Posted by Theresa, Catholic Studies Staff Member
On May 1st, construction workers broke ground near Sitzmann Hall, signaling the beginning of a 5-6 month construction project that will add new offices, a classroom, a new chapel, increased storage areas, an elevator, and a landscaped backyard with a meditation area. Included in the plans for the new chapel are beautiful stained glass windows from a Boston-area French Catholic Church.
The expansion, fully funded by Catholic Studies donors, will allow for more space for classes and worship, and promote increased interaction between students, faculty, staff, and friends of the Center.
Thanks to the generosity of the business department, during construction, Catholic Studies faculty and staff can be found on the second floor of McNeely Hall, in rooms 220, 223, and 227.
Stop by and see our new addition in October!
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Posted by Theresa, Catholic Studies Staff Member
The Catholic Studies Undergraduate Department had its 4th annual Ultimate Frisbee Tournament last Saturday, complete with a bright sunny day, food and fun.
“The Best Team Ever”, the Catholic Studies Faculty and Staff team (with help from some of their kids), brought out some fierce competition against the participating undergraduate students and alumni.
The double-elimination tournament culminated in a double championship game. “The Fall of Rome” (the students that will be studying in Rome together next fall) were undefeated until “Hansel” came back from the loser’s bracket to win the game. Being a double elimination tournament, the two teams played again, with “The Fall of Rome” taking the final crown and glory.
Other teams competing were Al Dente (the Catholic Men’s House), The Humiliators, and the Great Wall of China.
Posted by Gwen Adams, UST Alumnus 2007, M.A. in Catholic Studies
April 26, 1 PM: Cold and rainy as the Littlemore (a.k.a. The Catholic Studies Women’s House) hosts Talk 2 in a three part series on Catholic Social Teaching. Dr. Chris & Mary Thompson began the series in March by talking about the Church and the environment. Today Dr. Jonathan & Stephanie Reyes are talking today about the family as foundation for society and sharing their own experiences. A nice mix of alumnae, graduate, and undergraduate students enjoyed ham sandwiches and some stories about the Reyes family. Jonathan Reyes is a visiting professor this semester and gave the Habinger Lecture last month. He explains that we’re an individualistic society, and that even families can be individualistic instead of realizing that the family exists for others. Then Stephanie lays out some practices that have worked in the Reyes family–like a Rule of Life, and some ways to serve in and outside the home. She recommends A Mother’s Rule of Life by Holly Pierlot.
The Reyes say their kids are their best evangelization. I think that’s really encouraging to a family or anyone contemplating marriage–the idea that nothing you say or do is half so powerful as raising kids to be normal and virtuous, healthy and in love with Christ. They do all the witnessing! But that presupposes that people are interacting with your family–at church, at the nursing home, at a soup kitchen, in the neighborhood, with other families, and that you as a family are praying and making time for those encounters.
Dr. Michael & Teresa Naughton will conclude the series next Sunday, May 3, same time, same place.
Posted by Chris DuFresne, UST Alumnus 2004, Business and Catholic Studies
The Catholic Studies Alumni committee sponsored their first 2009 event at
Loome Theological Booksellers in Stillwater, Minnesota. Dr. Don Briel spoke about the “Promise and Challenges of Catholic Studies.” The setting was quite unique in that the bookstore is in an old church. The alumni and current students sat in the balcony while Dr. Briel spoke from the staircase landing across the room. He discussed the great things Catholic Studies has to offer to a university, such as its ability to bring together so many of the important components of the Catholic Tradition, including literature, arts, theology, philosophy, etc.
Students asked questions of Dr. Briel to continue the conversation. Alumni were curious to know how they could support Catholic Studies at St. Thomas. Dr. Briel explained that any gifts to St. Thomas can be directed to a specific program or cause, which means donations can be made directly to Catholic Studies.
After the discussion, Andrew Poole, Catholic Studies Alum and one of the owners of Loome’s, invited students and alumni to shop the store. Students and alumni spent over an hour perusing the many shelves of antique, out–of-print, and current theological books.
The Catholic Studies Alumni Committee is a group of Catholic Studies alumni who work to foster the Catholic Studies Community after graduation for both undergraduate and graduate alumni. We would love to see you at an upcoming event! Save the date for the annual summer BBQ on Sunday, August 16, 2009.
Interested in helping the Alumni Committee? Contact Chris DuFresne (Chris@ChrisDuFresne.com 651-592-1027).
Join the Catholic Studies Group on Facebook! Search for “Catholic Studies Alumni – St. Thomas.”
Posted by Emily, UST Senior, Elementary Education and Catholic Studies
Friendly “good mornings” from my classmates on those early Tuesday and Thursday mornings set the stage for the next 100 minutes when you will find students ranging from freshman to adult in JRC exploring the “Paths and Practices of Catholic Spirituality”. More commonly known as Catholic Studies 201, it is a closer look at a few different applications of Catholic spirituality and how these ideas apply to our lives. Our class begins each day with a prayer asking Our Lady and the Saints to be with us as we delve into lecture and discussion on our readings – Church documents, works of the Saints, C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, and other Catholic perspectives on aspects of spirituality.
Posted by Katie, UST junior, Business Leadership and Management, Communications, and Catholic Studies
Katie is one of about 30 UST students studying on the semester long
Catholic Studies Rome Program. Follow her Rome blog.
The Bernardi community is reuniting from a week of travels for the excitement of a blessed Holy Week in Rome. I cannot yet imagine the magnificence of spending this week in the eternal city, but hopefully in a few days the experience will earn some words to help describe it! Look for an update to come!
Posted by Paula, UST freshman, Catholic Studies and Education
Where can you go at UST and find open doors, fresh baked cookies in the hall, and a Blessed Virgin statue in the bathroom? Not many places, that’s for sure, but you can find all these things and more at 6-North Dowling Hall…the Catholic Women’s Floor! (And how we got the statue is quite an interesting story…if you come live here next year I’ll tell you!)
Life on the Catholic Women’s floor is absolutely wonderful. One of my greatest fears about coming to college was the people I would live with. Would they accept me? Would they share my faith and values? But the moment I set foot on the Catholic Women’s floor way back in September, I was immersed in a fun-loving community of other zealous Catholics who would accept me for who I am and share many beliefs I have. We just got a new member this spring semester, and after meeting her we immediately made her a very colorful and highly energetic “Welcome” sign for her door. This is just one example of the hospitality of this floor community.
Posted by Molly, UST Sophomore, Psychology and Catholic Studies
When I first heard about Caritas, I knew it was exactly what I needed to be doing. A friend within the Catholic Studies program decided to create an opportunity for other Catholic Studies majors to volunteer at a relatively new school, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School.
On Friday, Feb. 20th, Catholic Studies students, faculty, staff and friends gathered in Sitzmann Hall for the second annual Monte Cassino Night.
The name is a play on both the famous gambling house in Europe as well as the Benedictine monastery in Italy in the town of Cassino.
The evening included a poker tournament, blackjack, a karaoke contest, and, of course, food and drinks. More pictures from the event after the break!
Posted by Phil, UST Senior, Philosophy and Catholic Studies
Some of the hardest questions in a Catholic’s life are questions of faith and vocation. How do these two interact? How do we incorporate one into the other, and what influence should faith have on my vocation and vice versa? Even more fundamental then this is the question, “To which vocation is God calling me?” The Radical Encounters event, sponsored by Campus Ministry and Catholic Studies, was geared toward asking (and answering!) these questions of faith and vocation.