Department of Theology // Department of Theology

Theology Honors Thesis Writers Announced

2013-05-14T16:00:00-04:00

The Theology Department is pleased to recognize 5 students with the classification of "Honors in Theology" as a result of their sucessful completion of a senior thesis recieving a grade of A- or above.The Department of Theology offers an Honors Thesis Program for particularly gifted undergraduate majors who seek a deeper, more sustained experience in the major. The program gives participants the opportunity to research a topic in depth, in close collaboration with a member of the faculty, and to undertake an extended writing project. The experience of writing a thesis can give students a more complete grasp of the nature of the scholarly life. For students seeking an advanced degree, the thesis will send a strong signal of achievement and accomplishment to graduate schools. The students recognized this year with Honors in Theology are:

Patrick Adams

Sandra Laguerta

Kim Lisiak

Kyle Smith

Congratulations to all!

Theologian Brian Daley Receives Quasten Medal From Catholic University

2013-05-14T09:00:00-04:00

Rev. Brian E. Daley, S.J., Catherine F. Huisking Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, received the Johannes Quasten Medal of Excellence in Scholarship and Leadership in Religious Studies from Catholic University’s School of Theology and Religious Studies on May 2.

Father Daley is the 26th theologian to receive the Quasten Medal since the award was established in 1985. The Quasten Medal memorializes a professor of religious studies and German native who taught and studied at Catholic University from 1938 to 1979.

In announcing Father Daley’s honor, Rev. Mark Morozowich, dean of theology and religious studies at Catholic University, says that “his erudite scholarship witnesses to the importance of patristic study and its influence in theology today, and his many contributions shine as a bright example.”

“I was deeply honored and delighted to receive this award from the Catholic University School of Theology,” Father Daley says. “Johannes Quasten was one of the pioneers in the study of the Church Fathers in North America. His encyclopedic handbook of patrology helped me, in my freshman year as an undergraduate at Fordham, to become fascinated for the first time by these voices from the early Christian centuries, who still focus our minds on the mystery of Christ.

“I’m also thrilled to be listed among previous recipients of the award, including some of the great names associated with our program here at Notre Dame, like Louis Bouyer, Robert Markus and my colleague Father Virgil Elizondo. This really is a recognition for Notre Dame’s whole theology department and for the kind of work we do!”

A member of the Notre Dame faculty since 1996, Father Daley, a Jesuit priest, is an internationally renowned scholar of the writings, sayings and lives of the earliest Christians. His teaching and research concerns such first- through eighth-century Christian thinkers as Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine of Hippo and Maximus the Confessor, and the eschatology of the early church.

A 1961 graduate of Fordham University and a Rhodes Scholar, Father Daley studied classics, philosophy, and ancient history at Merton College, University of Oxford, where he earned a master’s degree before entering the Society of Jesus in 1964 and being ordained a priest in 1970. He returned to Oxford in 1972, earned a doctoral degree in theology in 1978 and taught at the at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Mass., for 18 years before coming to Notre Dame.

Among the numerous books Father Daley has written or edited are The Hope of the Early Church, On the Dormition of Mary: Early Patristic Homilies and Gregory of Nazianzus. He also has translated Hans Urs von Balthasar’s The Cosmic Liturgy: The Universe According to Maximus the Confessor. In addition to his academic and scholarly work, he serves as executive secretary of the Catholic-Orthodox Consultation for North America and as a priest in Notre Dame residence halls and at St. Bavo Parish in Mishawaka, Ind.

Last October, Father Daley received the 2012 Ratzinger Prize in Theology from Pope Benedict XVI at a ceremony in Rome.

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Originally published at news.nd.edu.

Indiana Catholic Poverty Summit: 'People were inspired'

2013-05-13T09:00:00-04:00

In one of his earliest public addresses, at an audience for journalists, Pope Francis spoke of how, immediately following his election, an old friend and fellow churchman had embraced him, urging, “don’t forget the poor.” The new pope said that he subsequently chose as namesake the saint “who wanted a poor church,” and concluded his remarks by exclaiming, “Ah, how I would like a church that is poor and is for the poor!”

Pope Francis’ words were invoked early on during the Indiana Catholic Poverty Summit at the University of Notre Dame last month, and the paradox of Catholic doctrine — the imperative to alleviate the poverty we encounter in others while trying to become poor ourselves — was appreciable in the gathering.

Hosted and sponsored by the University’s Center for Social Concerns (CSC), the daylong summit brought together all five of Indiana’s Catholic bishops and representatives from Catholic social service, health care and educational institutions across the state and nationwide to explore and recommend new initiatives to reduce poverty in the state. “Five bishops in the same room, and all of them listening,” joked Indianapolis Archbishop Joseph W. Tobin. “Why, that’s practically an ecumenical council.”

As would befit an ecumenical council, the summit began with Mass in Geddes Hall’s Our Lady of Mercy Chapel. Concelebrating with the bishops, Rev. Paul V. Kollman, C.S.C., director of the CSC, gave a homily on the day’s Gospel (John 14:1-6), in which Jesus assures his followers that “in my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.”

“This Gospel reminds us that Jesus made room for all,” Father Kollman said, “and our work with the poor of our state should invite the same concern, even as we are mindful of the poverty we all share and ought to embrace.”

Whatever they may have thought of Pope Francis’ desire for a poor church, the nearly 100 summit participants plainly shared a determination not to forget the poor. Had they needed reminding, plenty of assistance was available from David Siler, executive director of Catholic Charities in Indianapolis; Rev. Larry Snyder, chief executive officer of Catholic Charities USA; and Sheila Gilbert, national president of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, as well as from social workers active in three Indiana dioceses.

Even without the human stories that many of the summiteers are able to ascribe them, Indiana’s poverty statistics would make any morally sentient person wince: At present, 16 percent of the state’s residents and 20 percent of the state’s children (which means 311,000 children — about four Notre Dame Stadiums full) live under the poverty line. Moreover, those statistics are inadequate, as the outdated “poverty line” is reckoned by the cost of the cheapest three-meal daily diet that the federal government considered nutritionally adequate in 1963.

