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A MEDITATION BY BLESSED JOHN HENRY NEWMAN
God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not com-mitted to another. I have my mission—I never may know it in this life, but I shall be told it in the next. Somehow I am necessary for His purposes, as necessary in my place as an Archangel in His. I have a part in this great work; I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good, I shall do His work; I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place, while not intending it, if I do
but keep His commandments and serve Him in my calling.Therefore I will trust Him. Whatever, wherever I am, I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain; He may prolong my life, He may shorten it; He knows what He is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers, He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide the future
from me—still He knows what He is about.
Dear friends,When a deep stillness encompassed everything and the night in its swift course was half-spent, Your all-powerful Word leapt from heaven’s royal throne.
(Wisdom 18,14)When the world is dark, when we see little meaning in our lives, then we need light. In our poverty we need beauty, kindness, warmth. Such was Jesus’ first embrace of his Mother, Mary, as she in turn reached out to embrace him. Such a simple human scene— the Holy Family— but its meaning is God’s care of us in our poverty— reaching out to us to say “I love you.”Seton Hall University’s mission— as was that of the wife and mother, Elizabeth Anne Seton— continues to be the Father’s embrace through Jesus. And the mission of the Center for Catholic Studies within Seton Hall is the same— to translate Jesus’ embrace into the education of young people, to enlighten the various disciplines and professions with the light of Christ.Rooted in the Catholic intellectual tradition of John Henry Newman, Thomas Aquinas, and Augustine, the Center seeks to bring the light of Christ to all disciplines in the university. We have found Fr. Bernard Lonergan’s interdisciplinary theology to be especially helpful in this regard. This past year we have had a number of workshops, lectures and activities throughout the university in order to bring the light of Christ to our faculty and our students.The present newsletter is a record of some of our efforts. Please read it with a sense of our heartfelt prayers for you and your families and friends during this season. Danute Nourse, who has been a faithful Director of Programs for the Center for Catholic Studies for so many years, joins me in these prayers.
Sincerely, in the Lord,
Rev. Msgr. Richard M. LiddyDirector, Center for Catholic Studies
SETON HALL UNIVERSITY | DECEMBER 2015
At its annual conference in July 2015, the Board of Directors of the Newman Association of America (NAA) held its elections, and Monsignor Richard Liddy was elected president. Other officers include: Dr. David Deavel, Vice Presi-dent (University of St. Thomas, MN); Dr. Bernadette Waterman-Ward, Secretary (University of Dallas); James Terrance Sell, Treasurer. Monsignor Gerard H. McCarren of Immaculate Conception Seminary will serve as Program Chair for the 2016 conference and remains as NAA representative from Seton Hall, where the association has its administra-tive offices in the Office of the Provost.Other NAA Board Members include Dr. Robert Christie, Executive Director,
National Institute for Newman Stud-ies (Duquesne University); Elizabeth Farnsworth (University of Dayton); Edward Jeremy Miller (Gwynedd Mercy University), and John Connolly (Loyola Marymount, CA).In his letter to the membership, Mon-signor Liddy related numerous times throughout his life that Cardinal New-man impacted his choices. He writes, “He has accompanied me on my life’s journey.”Perhaps his most significant encounter was serving on the English Historical Commission in preparation for Cardinal Newman’s beatification, which took place with Pope Benedict XVI in Bir-mingham, England.
At the end of his letter Liddy writes, “I ask that members pray for the canonization of Blessed John Henry Newman as a truly wise guide for Christians in our time.”
2
THE CENTER FOR C ATHOLIC STUDIES
NAA Board of Directors
WHAT IS CATHOLIC STUDIES?Founded in 1997 with the blessing of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the Center for Catholic Studies is dedicated to promoting dialogue between the Catholic intellectual tradition and all areas of study and contemporary culture. Through pro-gramming, study, lectures and public events, it is positioned to show the richness and beauty of that tradition through an understanding of God and the human person. From the Center grew two major university initiatives: the present Core Curriculum began as part of the annual summer faculty seminar in 2001; the Center also began the under-graduate degree program in Catholic Studies which in 2012 became the Department of Catholic Studies with Professor Ines Murzaku as Chair. The Center focuses on the central role of the faculty and sponsors regular faculty development programs, lectures, seminars and retreats. It administers two national faculty development programs, Collegium: a Colloquy on Faith and Intellectual Life, and the Lilly Fellows Program.Maintaining a global presence in international scholarship, it is also the home of the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture, as well as the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute. Each offers opportunities for study and research, as well as ongo-ing programs. The focus of the Micah Institute for Business and Economics is to communicate Catholic social teaching and ethics to the university community and to the world of business. The Micah Institute is also the locus of the William J. Toth Visiting Professorship Endowment and the Woodstock Business Conference.In addition the Center publishes two prestigious international journals, the The Chesterton Review and The Lonergan Re-view.
