, which is named in memory of the third Supreme Knight of the Knights of Peter Claver and given to the student who
has exemplified the finest Christian social concern.
Two members of Xavier’s KPC Collegiate Chapter were also honored. Vice Grand Lady Tia Bishop and Knight Jered Wilson received the Consuella Broussard, award, named for the eighth Supreme Lady of the Knights of Peter Claver Ladies Auxiliary and a Xavier alumna. It is awarded annually to two seniors for their activity and service in Campus Ministry.
Pictured L-R: Dr. Marguerite Giguette, Provost; Jered Wilson; Tia Bishop; Lisa McClain, Director of the Office of Campus Ministry; and President Reynold Verret.
Pictured L-R: Dr. Marguerite Giguette, Provost; Alicia Lewis; Lisa McClain, Director of the Office of Campus Ministry; and President Reynold Verret.
Pictured L-R: Dr. Marguerite Giguette, Provost; Nia-Hyatt Eldosoughi; Lisa McClain, Director of the Office of Campus Ministry; and President Reynold Verret.
LIGHTING THE PATH A Testament to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament
As Xavier University inches toward its centennial, one of the most important chapters in the University’s history has come to a close. In February 2024, Xavier bid farewell to the last of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament as they returned to their religious home in Philadelphia. The Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament had served on our campus for nearly a century.
Saint Katharine Drexel founded the religious order in 1891. Together, they opened and operated a network of schools in 44 states dedicated to educating Native American and Black youth in the Catholic educational tradition, among them, Xavier College Preparatory which opened in uptown New Orleans in 1915. It would eventually spawn the establishment of Xavier University in 1925.
Mother Katharine Drexel sent many a young woman who had vowed service to God and the cause of racial justice to Xavier and other schools to minister and serve in schools and missions that she established. By the mid-1940’s, the order’s numbers of religious on Xavier’s campus reached its pinnacle with more than 100 serving as faculty, administrators and staff at Xavier.
The last member of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament to serve on the Xavier faculty was Sr. Mary Ann Stachow, Assistant Professor of Theology. After experiencing the poverty and distressing conditions of life on a Colorado Indian reservation that she had visited in her youth, and determined to make a difference, she and many other young women
Pictured L-R: Mother Agatha Ryan and Mary McLeod Bethune, the first female commencement speaker at Xavier. She received the Francis A. Drexel gold medal, the University’s highest honor in, 1937. (Xavier University of Louisiana Archives)
like her, found their calling with the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament. Each took vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and to be of service to the Native American and Black communities. Sr. Mary Ann Stachow would spend 42 years in service at Xavier University. With the departure of Sr. Mary Ann Stachow this February, for the first time since its founding, there are no Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament on faculty or staff at Xavier University, although still serving as a University trustees. This year, Xavierites have seen the passing of three beloved SBS
faculty: Sr. Donna Gould, who taught English to many Xavierites; Sr. Mary Ann Stachow, a long-serving assistant professor of Theology who coordinated and guided many fellowships and trips to Rome and Israel; and most recently, Xavierites mourned the death of Sr. Grace Mary Flickinger, a biology professor and beloved athletic advisor to countless Xavierites.
While mourning the passing of these Sisters and others, we can take solace in knowing that they have prepared Xavier well. By their devotion to their vows and the mission of Xavier, the University has grown and prospered for almost a century. While the Sisters may no longer have a physical presence on campus, the foundation of our Catholic faith they laid will guide the path we follow in the century to come.
Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in the old Xavier University Chapel in the Administration Building (Xavier University of Louisiana Archives).
Pictured L-R: Sr. Nathalee Bryant, SBS and Sr. Mary Ann Stachow, SBS.
LIGHTING THE PATH Pictures from an Exhibition
“Total Gift of Self”, mural by artist and Xavier University art professor, Ron Bechet, is a tribute to Saint Katharine Drexel and the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.
Earlier this year, the Xavier University of Louisiana Art Gallery hosted a special exhibition, “Lighting the Path, A Testament to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament”. This exhibit featured works of art from the Xavier University Art Collection, including several by art alumni. Historic documents, artifacts and photographs from the Xavier University Archives were woven together to help tell the story of the depth of the impact of the influence of the important work of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in education, faith-building and racial justice and in the development of Xavier University.
During the exhibition’s run, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament were honored at a reception at Xavier. The audience was treated to a special reading of letters that had been written by former Xavierites to then-Mother Katharine Drexel in French in
the 1930’s and were included in the exhibition. A special student musical performance highlighted the evening honoring the Sisters.
Pictured L-R: Sr. Amelia Breton, SBS, Trustee; Sr. Jane Nesmith, SBS, Trustee; President Reynold Verret; Sr. Stephanie Henry, SBS, Trustee and President of the SBS; and Sr. Nathalee Bryant, SBS at the exhibition reception.
President Reynold Verret Honored by U of Portland and Georgetown
The University of Portland, a private Catholic university guided by the Congregation of Holy Cross, in Portland, Oregon, awarded Xavier University, Dr. Reynold Verret an honorary doctorate for educational leadership this May.