Having heard nation- and statewide overviews of the worsening plight of the poor and the increasing inadequacy of communal response, the summit participants received more intimate views of urban and rural Indiana poverty from diocesan social workers at work in Evansville, Tell City and South Bend before breaking into five respective diocesan groups to discuss the use of education, advocacy, service and prayer in battling Indiana poverty.

When they had reassembled, Archbishop Tobin spoke, reminding the participants of three conspicuous commitments of Catholic social services: refugee resettlement, disaster relief and the alleviation of poverty. “We need to learn why we have been so successful with refugees and disaster relief,” he said, “but we also need to keep in mind that Meat Loaf was wrong when he sang ‘two out of three ain’t bad.’"

As the summit concluded, Archbishop Tobin said that the Indiana bishops would be meeting again in May to discuss issues raised in the Notre Dame discussions and to consider writing a pastoral letter on poverty.

According to summit organizer William Purcell, associate director of the CSC, it is too early to gauge the effects of the Notre Dame meeting, but the unprecedented event “allowed leaders from around the state to draw attention to the needs of people in poverty, and reflect on concrete ways our Catholic faith calls all of us to respond. From this historical occasion, there were incentives for improved diocesan and statewide communication and coordination of poverty eradication efforts. The Holy Spirit was truly present at the day. There was real listening, deep engagement and a true desire to move further in addressing poverty in Indiana. People were inspired.”

Contact: William Purcell, 574-631-9473, wpurcell@nd.edu

Originally published by Michael O. Garvey at news.nd.edu on May 10, 2013.

FTT Students Film Theological Journey Through Jerusalem

2013-05-12T09:55:00-04:00

Filming a theological exploration in Jerusalem poses some particular challenges. For one thing, the city is baking hot. There are also the logistics of unfamiliar energy converters and unwieldy battery packs. Then there’s the fact that filming on holy ground engenders mixed reactions.

“It took a lot of trying to be respectful—and still capture the experience on film,” says Notre Dame senior Erin Moffitt. “People weren’t always keen on having large cameras in their faces.”

Over fall break, Moffitt and senior Nicole Timmerman, both film, television, and theatre (FTT) majors in the College of Arts and Letters, traveled with a group of undergraduate theology students to Notre Dame’s Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Jerusalem. Their mission was to create a pair of short documentaries about the experience for the Department of Theology.

A Pilgrimage on Film

“The class wanted to run where Jesus walked—to travel through his life and where he would have gone,” Moffitt says. “We wanted to capture the natural culture there and the class experiencing it.”

The filmmakers focused on a few key themes as they worked with the students, says Timmerman, who also majors in graphic design. “How does this journey enhance their experience as students and Catholics? What is the experience of being a pilgrim in Jerusalem, seeing holy sites?”

At first, the theology students were skittish around the cameras. “When we approached them, they would think they were in the way and move away,” Moffitt says. “For the first couple days we were the people with the camera, but by the end of the week we were all friends.”

Timmerman attributes this change, in part, to the intensity of the experience. As the filmmakers and the pilgrims explored the city, they also explored the complexities of the Palestine-Israeli conflict, which proved illuminating.

“I think one of the most important parts of the experience was learning about the conflict and realizing how ingrained it is in their culture,” Timmerman says. “The theology students—and Erin and I as well—we all had this great opportunity to explore and learn about this subject and interact with other students we wouldn’t normally run into at Notre Dame.”

Both before and after the trip, Timmerman and Moffitt also worked closely with faculty and staff in the Department of Theology. “We would send them cuts, and they would send us feedback so we could edit to make sure they got what they wanted,” Moffitt says.

The project provided a great opportunity to make connections between Notre Dame and the wider world, Timmerman says. “Towards the end of the trip we went to a church in Jerusalem and the students sang the Alma Mater there and we got it on film.

“It really brought the experience together.”

A Bridge to Understanding

For Timmerman and Moffitt, film provides a perfect medium to process and comprehend the world. “It’s about expressing something not only through words but through visuals,” Moffitt says.

“I like exploring the world and what’s in it,” she says. “Documentary is especially fun because it appeases natural human curiosity by providing a window into something you’ve yet to see or experience.”

While the filmmakers faced some unique challenges in Jerusalem, this wasn’t the first time they’ve taken their cameras on the road. They filmed documentaries in Chicago and were part of a group that traveled to France to document the Cannes Film Festival. “We got to walk the red carpet and experience the festival culture,” Timmerman recalls.

The duo relish opportunities to test their skills outside the classroom, “It’s a whole different experience sitting in a classroom and learning theory as opposed to applying it out in the field,” Moffitt says.

“Filming in Jerusalem was sort of a culmination of what we’ve learned.”

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Originally published by Eileen Lynch at al.nd.edu on May 10, 2013.

Theology Professor Wins Luce Fellowship

2013-04-30T13:00:00-04:00

Yury P. Avvakumov, an assistant professor in Notre Dame’s Department of Theology, was recently selected as one of six Henry Luce III Fellows in Theology for his work on the relationship between the Latin West and Byzantine East during the 12th century.

The Luce Fellows program, established with the support of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS) and The Henry Luce Foundation, annually funds a small number of promising theological pursuits. The fellows whose projects are chosen devote a year to research and then present their findings at the annual Luce Fellows Conference. Established in 1993, the Luce Fellows Program has awarded just 136 fellowships in its 20-year existence.

“The good news from the Luce Foundation came as an enormous and, of course, very joyful surprise,” says Avvakumov. “I did not expect to win because I realized how tough the competition was.”

Investigating the Origins of Division

Avvakumov’s winning proposal, “Latin West and Byzantine East in the 12th Century: Christians, Churches, and Theologies between 1054 and 1204,” analyzes the relationship between the two regions during a period of ecclesiastical upheaval.

“I seek to identify the major events of church history, the personalities, and the ecclesiastical-political and theological issues that determined East-West relations in that period,” he says. “The 12th century should be seen as a period of ambiguity, as a unique and fascinating time of contingencies and possibilities still open for positive developments—even if most of them were unhappily lost in the early 13th century.”

As a Byzantine Rite Catholic, the topic holds special meaning for Avvakumov. “The Christians of today live in a world divided into denominations,” he says. “We have made ourselves at home in this world; we have become accustomed to thinking ‘denominationally.’”