ABOUT THE DIRECTORFrom its inception, Monsignor Richard M. Liddy has skillfully led many of the programs of the Center for Catholic Studies— we might add, with the gracious and competent management and coordination of the Director of Programs, Danute Nourse. Besides teaching, faculty development, retreat programs for clergy and religious, and writing for scholarly publications, he has a number of other commitments. One of those commitments is with Trinity Health, one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the country. Monsignor Liddy and three other Seton Hall faculty members collaborate on a mission-driven Academy for executives of Trinity’s 86 hospitals throughout the nation. This very successful two year certificate program will graduate its third and fourth cohorts in 2017.Monsignor Liddy is a noted authority on his seminary teacher in Rome, Bernard J. Lonergan. In September, he spoke at an annual international Lonergan conference in Naples, Italy, sponsored by the Italian Episcopal Conference, on “My Fundamental Mentor and Guide: Newman’s Influence on Lonergan.” A recent project is the Select Interdisciplinary Bibliography (www.shu.edu/catholic-mission/lonergan/gem-bibliography.cfm), which connects scholars and practi-tioners throughout the disciplines by way of the GEM (General-ized Empirical Method) of Bernard Lonergan. In addition, The Lonergan Review annual edition has been published, entitled From Aquinas to Economics, Vol VI. For more information, please visit: https://www.pdcnet.org/lonerganreviewFor Monsignor Liddy, another meaningful event occurs each evening at 10pm, when he gathers for Night Prayer with a group of university students. It is a time to socialize, as well as a time for quiet, prayer and thanksgiving, as another day on campus comes to an end.
NEWMAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: MONSIGNOR LIDDY ELECTED PRESIDENT
In this small newsletter we have attempted an impossible task— to relate the events of the past year in Catholic Studies. To read more, please visit our website site: www.shu.edu/go/ccsv
3CENTER FOR CATHOLIC STUDIES | NEWSLETTER
THE DEPARTMENT OF C ATHOLIC STUDIESThe Department of Catholic Studies has been brought to the level of other university disciplines since its formation in 2012. Under the guidance of Dr. Ines Murzaku, Department Chair, the department has grown significantly in numbers of students, faculty and in the depth and breadth of program-ming and events. In December 2013 Pope Francis imparted his Apostolic Blessing on the occasion of the department’s establishment, making Seton Hall the only university to claim this honor.The department has two study abroad courses, in Italy and Ecuador respectively, and several lecture series: Modern Catholicism, Medieval Catholicism, Catholic Life and Lit-erature, Ecumenism and the Archbishop Myers Lecture Series. A new curriculum includes many new and challenging courses.Scholarships for students in Catholic Studies are generously supported by the Fr. Walter Debold Scholarship Fund, the Rev. Richard Nardone Endowment and the Center for Catho-lic Studies.The following are some of the past year’s highlights:In February, Dr. Riccardo Colasanti M.D. lectured on “Soli-darity in Health Care: Experiences with Poor, Undocumented Migrants and Hospitals in Developing Countries.” In March, Father Anthony Spadaro, S.J., presented “Cybertheology: Thinking About Faith in the Era of the Internet.”At Seton Hall’s 2015 University Conference on Women and Gender, Dr. Murzaku hosted a panel entitled, “Woman, Slav, New Jerseyan,” about the life of Blessed Miriam Teresa Demjenovich. The panel included Alan Delozier, University Archivist, and Monika Rice, Adjunct Professor of Religious Studies.In April the department, along with the Department of Phys-ics hosted the Father Stanley Jaki Foundation International Conference on the life and work of the internationally-ac-
claimed Seton Hall professor who was a leading contributor to the history and philosophy of science and its relationship to Christianity.Later in April, the Ecumenism Lecture Series hosted a panel on the International Orthodox-Catholic Dialogue en-titled, “Toward a Reunited Church.”Anthony Clark, Professor of Chinese History at Whitworth University, explored the turbulent history of the Church from the missionaries of the 16th century to present Communist rule in “China’s Tale of Two Cities: Beijing, Shanghai and a Legacy of Catholic Perseverance.”In September, Eduardo J. Echeverria, Professor of Phi-losophy and Systematic Theology at Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, lectured on “The Two Shall become One Flesh: the Bodily Truth regarding the Sacrament of Marriage,” which drew from John Paul II’s Theology