Dr. Verret expressed his gratitude for the honor and highlighted the importance of collaboration and solidarity in addressing the challenges facing higher education today.
“Education has the power to transform lives and uplift communities, and I am blessed to lead Xavier in continuing its good work to bring about the more just and humane society envisioned by Mother Katharine and her Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament when they founded Xavier almost 100 years ago. Together, we will create a more inclusive and equitable society where all individuals can thrive,” said Dr. Verret.
Dr. Verret has received another university’s recognition. He was recently named to the Board of Trustees of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. His term begins in 2024.
Visitors view a life-sized bronze sculpture of Christ by the late John T. Scott, (’62, ’07)
Portrait of St. Katharine Drexel by the late Numa Rousseve, Sr. (‘36).
SAVE THE DATE
December 3, 2024
To donate, please use the following link: https://neworleans.igivecatholic.org/ organizations/xavier-university-louisiana
Institute of Black Catholic Studies News
The 2024 session of the Institute of Black Catholic Studies (IBCS) was held in June, as religious and laity from around the country descended on campus for the annual summer session of the IBCS. Although the academic instruction occurs during a few weeks of summer, the IBCS scholars and faculty have been quite engaged in academic and research pursuits, including announcing two new faculty appointments:
~ IBCS Student and graduate candidate, Rafiqur Rahman, Ph.D., has been selected for a Summer Teaching Fellowship at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
~ XULA alum, LaShaunda Reese (BA, Theology), received the Ph.D. in Theology from Loyola University Chicago. Dr. Reese joined the IBCS faculty this session.
~ Dr. Cecilia Moore joined the IBCS faculty to lead a one-week class on the history of Black Catholic parishes.
Dr. Verret Receives FADICA’s Catholic Leadership Award
Pictured L-R: Dr. Michael Wolohan, FADICA’s Board President; President Reynold Verret, and FADICA’s President & CEO, Alexia Kelley.
Xavier University hosted FADICA, a Catholic philanthropic group on campus earlier this year. This nationwide network of Catholic philanthropists and foundations has more than fifty years of impact in the Church and in Catholic philanthropy.
Nearly 100 Catholic philanthropists and foundations from across the country gathered at Xavier campus to hear Fr. Dennis Holtschneider, CM, President of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, address the group. Dr. Reynold Verret was part of a panel discussion on the challenges facing Catholic educational institutions, K-12 and colleges and universities.
FADICA awarded President Verret the St. Joseph of Arimathea Medal of Service as a Catholic leader at its annual awards banquet. FADICA also bestowed the St. Katharine Drexel Award in Catholic Philanthropy to Terrell Richardson and the Mary Magdalene Medal of Service to Gayle Benson.
CELEBRATIONS OF FAITH FALL 2024
August 11, 2024
Welcome Mass for Incoming Students
Convocation Center | 10AM
September 9, 2024
Feast of St. Peter Claver Mass
Knights of Peter Claver Collegiate
Chapter
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | NOON
September 29, 2024
Feast of St. Michael Mass
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | NOON
Blessing of St. Michael’s Residence Hall
October 1, 2024
Convocation Mass
Mass in honor of the Canonization of St. Katharine Drexel
October 12, 2024
Founder’s Day
Blessing of St. Katharine Drexel Dorm
November 1 - 30, 2024
Black Catholic History Month
November 1, 2024
All Saint’s Day Mass
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | NOON
November 2, 2024
All Soul’s Day Mass
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | NOON
November 10, 2024
Alumni Memorial Service and Homecoming Mass Celebration
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | 9:30AM
November 27, 2024
First Sunday of Advent Mass
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | 12:30PM
Blessing of the Creche and Caroling
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | 7:30PM
December 3, 2024
Feast of St. Francis Xavier Mass
St. Katharine Drexel Chapel | NOON
Blessing of Living Learning Center 12:30PM
December 4, 2024
Prayer Service for Final Exams
SAINT KATHARINE DREXEL CHAPEL SCHEDULE
DAILY MASS NOON
SUNDAY MASS 12:30PM
INTERFAITH SERVICE 7:15PM
4TH Sunday of the Month
BIBLE STUDY 7:30PM
Wednesdays
Xavier University of Louisiana
Office of Institutional Advancement
1 Drexel Drive, Box 66, New Orleans, LA 70125
www.xula.edu | ia@xula.edu | (504) 520-7575
THE MESSENGER
© 2024 Xavier University of Louisiana
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
● Xavier was again ranked #3 in a special 2023 report on the “Best Catholic Colleges and Universities” by the Edvocate.
● Xavier is recognized as a top 10 “Best Buy” private college by the 2024 Fiske Guide to Colleges
● Xavier was singled out as one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review in the 2024 edition of its “The Best 386 Colleges” publication.
● OnlineU, a college research resource website, recently published a report noting that Xavier University of Louisiana is #2 in the nation for the highest financial payoff for Black graduates