As a result, he says, many Western Christians tend to ignore their Eastern counterparts, while Eastern Christians attempt to demonize Roman Catholics. “The attitudes here and there might be different; however, the lack of real knowledge and understanding is what unites both opposite extremes.”

Bridging East and West

Avvakumov has lived and learned in both extremes. He received his first doctorate in Orthodox theology from St. Petersburg Orthodox Theological School and the second, in Catholic theology, from Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich.

He then taught at the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, which is the only Catholic university in the former Soviet Union. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Avvakumov also held numerous academic, administrative, and pastoral positions in Russia, Germany, and the Ukraine.

An accomplished linguist, Avvakumov has published five books in three languages—German, Italian, and Ukrainian. His research interests include medieval Church history, ecclesiology, and sacramental theology, as well as the history of Russian and Ukrainian religious thought in the 19th and 20th centuries and the history of the Eastern Catholic Churches from medieval times to present day.

Seeking a Better Understanding

Avvakumov hopes that his Luce Fellows project shows an acknowledgement of the gap in understanding between Eastern and Western Christian traditions.

“I think the fact that a project about East-West relations has been selected among the winning projects may be seen as a positive sign of interest towards this important area of research.”

Learn More >

Originally published by Eileen Lynch at al.nd.edu on April 29, 2013.

Theology Department Announces Senior Award Winners

2013-04-30T13:00:00-04:00

At the end of each academic year, the Theology Department selects two graduating seniors to receive the department's highest undergraduate awards.

The Gertrude Austin Marti Award in Theology is given to a graduating senior who has given evidence of qualities of personal character and academic achievement in theological studies. This year it goes to Gabriella Cozzi, with our congratulations. Gabriella graduates with a double major in Theology and Science Pre-Professional Studies. She plans to attend medical school in the fall.

The Cavanaugh Award is given to the senior who has evidenced high qualities of personal character and academic excellence in theological studies. It was established in 1960 in honor of Father Joseph Cavanaugh, C.S.C., former head of the Department of Theology. This year the award goes to Cameron Cortens, with our congratulations. Cameron graduates with a double major in Theology and Philosophy. He plans to work for a service organization abroad starting this summer.

More information: http://theology.nd.edu/undergraduate-programs/majors/senior-awards-and-honors/2013-award-recipients/

Cardinal Walter Kasper to visit Notre Dame

2013-04-23T14:00:00-04:00

His Eminence Cardinal Walter Kasper, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will deliver the 2013 Terrence R. Keeley Vatican Lecture at 5 p.m. April 24 (Wednesday) in the Carey Auditorium in the Hesburgh Library at the University of Notre Dame. Pope Francis specifically commended the theological work of Cardinal Kasper at his first Angelus message, noting that, “(i)n these days, I have been able to read a book by a cardinal — Cardinal Kasper, a talented theologian, a good theologian — on mercy. And it did me such good, that book.”

Sponsored by the Nanovic Institute for European Studies, Cardinal Kasper will address “The Origins of Vatican II.” This lecture is free and open to the public. Cardinal Kasper will also participate in an international gathering of scholars, “The Theology of Cardinal Walter Kasper: A Celebration of his Life and Work,” which will take place at the Notre Dame Conference Center on April 25-27 (Thursday-Saturday).

Born in Heidenheim, Germany, in 1933, Kasper was ordained to the priesthood in 1957. He studied at the University of Tübingen where he later became professor of dogmatic theology. He also taught at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., in 1983. Cardinal Kasper served as bishop of Rottenburg-Stuttgart from 1989 until his 1999 appointment as secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. Pope John Paul II elevated him to cardinal and appointed him president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in 2001. The Council for Promoting Christian Unity guides and serves the ecumenical activities of the Catholic Church, holds international theological dialogues with other Christian denominations, and is also responsible for Catholic-Jewish relations. As president of the council, Kasper was also the president for the Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. He retired as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in 2010.

The annual Terrence R. Keeley Vatican Lecture provides the Notre Dame community with the opportunity to interact with distinguished representatives from the Holy See and significant dioceses of Europe. Past lecturers have included Cardinal Angelo Amato, Archbishop Charles J. Brown and Cardinal Reinhard Marx.

More information on Cardinal Kasper’s visit and an archive of past lectures are available at nanovic.nd.edu.

Contact: Monica Caro, 574-631-3547, mcaro@nd.edu

Originally published by Jennifer Lechtanski at news.nd.edu on April 17, 2013.

Theology Professor Wins Distinguished Alumni Award

2013-04-15T16:00:00-04:00

James C. VanderKam, the John A. O’Brien professor of Hebrew Scriptures in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, has been selected as a distinguished alumnus by his alma mater, Calvin College.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given to “alumni who have made significant contributions to their field of endeavor and manifest a Christian commitment.” VanderKam will be presented with the 2013 award during Calvin’s May commencement weekend, where he will briefly address the graduating class.

“Dr. VanderKam was chosen because of his outstanding contributions to the study of the Old Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the Dead Sea Scrolls,” says Michael J. Van Denend, executive director of the Calvin Alumni Association. “We received letters of support from Notre Dame, Yale, and many other places, including officials at the Israel Museum and the Head of the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.”

VanderKam says he was incredibly honored by his selection.

“The award is especially meaningful because it comes from a college that I consider to be an impressive academic institution and one that had a formative influence on me,” he says.

World-Renowned Scholar

VanderKam specializes in the history and literature of early Judaism and the Hebrew scriptures. For the past 20 years, he has focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls and related literature. He has edited 13 volumes in the series Discoveries in the Judaean Desert, is one of two editors-in-chief of Enyclopedia of the Dead Sea Scrolls, and is the author of award-winning The Dead Sea Scrolls Today.

“Beyond being one of the great scholars of our time in the field of Second Temple Judaism, and especially of the Dead Sea Scrolls, Professor VanderKam is also a man of notable modesty and pleasant demeanor,” says one Israeli nominator, who praised his “dedication, scholastic rigor, and professionalism.”