of the Body.More recently, Thomas Landy, Director of the McFarland Center for Religion Ethics and Culture at Holy Cross, posed the question: with American Catholics making up only 7% of the world’s Catholics, “What Do We Really Mean When We Talk About a Global Church?”On October 20, Dr. James McGlone gave another delightful Theater in the Round dramatic reading entitled “Catholicism and Literature.” On October 26th, Father Peter Mitchell lec-tured on “The Coup at Catholic University: the 1968 Revolu-tion in American Catholic Education.”On November 5th, Father Paul Mariani, S.J. presented “Catholicism in China.” And on November 12th noted lec-turer Damon Owens, writer and teacher and with his wife, advocate of Theology of the Body, spoke on the topic in conjunction with Seton Hall’s Campus Ministry.It is clear that with the breadth and depth of these programs, the Department of Catholic Studies is fast becoming one of the more distinguished programs of its kind in the country.
Founding Chair of the Department of Catholic Studies Professor Ines Murzaku (center) with Catholic Studies
majors (from left to right) Angeli Fernandes, Elisa Maguigad, Monica Sowa, and Catholic Studies Minor Cassidy Martin
Department of Catholic Studies sponsors students at induction ceremony of Delta Epsilon Sigma, a national
honor society for Catholic colleges and universities.
4 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY | DECEMBER 2015
For her many contributions to the mission of Collegium, a Col-loquy on Faith and Intellectual Life, and Seton Hall University, Dr. Marianne Lloyd was awarded Collegium’s Visionary Award. In presenting this award at an assembly on October 8th, 2015, Monsignor Liddy wrote, “Catholic higher education depends now more than ever on the energy and vision of the lay faculty who find imaginative and compelling ways to engage Catholic intellectual and spiritual traditions with other ways of knowing for the sake of the Gospel and the world.” Collegium, a consor-tium of 65 colleges and universities, was founded to encourage faculty in such creative endeavors. The award was presented by Thomas M. Landy, of Holy Cross College and Director of Collegium, along with Joyce Gawlik, Associate Director.Marianne Lloyd is Associate Professor of Psychology at Seton Hall and liaison to Collegium. She has enriched Seton Hall by bringing from Collegium an empowered view on the relation of faith and intellect in and out of the classroom. Her research is aimed at understanding the factors related to memory error and correction. She is a member of the pioneering certificate program in Data Visualization and Analysis at Seton Hall.
Co-sponsored with the Center for Vocation and Servant Lead-ership, Catholic Studies and the William J. Toth Visiting Profes-sorship Endowment, the annual faculty summer seminar was held June 2-4, 2015. It was facilitated this year by Mark T. Miller, Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology and Director of the Ignatian Institute at the University of San Francisco. Based on his work, The Quest for God and the Good Life: Lonergan’s Theological Anthropology, Miller presented Lonergan’s vision of the human person, one called to greatness, yet fallible and open to redemption. Along with his strong academic creden-tials, seminar participants marveled at his wisdom and youthful enthusiasm.Since 1998, the summer seminar has been offered each year to faculty and administration at the university. Over the years, hundreds of faculty have participated and have welcomed the opportunity to reflect in-depth on topics central to teaching and learning at Seton Hall. Participants who write a short response essay receive a stipend. Past essays are collected and made available on line at the following web site: http://scholarship.shu.edu/summer-seminars
ANNUAL FACULTY SUMMER SEMINAR: THE QUEST FOR GOD AND THE GOOD LIFE
COLLEGIUM’S VISIONARY AWARD: DR. MARIANNE LLOYD
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
Faculty Summer Seminar 2015
Marianne Lloyd receives Collegium award, shown with Msgr. Liddy, Thomas Landy, Joyce Gawlik,
Danute Nourse and Ines Murzaku
Since 2013, a group of dedicated Seton Hall faculty and ad-ministrators have participated in the Praxis Program of The Advanced Seminar on Mission, sponsored by The Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership and co-sponsored by the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute of the Center for Catholic Studies.Its purpose is to foster faculty development, personally and organizationally, addressing the question, “How can I improve my teaching, integrate it with the university mission and other disciplines, and more importantly, help my students grow per-sonally and professionally?”