VanderKam received his B.A. from Calvin College in 1968, and his B.D. from Calvin Theological Seminary in 1971. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1976 and joined the Notre Dame faculty in 1991.

During his time here, VanderKam has distinguished himself as a premier theological mind, says J. Matthew Ashley, associate professor and chair of Notre Dame’s Department of Theology.

Award-Winning Teacher

In addition to his ambitious research agenda, VanderKam “teaches—and teaches well,” at all levels of the department’s curriculum, including the introductory Foundations of Theology course, Ashley notes.

But while VanderKam is a popular undergraduate teacher, Ashley says, “perhaps his greatest mark has come in our graduate program. It is there, too, that he is making a lasting impact on theological scholarship.”

In May 2012, Notre Dame’s Graduate School honored VanderKam with its James A. Burns, C.S.C., Award “for distinction in graduate teaching or other exemplary contributions to graduate education.”

VanderKam’s current scholarly project is a commentary of the Book of Jubilees. “Fragmentary remains of 14 copies of Jubilees have been identified among the Dead Sea Scrolls,” he says, “and its author retells and interprets the stories in the book of Genesis and the first half of the book of Exodus to help his contemporaries understand their true meaning.”

VanderKam is the second Notre Dame professor to have been selected for the Calvin College Distinguished Alumni Award; the other was Alvin Plantinga, John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy emeritus, in 1986.

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Originally published by Chris Milazzo at al.nd.edu on April 11, 2013.

Abdolkarim Soroush, Muslim intellectual and reformer, to address Notre Dame’s Qur’an Seminar

2013-04-09T14:05:00-04:00

Abdolkarim Soroush, the Iranian scholar, human rights advocate and religious reformer, will give a lecture on “The Qur’an, Philosophy and Law” Thursday (April 11) at 7:30 p.m. in Room 1140 of the Eck Hall of Law at the University of Notre Dame.

Soroush’s lecture is the last of a series sponsored by the Qur’an Seminar, an academic project hosted by Notre Dame to advance Qur’anic scholarship, encourage collaboration among international scholars and present public lectures by leading Muslim intellectuals.

Soroush, a former professor of the University of Tehran and now a visiting scholar at Yale, Princeton, Harvard and the Wissenschaftskolleg in Berlin, is widely considered the most influential figure in religious intellectual movements in Iran. He was named by Time magazine in 2005 as one of the world’s 100 most influential people, and both his supporters and critics have compared his role in arguing for the reform of Islam with that of Martin Luther in reforming Christianity.

“Abdolkarim Soroush was counted among Time magazine’s 100 most influential people because of his fearless campaign for liberty and human dignity in Iran,” according to Gabriel Said Reynolds, Tisch Family Associate Professor of Islamic Studies and Theology at Notre Dame and co-director of the Qur’an Seminar.

“What Time magazine missed, however, is the profound influence that Dr. Soroush has had on a generation of thinkers in both the Islamic world and the West. Dr. Soroush is an intellectual who presents a case for human rights that is meaningful to believers of various religious traditions. Moreover, as an intellectual he has always maintained that the insights of rigorous academic studies are, far from a threat, an important resource to people of faith. In his lecture at Notre Dame, as part of the Qurʾan Seminar, he will reflect on the latest advances in our knowledge of the Qurʾan in the light of Muslim belief.”

Contact: Gabriel Reynolds, 574-631-5138, reynolds@nd.edu

Originally published by Michael O. Garvey at news.nd.edu on April 08, 2013.

Cathleen Kaveny to discuss 'positive disruption' in unique TEDxChange webcast

2013-04-09T14:00:00-04:00

University of Notre Dame theologian and law professor Cathleen Kaveny will be among the speakers in a TEDxChange webcast discussion on the theme of “Positive Disruption” on Wednesday (April 3).

The 90-minute webcast, convened, hosted and moderated by Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will be streamed live here beginning at noon EDT (9 a.m. PDT).

Kaveny, John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law and professor of theology at Notre Dame, will join a variegated group for a discussion of how, along with conflict, chaos, and potential danger, social disruption can also be a positive catalyst for change, and a potentially beneficial challenge to a global community.

Other participants in the TEDxChange will be: Halimatou Hima, a former UNICEF worker in her come country of Niger; Roger Thurow of the Chicago Council who was for 20 years a Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent based in Europe and Africa; Julie Dixon, deputy director of Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication; David Fasanya, a Nigerian-American performance artist and poet residing in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Salim Shekh and Sikha Patra, two children from the slums of Calcutta.

TEDxChange is a partnership of TED and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, designed to act as a catalyst for global conversations on ideas worth spreading on health, development and education issues.

Originally published by Michael O. Garvey at news.nd.edu on April 02, 2013.

Notre Dame Theology Professor Wins Two Awards

2013-03-27T09:20:00-04:00

Sister Mary Catherine Hilkert, O.P., professor of theology in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters, recently received two prestigious honors: the Ann O’Hara Graff Memorial Award and the Veritas Award.

Presented by Dominican University, The Veritas Award recognizes “excellence in teaching by a preeminent scholar and theologian in the Dominican tradition.”

“It meant a lot to me,” Hilkert says, “because it came from my Dominican sisters and brothers and colleagues who are also engaged in the Dominican tradition’s commitment to preaching and teaching the Gospel.”

The Graff Memorial Award, which is presented by the Women’s Consultation in Constructive Theology in conjunction with the Catholic Theological Society of America’s annual conference, also carries special significance for Hilkert.

“Ann O’Hara Graff was a colleague and friend whose own work exemplified the integration of theology, ethics, and pastoral concern which this award recognizes,” she explains.

Female Perspective

Hilkert specializes in contemporary systematic theology with particular interest in theological anthropology, fundamental theology, and feminist theology and spirituality. A distinguished lecturer and prolific writer, she has been awarded honorary doctorates from Providence College and Aquinas Institute of Theology, and has served as president of the Catholic Theological Society.

While she has always been drawn to theological studies, Hilkert says that as a graduate student she developed a particular interest in the perspective of women in theology and spiritual life.

“When I studied theology in graduate school, we explored a wide variety of theological perspectives, both classical and contemporary, but no writings by women were included,” she says.

“In my own teaching, I have tried to present more of the riches of the Christian tradition by including women’s insights as well as those of men and by trying to include voices from the great variety of cultures which make up the Christian and Catholic tradition.”

Her courses include Theological Anthropology (the mystery of being human), Christology (Jesus and Salvation), Fundamentals of Systematic Theology (the nature and methods of the discipline of theology), and Feminist and Multicultural Theologies.

Sacramental Anthropology

Hilkert is currently working on two books. Supported by a grant from the Louisville Institute, Words of Spirit and Life draws from the Lyman Beecher Lecture series she gave at Yale University in 2010. “The main focus of the book is the role of the Holy Spirit, not only in Christian preaching but also as God active throughout all of creation,” she says.

The second book, Grace Enfleshed: A Sacramental Anthropology, is a long-term project that explores “the mystery of being human” from the perspective of Christian faith.

“The book will emphasize that, in spite of human sin, God’s grace can be discovered throughout creation, that Jesus Christ is the primary sacrament revealing God’s love (grace) made flesh, and that human persons are created and destined for communion with God and with all of God’s other beloved creatures,” she says.

“I plan to draw on the symbolism of the Christian sacraments to highlight the deepest meaning, possibilities, and goal of human life.”

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Originally published by Chris Milazzo at al.nd.edu on March 26, 2013.

Professor to Lead North American Academy of Liturgy

2013-03-27T09:00:00-04:00

Rev. Maxwell Johnson, professor of liturgical studies in Notre Dame’s Department of Theology, was recently elected vice president of the North American Academy of Liturgy (NAAL) for 2013 and will become its president the following year.

Founded at Notre Dame in 1975, NAAL is a national ecumenical and inter-religious association of liturgical scholars that seeks to promote liturgical scholarship among members and “extend these benefits to the worshiping communities to which its members belong.”

“I was actually rather surprised by the election,” Johnson says. “I had agreed to allow my name to go forward but I assumed others would be stronger contenders than I was. I am truly honored by the academy that they would elect me to this position.”

As part of his election, Johnson will hold the position of vice president for one year, assume the presidency in 2014, and then spend two years on NAAL’s Academy Committee.

During his tenure, Johnson says, he hopes to continue NAAL’s vibrant tradition of scholarship and intellectual exchange.

“The strength of the North American Academy of Liturgy is its numerous seminars, which meet several times over the course of the national meeting each year. The seminar topics range from Early Jewish and Christian Liturgy all the way to more contemporary concerns and issues,” he says.

During the NAAL’s recent Problems in the Early History of Liturgy seminar, Johnson was presented with a “festschrift,” a German word that academics use to describe a collection of writings honoring a scholar on a memorable occasion. The festschrift, A Living Tradition: On the Intersection of Liturgical History and Pastoral Practice; Essays in Honor of Maxwell E. Johnson, featured contributions from his former Ph.D. students as well as several of his colleagues.

At Notre Dame, Johnson studies the origins and development of early Christian liturgy and current ecumenical theological questions and has co-authored or edited more than 19 books. His next book, Praying and Beliving in Early Christianity: The Interplay between Worship and Doctrine, will be released in fall 2014 by The Liturgical Press.

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Originally published by Chris Milazzo at al.nd.edu on March 26, 2013.

Fr. Daley, 2013 Donohue Chair, Presents in Rome

2013-03-22T09:00:00-04:00

Prof. Brian Daley SJ, who serves as the The Sir Daniel & Countess Bernardine Murphy Donohue Chair in Eastern Catholic Theology at the Pontifical Oriental Institute, presented March 11-15 in Rome on the topic of "God Visible: The Progress of Ancient Christology?"

Titles of the sessions presented by Fr. Daley inlcuded:

1. The Beginnings of the "School of Antioch" Diodore and Theodore;

2. Public Conflict: the Controversy between Nestorius and Cyril;

3. Developing a New Vision: Theodoret and the Later Works of Cyril;

4. Voices from East and West: the Council of 451.

Notre Dame alums were present in Rome to meet Fr. Daley and attend his lectures.

Notre Dame to host multidisciplinary climate conference

2013-03-13T09:00:00-04:00

The University of Notre Dame will host “Climate Change and the Common Good,” a national conference addressing the multifaceted challenges presented by our changing climate, on April 8-10 (Monday-Wednesday). The event will engage nationally recognized scientists, ethicists and strategists in conversation with students, faculty, administrators and members of the broader community.

As Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have stressed, climate change is a moral issue that calls for a concerted approach among people of good will.

“We know that climate change will disproportionately impact the poor and vulnerable, those who have contributed the least to our present energy and environmental crisis,” said Rev. William M. Lies, C.S.C., vice president for mission engagement and church affairs at Notre Dame. “By coming together as a community to learn about these challenges and the paths to solutions, we can better answer God’s call for us to be stewards of the finite gifts of our planet.”

Each day of the conference highlights a different theme. The first day focuses on the science of climate change. The second day addresses religious and ethical approaches to understanding our collective responsibility in addressing climate change. The third day explores practical approaches to addressing climate change from perspectives including public policy, national security and community adaptation.

“Climate change is a complex problem that requires multidisciplinary thinking,” said University Provost Thomas G. Burish. “This conference will offer unique insight into the diverse array of approaches needed to adequately address it. I hope that many of us from the Notre Dame community will be able to take advantage of it and continue the discussions after it.”

“Climate change is constantly in the news: 2012 was the hottest year on record in the U.S., and extreme events from climate disruption are costing businesses and taxpayers tens of billions of dollars from fires, crop losses and storm damage,” said Jessica Hellmann, associate professor of biology and conference co-chair. “There’s so much negative information that it’s tempting to look the other way. This conference will help people make sense of what is often seen as an overwhelming problem by connecting the dots between science, ethics and practical solutions.”

Keynote speakers at the conference include Andrew Revkin, author of the New York Times’ Dot-Earth Environmental Blog; Andrew Rosenberg, director of the Center for Science and Democracy; Ian Noble, chief scientist at the Global Adaptation Institute; Nancy Grimm, contributing author of “Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States”; and David Titley, retired Rear Admiral in the U.S. Navy and recently chief operating officer at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

“These speakers represent some of the leading thinkers on this topic, and they bring a wide variety of perspectives to bear on some of the most challenging issues of our time,” said Robin Darling Young, associate professor of theology and lead conference organizer. “Our goal is to engage Notre Dame and the broader community with this critical topic, which is so integrally tied to our University mission.”