For the past two and a half years, three cohorts have engaged in the program, with 45 faculty, several deans, and senior adminis-trators becoming GEM (Generalized Empirical Method) Fellows. Those implementing their personal plan of action (ATM), now number 26. The program consists of training and immersion in the thought of Bernard Lonergan as a method to analyze and appropriate SHU’s mission, with a request for a practical model of application (ATM) to their disciplines at the end. A two year program of deepening content and peer support follows.
ONGOING PRAXIS FACULTY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM PREPARES FOR COHORT 4
CONTINUED ON PAGE 5
5CENTER FOR CATHOLIC STUDIES | NEWSLETTER
FACULTY DEVELOPMENT
Always a highlight of the Praxis program, the “GEM Fellows” Rome retreat is de-signed to provide opportunities for reflec-tion on SHU’s mission and Lonergan’s Method in Theology, on values, meaning, and the question of God. Participants ex-perience how these reflections enhance each person both personally and profes-sionally in their work at Seton Hall.The May 2015 retreat included faculty from Nursing, English, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy, Library Sci-ence, Physics, the Core Curriculum and Theology, as well as Monsignor Liddy and the staff of the Center for Vocation and Servant Leadership and the Center for Catholic Studies.Class time and discussions were held daily in the Aula del Senato of the Gre-gorian University with host Fr. Gerard Whelan, S.J. and Gregorian faculty.
Guest speakers included Milan Zust, S.J. from the Centro Aletti and Franco Imoda, S.J., Director of AVEPRO the Vatican agency for Evaluation and Promotion of Quality in Ecclesiastical Universities and Faculties.The retreat program is produced in partnership with the Lay Centre at Foyer Unitas, where the group enjoyed gardens overlooking the Colosseum and home cooked meals, and on Pentecost, a concert by an Anglican Choir from Man-chester, England. Excursions included a guided visit through the Vatican Muse-ums by the noted art historian, Elizabeth Lev, a tour of the Pontifical College of Ireland and a guided visit to Assisi with the Franciscan Friars of Atonement.In Assisi, after a special Mass in the basilica and guided tours throughout Assisi, the group enjoyed a wonderful
meal at the Franciscan Friary nestled in an Assisi hillside. Especially moving was the group’s visit in Rome with local members of the world-renowned Community of St. Egidio, as well as evening prayer and a group meal at the nearby St. Egidio restaurant, Gli Amici.The experience of Rome offered the faculty a special opportunity to reflect and gain insight into their lives and their special work at Seton Hall. Many shared the sentiments of Marie Foley, Dean of Nursing:
I felt honored to be a part of the group and really needed this time for reflection and sharing. The SHU mission and its meaning in our work is, for me, the reason why I am here at SHU and not at another institution.