Registration is free for members of the Notre Dame community. The conference agenda and registration information can be found at climatechange.nd.edu.

“Climate Change and the Common Good” is sponsored by Notre Dame’s Reilly Center for Science, Technology and Values, Center for Social Concerns and Environmental Change Initiative, and is supported by the University’s Institute for Scholarship in the Liberal Arts, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Research, College of Arts and Letters, College of Science, College of Engineering, Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism, Department of Theology, Institute for Advanced Study, Center for Sustainability Energy, Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, School of Architecture and Office of Sustainability.

Contact: Rachel Novick, 574-631-1439, Rachel.S.Novick.2@nd.edu

Originally published by Rachel Novick at newsinfo.nd.edu on March 11, 2013.

Cardinal Dolan to deliver 2013 Notre Dame commencement address

2013-03-13T09:00:00-04:00

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York and president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be the principal speaker and the recipient of an honorary degree at the University of Notre Dame’s 168th Commencement Ceremony on May 19.

“Over the past several years, I have had the honor and pleasure of getting to know Cardinal Dolan,” said Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., Notre Dame’s president. “He is a man of great intelligence and personal warmth, and a dedicated shepherd of the Church. We were pleased to have him here in 2011 to give the inaugural lecture for the Notre Dame Project on Human Dignity, and we are grateful that he has accepted our invitation to join us in celebrating the achievements of our students and to provide them with words of wisdom as they set out into the world.”

Cardinal Dolan was named archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on Feb. 23, 2009, after serving for the previous seven years as archbishop of Milwaukee. He was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops on Nov. 16, 2010. Pope Benedict elevated him to cardinal on Jan. 6, 2012.

Born Feb. 6, 1950, Cardinal Dolan began his high school seminary education in 1964 at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary South in the St. Louis suburb of Shrewsbury, Mo. His seminary foundation continued at Cardinal Glennon College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. He then completed his priestly formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome where he earned a license in sacred theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas.

Cardinal Dolan was ordained to the priesthood on June 19, 1976. He then served as associate pastor at Immacolata Parish in Richmond Heights, Mo., until 1979 when he began studies for a doctorate in American church history at The Catholic University of America. His doctoral dissertation is on the life and ministry of the late Archbishop Edwin O’Hara, a founder of the Catholic Biblical Association.

On his return to St. Louis, Cardinal Dolan served in parish ministry from 1983 to 1987, during which time he also was liaison for the late Archbishop John L. May in the restructuring of the college and theology programs of the archdiocesan seminary system.

In 1987, Cardinal Dolan was appointed to a five-year term as secretary to the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C. When he returned to St. Louis in 1992, he was appointed vice rector of Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, serving also as director of spiritual formation and professor of church history. He also was an adjunct professor of theology at Saint Louis University.

In 1994, he was appointed rector of the Pontifical North American College in Rome where he served until June 2001. While in Rome, he also served as a visiting professor of church history at the Pontifical Gregorian University and as a faculty member in the Department of Ecumenical Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. His work in the area of seminary education has influenced the life and ministry of a great number of priests of the new millennium.

On June 19, 2001 – the 25th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood – then Father Dolan was named the Auxiliary Bishop of St. Louis by Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Dolan served as chairman of Catholic Relief Services from January 2009 to November 2010. He currently is a member of the board of trustees of The Catholic University of America and a member of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization and the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

The 2013 University Commencement Ceremony will take place in Notre Dame Stadium beginning at 9 a.m.

Originally published by Dennis Brown at newsinfo.nd.edu on March 06, 2013.

Theology Faculty Book Among “Outstanding Academic Titles” for 2012

2013-03-07T15:00:00-05:00

Choice magazine has included two books by faculty members in Notre Dame’s College of Arts and Letters on its list of Outstanding Academic Titles for 2012.

John Sitter, the Mary Lee Duda Professor of Literature in the Department of English, was selected for his Cambridge Introduction to Eighteenth-Century Poetry, while Timothy Matovina, professor of theology and executive director of the Institute for Latino Studies, was honored for Latino Catholicism: Transformation in America’s Largest Church, which also won the College Theology Society’s Best Book Award in 2012, as well as the 2013 Paul J. Foik, C.S.C. Award from the Texas Catholic Historical Society.

Published by the Association for College and Research Libraries (part of the American Library Association), Choice annually reviews about 7,000 titles from every academic discipline. The Outstanding Academic Titles list includes only the top 10 percent of these titles. Winning works are chosen based on “overall excellence in presentation and scholarship,” “originality,” and “value to undergraduate students,” among other characteristics.

Sitter specializes in 18th century poetry but is also interested in the role of poetry in education from the 17th century to present, ecological criticism and poetics, and cultural issues of sustainability.

His Cambridge Introduction is a critical survey that brings together the techniques and major poets of the 18th century in an approachable introduction for students, teachers, and general readers of literature.

“I’m delighted to receive this recognition,” Sitter says. “I hope the designation means they found it to be what I hoped to write: a book that speaks to both specialists and non-specialists.”

Matovina studies theology and culture, with a particular focus on U.S. Catholic and U.S. Latino theology and religion. In Latino Catholicism, he explores the 500-year-long history of Latino Catholics on this continent and how that history, the U.S. Catholic Church, its expanding Latino population, and American culture are now all transforming each other.

“I am honored to have Latino Catholicism chosen as one of Choice magazine’s outstanding academics titles,” Matovina says.

“I hope this recognition draws even greater attention to the vital ways Latinos are transforming both our Catholic Church and the wider society.”

Learn More >

Originally published by Chris Milazzo at al.nd.edu on March 05, 2013.

Notre Dame to host 2013 conference of the Africa Faith and Justice Network

2013-03-05T13:00:00-05:00

The 2013 conference of the Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) will be hosted by the University of Notre Dame this weekend (March 1-3).

The 30th annual AFJN conference, “Justice for Africa: Justice for the World,” will bring together some 200 scholars, religious and social workers, and policymakers to discuss and reflect on issues of peacebuilding, human rights and social justice in African countries and communities.

Cardinal Peter Turkson of Ghana, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and reputed papabile, or plausible candidate for election as Pope, had planned to attend and give the keynote address at the conference, but was unable to do so due to the upcoming conclave in Rome for the election of Pope Benedict’s successor.

“We are honored that the AFJN will be holding its annual conference at Notre Dame,” said Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., director of the Ford Family Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity in Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies. “For the last 30 years AFJN, informed by Catholic social teaching, has promoted just U.S. relations with Africa. This conference will provide Notre Dame students, faculty and staff with the opportunity to learn from and participate in AFJN’s important work of promoting a more just and peaceful world.”

AFJN is a community of advocates for responsible U.S. relations with Africa. It works closely with Catholic missionary congregations and numerous Africa-focused coalitions of all persuasions to advocate for U.S. economic and political policies benefiting Africa’s poor majority, facilitating an end to armed conflict, establishing equitable trade and investments and promoting sustainable development.

Contact: Rev. Robert A. Dowd, C.S.C., 574-631-4454, rdowd1@nd.edu

Originally published by Michael O. Garvey at newsinfo.nd.edu on February 28, 2013.

New Videos Highlight Theology Major and Study Abroad

2013-03-05T09:10:00-05:00

Over Fall Break 2012, 10 undergraduate students traveled to Israel as part of a Theology Department sponsored pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Several of the travelers, led by Prof. Todd Walatka, are Theology Majors and Minors. Two students from the Film, Television and Theatre program, Nicole Timmerman and Erin Moffitt, accompanied the group in order to film the experiences of these Notre Dame pilgrims. The results of their hard work are two videos now available on the Theology Department website. One focuses on the unique experience of pilgrimage and the spiritual and academic values of traveling to the Holy Land. The second video features students discussing their study of theology and how their experience with the Theology Department has shaped their time at Notre Dame. Please click here and here and scroll down each page to access the videos.

Theology Alumna Melanie Howard Wins Essay Prize

2013-02-25T13:45:00-05:00

Melanie A. Howard, a graduate of the University of Notre Dame’s Master in Theological Studies (MTS) program, has won the 2011-12 Word & World Essay Prize for Doctoral Candidates. The prize is sponsored by Word & World: Theology for Christian Ministry, a quarterly journal published by Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minn.

“We are thrilled at this achievement on the part of one of our graduates,” says J. Matthew Ashley, associate professor and chair of Notre Dame’s Department of Theology. “Current students or graduates have now won this significant award two years in a row. In Melanie’s case, it is a testimony both to her own strengths as a scholar and to the MTS program’s track record of enabling students to develop those strengths to the full.”

Joseph S. Khalil, a current Ph.D. student in the department, won the prize last year for his essay titled “Qoheleth and the Overconfident Preacher.”

Howard, who received her master’s degree from Notre Dame in 2010, is now pursing a Ph.D. in biblical studies (New Testament) at Princeton Theological Seminary and teaching as an adjunct instructor at Messiah College. Her winning essay explores the story of a mute boy (Mark 9:14-2) as an unplumbed source of guidance for pastors counseling children with disabilities and their caregivers.

Her essay will be published in the summer 2013 issue of the Word & World journal. In its 13th year, the annual contest accepts submissions from doctoral candidates in religion and theology from seminaries and universities across the nation.

Howard says her essay emerged out of her passion for creative ministry and her desire to keep her scholarship connected to the real-life problems that can make meaningful worship difficult. Continuing the study of marginal characters in the bible, Howard’s doctoral dissertation looks at the role of mothers in the Gospel of Mark, with particular emphasis on Mary, the mother of Jesus.

“I am keenly aware of the struggles and sacrifices of women who have risked much for the sake of their children’s well-being,” she says. “My dissertation is but a meager acknowledgement that it has often been nameless mothers who have instigated radical change throughout the course of history.”

Learn More >

Originally published by Eileen Lynch at al.nd.edu on February 22, 2013.

Notre Dame theologians react to resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

2013-02-11T13:00:00-05:00

University of Notre Dame theologians are reacting to today’s announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he intends to resign from the papal post at the end of this month.

Notre Dame religious historian R. Scott Appleby praised Pope Benedict’s announcement as an act of courage.

“Pope Benedict XVI has acted courageously in announcing his resignation from the papacy at the end of this month,” Appleby said. “He leaves behind a church still staggering from the sexual abuse crisis, weakened by bureaucratic infighting, curial scandals and papal gaffes, and facing by a host of challenges—to which the pope alluded in his statement today.

“To his credit Pope Benedict devoted his considerable intellectual skills to the crafting of three excellent and profound encyclicals bringing together the core of Catholic social doctrine with the depths of the theological tradition, and his energies to “a new evangelization,” which the Church desperately needs.”

Appleby, who directs Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, teaches courses in American religious history and comparative religious movements. His the author of numerous books including “The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence and Reconciliation”; “Church and Age Unite! The Modernist Impulse in American Catholicism.”; and “Transforming Parish Ministry: The Changing Roles of Clergy, Laity, and Women Religious He also is co-editor, with Martin Marty, of the five-volume Fundamentalism Project.”

Contact: Scott Appleby, 574-631-5665, appleby.3@nd.edu

“I think that this is a wise and courageous decision," said J. Matthew Ashley, associate professor and chair of theology. "Nobody knows better than Benedict the complexity of the global Catholic Church and the resulting demands of overseeing the curial bureaucracy in Rome. While there is no doubt that the papacy has immense symbolic and spiritual power, it is also arguably one of the world’s most taxing administrative positions, and in making this decision it seems to me that Benedict has chosen to prioritize the latter, whereas in his final years John Paul II emphasized the former.

“Of course, this is unprecedented in recent history. It will be interesting to see if and how Benedict chooses to act (or not act) after his resignation. He could very easily continue to exercise in some way the unitive function of the petrine office. Finally, this decision also saves the church from months or even years of speculation about who the next pope will be, which usually creates more heat (and smoke) than light. Catholics everywhere should celebrate this decision and wish the Pope well as he enters the next phase of his ministry.”