ROME RETREAT FOR GEM FELLOWS
ONGOING PRAXIS PROGRAM PREPARES FOR COHORT 4
To a casual observer, the program might appear heavily philosophical. However, practical results are beginning to be seen and participants have begun to imple-ment major changes in their courses, departments, programs, research, publi-cations, and areas of work at Seton Hall. The program is drawing the attention of other universities around the world.Some GEM Fellows’ observations:… higher education is more than teach-ing facts and passing on information. It is about the whole person… my role is to help students on their life journey…I have developed new courses and transformed delivery of old courses. Praxis has helped me refine the goals for
my courses and provided a foundation for developing new Core III Engaging the World courses.… This program shaped our entire focus during Orientation (Law School), as well as our ethical training in the first year program… these initiatives took the form of creating a justice-centered moral philosophy and ethics program for every student entering the law school.I have explained and encouraged stu-dents to apply the GEM Method and cognitive theory to all my courses (Biol-ogy). Explaining the scientific method through GEM is an example of looking at a discipline from a larger perspective…What has become clear to me is that the educational process is a collaborative one… I have learned more about other
disciplines and how they interact with my own... I have also learned that edu-cation goes beyond the classroom, that it occurs in administrative offices and student support services program… a university in all its manifestations needs to be a “learning organization.”We are undergoing a total curriculum re-vision because of GEM. I recognize that developing the hearts of our students is as important as developing their minds and skills…As the Praxis program moves on to Spring 2016 and a new cohort supported by a grant from the Raskob Foundation, it is becoming clear that GEM Fellows have devoted the time and energy to deepening and furthering the mission of Seton Hall.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4
6 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY | DECEMBER 2015
DONATIONS CAN BE MADE ONLINE BY VISITING OUR WEBSITE
WWW.SHU.EDU/GO/CCS
Deacon William J. Toth taught Moral Theology at our Immaculate Con-ception Seminary from 1989 until his death in 2008. During that time he also founded the Institute on Work, which later became the Micah Institute for Business and Economics. He was a committed champion of interdisciplinary work and his ideal was to have seminarians sitting in the same classroom as business students, future
lawyers mixing with theologians, critical philosophers interact-ing with psychologists and sociologists. Continuing his profound and meaningful legacy is The William J. Toth Endowed Visiting Professorship, whose purpose is to provide a framework for collaborative creativity by encouraging scholarship and dialogue in interdisciplinary studies.Among the endowment’s more recent lectures are: Dr. Cheryl Picard of Carleton University, Ottawa, on “Transforming Conflict through Insight”; Dr. Jeremy Wilkins, Regis College, Toronto, “Who is Jesus?”; and Dr. Paul La Chance, theologian and psy-chotherapist, “The Body in Prayer,” about the role of faith in human development.Cheryl A. PicardCo-sponsored by the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, School of Diplomacy and International Relations, the lecture by Dr. Cheryl Picard demonstrated the “Insight Approach” to
conflict resolution, the topic of her work with Kenneth Mechin, Transforming Conflict Through Insight. Their approach is rooted in Lonergan’s theory of human understanding. Before war or conflict of any kind can be settled, we must fully under-stand the perceptions, feelings, insights and judgements that gave rise to the conflict. Lonergan’s strategic methodology of understanding can be invaluable if true healing is to take place.Jeremy D. WilkinsJeremy Wilkins, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Theology at Regis College and Director of the Lonergan Research Institute. His lecture, “Who is Jesus?” in January 2015, was co-sponsored by the Department of Theology and the Immaculate Conception Seminary. It was delivered on the occasion of the publishing of the English translation of Bernard J. Lonergan’s The Incarnate Word by the University of Toronto Press. This masterful work links ancient teaching on the life of Christ, his knowledge of himself and his mission, with our present day understandings of the reality of who Jesus was and “is.”Paul La ChancePaul La Chance, Ph.D. is a counselor and theologian special-izing in Experiential Process Therapy and spiritually integrated counseling. Scholarly interests include philosophical psychol-ogy and the work of Bernard Lonergan. His lecture, “The Body in Prayer,” demonstrated the underlying purpose of the Toth endowment: to provide a correlation between the highest levels of scholarship and the realities of our present world. In his lecture, he explored the role of the body, our emotions, and our physical being when we pray. Drawing on the works of psychologist Eugene Gendlin and theologians Karl Rahner and Basil Pennington, he described the idea of “being bodily present” in prayer, by increasing emotional self-awareness and distinguishing psychological from theological elements.
THE WILLIAM J. TOTH ENDOWED VISITING PROFESSORSHIP
TO SUPPORT THE WILLIAM J. TOTH ENDOWED VISITING PROFESSORSHIP, contact the Center for Catholic Studies by email at [email protected] or call 973-275-2525
Thank You to Our Friends!
We at Seton Hall’s Center for Catholic Studies have benefitted greatly from your sup-port, through your continued prayers, through your attendance at our many activities, and through your generous donations, large and small, to Seton Hall, the Center for Catholic
Studies and the William J. Toth Endowment. We would not be able to present all the lectures, programs, classes and events were it not for your many kindnesses.