Contact: J. Mathew Ashley, 574-631-6662, ashley.2@nd.edu

“We are losing a great leader, certainly one of the most sophisticated theological minds to serve as Pope in modern history," said John Cavadini, professor of theology and McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life. "His legacy is one of integration on so many fronts — integration of faith and reason above all, but also of witness and dialogue, culture and community, Catholic Social Teaching and its place in the wider framework of Catholic theology, Eros and Agape — he refused dichotomy and cultivated dialectic. The sublime conviction that “God is Love,” and that the Christian life is one lived in response to the mystery of God’s love, configured his whole theological and pastoral agenda as Pope from his very first encyclical forward.”

Contact: John Cavadini, 574-631-5510, cavadini.1@nd.edu

“Pope Benedict Benedict stepped down, through his letter, in accordance within the norms of canon law," said Lawrence Cunningham, John A. O’Brien Professor emeritus of theology. "He did it freely and while compos mentis. A papal resignation is not unprecedented; there are historical examples, such as Piope Celestine V in the 13th century, and we know that Pope Paul VI thought about resignation.

“What Benedict has done sets a contemporary example for future popes: when unable to bear the rigors of the office retire. The church needs to think about orderly procedures for those occasions when the pope becomes ill and unable to make a decision about resignation – as of now, there are not clear procedures for this possibility. Benedict’s decision may precipitate such a consideration.”

Contact: Lawrence Cunningham, 574-233-5492, cunningham.1@nd.edu

“His announcement is a real witness to the Pope’s wisdom, sincerity and love of the Church," said Rev. Virgil Elizondo, professor of pastoral and Hispanic theology. "As he stated, this was a very difficult decision to make. The next few days will be most interesting and crucial for the future of the Church.”

Contact: Rev. Virgil Elizondo, 574-631-4741, elizondo.2@nd.edu

“Since April of 2005, the Church has been blessed with a chief shepherd whose pastoral vision was deeply rooted in the living tradition of the Church," said Rev. Msgr. Michael Heintz, director of the Master of Divinity Program in the Department of Theology. "He was one of the greatest theologians to be elected to the see of Rome, and yet had a remarkable gift for communicating the profound truths of the faith in a way that both appealed to contemporary men and women and at the same time invited them to enter more deeply into relationship with Jesus Christ.”

Contact: Rev. Msgr. Michael Heintz, 574-631-5682, mheintz1@nd.edu

Words such as ‘wow,’ ‘whoa!’ and ‘stunning’ have peppered my Facebook feed all morning,” said Kathleen Sprows Cummings, associate professor of American Studies and director of the Cushwa Center for the Study of American Catholicism. "But Pope Benedict’s announcement should not come as too much of a surprise. He himself said on a on a number of occasions that the pope has the right — and perhaps even the obligation — to resign should he feel unable to carry out the duties of his office.

“In light of his increasing frailty, the decision also reflects Benedict’s personality. For decades the world watched the long, slow decline of Pope John Paul II, who characteristically shared his suffering in a very public and poignant way. His successor, a scholar who has never been very comfortable in the limelight, has chosen to impart to the faithful a different lesson: how and when to make a courageous exit. Benedict’s announcement has sparked speculation as to a likely successor and prompted widespread debate over his legacy. Any assessment of the latter will require consideration of his singular achievements, as well as recognition that his papacy was marked by moments and actions far less grace-filled than the announcement of his departure.”

Contact: Kathleen Sprows Cummings, 574-631-8749, cummings.23@nd.edu

“I think this is the act of an extremely humble man who deeply loves the Church," said John O’Callaghan, associate professor of philosophy and director of the Jacques Maritain Center. "He of all people knows the serious problems the Church faces at this time. And he knows that however weak he gets, modern medicine may keep him alive for a very long time. He has served the Church his entire life, and would now continue to do so by stepping aside so that it can address its problems and be the gift to the world he deeply loves.

“Ancient thought, with which Benedict is deeply familiar, thinks one cannot both be a great man and humble. Christ shows us how this is false — greatness lays itself down for its beloved. I think Benedict is acting in ‘Imitatio Christi.’”

Contact: John O’Callaghan, 574-631-5153, o’callaghan.1@nd.edu

“The emergence of the papacy into the light of daily publicity, with JohnXXIII and Paul VI, and cultivated celebrity, with John Paul II and Benedict XVI, followed the Church’s engagement with the modern world via Vatican II," said Robin Darling Young, associate professor of theology. "The results were not always comfortable or predictable. It is ironic that Benedict, who aimed to restore the authority of tradition and office after the social upheavals of the last third of the 20th century, should attract further publicity by resigning for the announced reason of ingravescentem aetatem — enfeebling or burdensome old age. The precedent of Celestine V has been frequently cited, but Celestine was a naive monastic who became pope at nearly 80 and fell under the power of the Neapolitan king, Charles II, only to abdicate and be arrested and imprisoned by his much savvier successor Boniface VIII.

“Benedict, on the other hand, seems to follow a growing example of episcopal retirement at the age of 75, despite the decade that has passed since he attained that age, and he may, like those bishops, continue to function as an overseer and guide for the church he has vigorously steered already in the waning years of his predecessor, John Paul. His achievement was to promote the “hermeneutics of continuity,” which cheered some and disappointed others. He was a highly visible, intensely theological pontiff who continued his predecessor’s tradition of attempting to be the conscience of a secularizing world — as seen in his encyclicals and in his style of ruling.”

Contact: Robin Darling Young, 574-631-0382, young.88@nd.edu

“Pope Benedict XVI’s decision to resign from the Petrine ministry is a sign of profound humility and of courage, but above all of love for the Church," said Ann Astell, professor of theology. "The Holy Father has prayed fervently and thought deeply about this decision, which he has taken in freedom and out of clear-sighted concern for the good of the Church. To him we owe an abiding debt of love and gratitude. Let us join him now in prayer for the Church.”

Contact: Ann Astell, 574-631-3047 , aastell@nd.edu

Originally published by Michael O. Garvey at newsinfo.nd.edu on February 11, 2013.