We hope you will continue. Know that you are in part responsible for the many blessings, graces and insights hundreds of faculty, students and program participants receive through these
programs, as well as many more in the future who will be touched by their message and spirit!
7CENTER FOR CATHOLIC STUDIES | NEWSLETTER
ETHICS AND ECONOMICS FORUM
CHESTERTON INSTITUTE HAPPENINGS IN 2015
Co-sponsored by the Department of Religion and the Center for Catholic Studies, the Ethics and Economics Forum was formed to bring faculty, students, and the business community together to create a greater awareness of ethical perspectives on busi-ness and economic life. Using the informal luncheon round-table as a setting, faculty from across the university and beyond come together to discuss economic justice.Proceedings are continued on the Ethics and Economics Forum website http://blogs.shu.edu/ethicsandeconomicsforum.This resource for the interdisciplinary study of economic justice serves as an online forum to promote discussion beyond the Forum’s regular meetings. Among the more recent meetings: Professor Dermot Quinn Department of History and Associate Editor of the Chesterton Review, led a discussion on Chester-ton’s Distributism economic theory which critiques monopoly capitalism and socialism and recommends a more egalitarian system of property ownership.
Monsignor Richard Liddy presented a comprehensive over-view of Bernard Lonergan’s theory of macro-economic dynamics that dovetailed with Pope Benedict XVI’s teaching on economics.Professor Kurt Rotthoff of the Stillman School of Business explored significant approaches to the economic cycle and eco-nomic theory using the podcast of EconTalk’s discussion on the 2009 Stimulus package and Keynesian theories.Professor Anthony Haynor, Department of Sociology, Anthro-pology and Social Work, presented a discussion of worker owned businesses as an established tradition encouraged by Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum and by Pope Pius XI in Quadregesimo Anno, and carried on by Chesterton’s Distributism.Professor Paula Alexander, Stillman School of Business, led a discussion on John Rawls’ ethical theory and its economic implications. Professor Alexander is the author of a recent book entitled Corporate Social Irresponsibility.
In 2015 the G. K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture, continuing the celebration of the fortieth anniversary milestone, held various conferences in the United States, Italy and three conferences in Chile, attended by more than 800 people. Topics included: Re-discovering St. Francis of Assisi Through the Eyes of G. K. Chesterton; A Bishop Dressed Like Clown: What Apologetics Means in the Third Millennium; G. K. Chesterton: His Thought... Always Relevant, and The Parables of Father Brown. The Institute also co-sponsored the New York production of G. K. Chesterton’s play “The Surprise” as well as a special event with Michael Novak held at Seton Hall University. The 2015 events were organized by the G. K. Chesterton Institute in collaboration with Crossroads Cultural Center; La Civiltà Cattolica, BombaCarta; Universidad Finis Terrae; The Storm Theater, and
the Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University.The Chesterton Institute also co-sponsors, with Campus Ministry and the Center for Catholic Studies, a Spanish Mass
for the Seton Hall University community on the first Thursday of each month.The Institute also published two double issues of its journal, The Chesterton Review, in its English edition, which included articles by scholars such as Dr. Dermot Quinn; Dr. John Coates; Dr. Race Mathews; Dr. Anna Walczuk; Philip Jenkins; Conrad Black and others. Italian and Spanish editions will also appear this year.Father Ian Boyd has continued to teach a course for the core curriculum and Catholic Studies Department on the topic of “Catholicism & Literature”, covering authors such as G. K. Chesterton, Henry James, T. S. Eliot and C. S. Lewis.
Father Ian Boyd, C.S.B. President of the G.K. Chesterton Institute
CCS GRADUATE ASSISTANT: CHRISTINE BRAZEAUThe Center for Catholic Studies has been fortunate over these past years to be supported by excellent graduate assistants. Our newest GA is Christine Brazeau who comes to us from Portsmouth, NH and is pursuing a graduate degree at Seton Hall’s School of Diplomacy and International Relations.Christine received her undergraduate degree from Hofstra
University where she majored in public relations and minored in global studies and music. She has worked for the Points of Light Foundation, planning National Days of Service in part-nership with Disney and Hasbro, and interned for She’s the First, an organization serving underprivileged girls throughout the world. We are happy to welcome Christine to Seton Hall!
8 SETON HALL UNIVERSITY | DECEMBER 2015
IN MEMORIAM: JOHN F. HUNT (2015)The Seton Hall community was saddened by the passing in May of a dear friend and benefactor, John Francis Hunt. John (Seton Hall Class of 1950) was deeply committed to his alma mater and especially to the Center for Catholic Studies. The idea of developing student leaders who saw their faith, like he did, as an integral part of their lives as Catholic professionals was important to him. Together with his wife, Miriam, he contributed much to the growth of Seton Hall throughout his life.
John graduated from Seton Hall in 1950 and from Columbia University Law School in 1953 where he graduated with distinction. As a partner in the firm of Cravath, Swaine & Moore, he spent his life promoting ethical business practices and advocating for the environment and freedom of speech. A true blue Pirate, he was always an important part of the university family. We will miss him and send our sincere condolences to Miriam and his family. A scholarship fund for students in
Catholic Studies has been established in memory of John Hunt. To contribute, please email [email protected]
Msgr. Richard M. LiddyDirector, Center for Catholic Studies and
the Bernard J. Lonergan Institute; Editor, The Lonergan Review
v [email protected] v 973-275-2175
Father J. Ian BoydPresident of the G.K. Chesterton Institute
for Faith & Culture and Editor of The Chesterton Review
v [email protected] v 973-275-2430
Professor Dermot QuinnAssociate Editor of The Chesterton Review
M. Therese LiddyCo-Director, Micah Institute for Business and
Economics v [email protected]
Wally KennedyCo-Director, Micah Institute for Business and Economics v [email protected] v
Danute M. NourseDirector of Programs, Center for Catholic Studies v [email protected] v 973-275-2525
Gloria Garafulich-GraboisAssistant Director, G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture; Managing Editor of The
Chesterton Review and The Lonergan Review v [email protected] v
973-275-2431
Christine BrazeauGraduate Assistant v 973-275-2175
When James Harris graduated from Seton Hall in 2010, he never imagined the impact his Catholic Studies program would have on his life journey! “My years from 2006 to 2010 shaped who I am… The Catholic Studies classes I took with such distinguished pro-fessors gave me more than a personal sense of Catholicism; they gave me a global vision and a curiosity for travel.”The lectures, discussions, travels to Europe, to Oxford University, immersion into art history, lit-erature and Christian culture were so intriguing that he felt the need to share. After graduation he was invited to teach at a Catholic bilingual school in Honduras.In Honduras, teaching English was more than grammar. It was the heightened dimension of life in subjects such as English literature instilled in him by professors like Dr. Nancy Enright and Father Ian Boyd. “Being able to transfer the wisdom of great professors to young students in a poor country like Honduras gave me the feeling of doing good and making a difference.” After Honduras, James again traveled back to Oxford with Catholic Studies, where he “soaked up as much wisdom as possible.” In 2012, he received an offer to teach English
in Shanghai. He writes, “Little did I know, Shanghai is home to a number of Catholic churches. I was able to find one close to my apartment. I found the Mass (in Mandarin) very beautiful and the hymns uplifting.”
Mandarin proved to be more than simply a means of communication. In December of 2013 he married Zhang Luyu, one of his Mandarin teachers, at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the Hongkou District of Shanghai. “Receiving the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony in China— that is experiencing global Catholicism! And my joy did not stop there. In September 2014 James William Harris Jr. was born!”Currently, James teaches English in a Chinese middle school where the students are enthusi-astic, disciplined and an “inspiration!” Grateful for his Seton Hall roots he writes, “My family and I never cease to press forward to our Catholic dreams! With my wife’s translation skills she hopes to translate many Catholic works from English to Chinese… I would like to give directly to other people what Catholic Studies gave me: a sense of Catholicism that reaches the ends of the Earth and opens people’s minds to new cultures, places and things.”
WEST MEETS EAST: A CATHOLIC STUDIES GRADUATE IN CHINA
FOR MORE INFORMATIONPLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT
shu.edu/go/ccsCALL 973-275-2525
E-MAIL [email protected] [email protected]
MAILING ADDRESS400 South Orange Avenue South Orange, NJ 07079
James Harris and family
