Franciscan Way Winter 2003 - Franciscan University of Steubenville

The Young Entrepreneurs:
Redefining Success
Rebuild
my Church.
—God’s call to St. Francis of Assisi
G
od’s call to St. Francis nearly 800 years ago reverberates
in our hearts today. As Franciscan priests and brothers,
we bring Christ’s message of mercy and love to a modern—yet hurting world.
Our many works in parishes, high schools and universities, hospitals, and
foreign missions are focused not on maintaining buildings but on transforming
lives into deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
If you’re interested in rebuilding God’s kingdom as a priest or brother,
consider joining the Franciscan Friars, Third Order Regular.
Franciscan Friars, T.O.R., Vocation Office
PO Box 104, Loretto, PA 15940 Phone: 814-472-9527
E-mail: davistor@uov.net Web: www.franciscanstor.org
Province of the Most Sacred
Heart of Jesus—Loretto, PA
2003
DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM
A MASTER’S IN THEOLOGY–
It’s Closer Than You Think.
Now Franciscan University’s MA Theology Program comes to you!
Earn your master’s through our fully accredited
Distance Learning Program. Study with great professors
such as Dr. Scott Hahn, Dr. Mark Miravalle, and Dr. Alan
Schreck via audiotaped classroom lectures. And, because
you’re studying in the comfort of your own home,*
you can earn your degree for about half the cost.
WHY WAIT?
Just call Distance Learning
at 1-800-466-8336 or
visit our webpage
at www.franciscan.edu
and begin your
master’s in theology today!
*Only six credits must be earned on campus.
2
Franciscan Way
Winter 2003
features
5
An Austrian Celebration By Tom Sofio
10 The Young Entrepreneurs:
Redefining Success
By Lisa Ferguson
10
From finance and construction to bridal millinery and
coffee distribution—Franciscan alumni learn what it
takes to run their own businesses.
14 Scrum Time!
By Tom Sofio
Rugby catches on as the newest club sport.
16 Catholic Writers Gather for a
Fellowship of the Pens
By Tim Drake
Seeking to reshape the culture with bold words and vivid
imaginations, writers gather for the first-ever Catholic
Writers Festival.
14
18 In the Spirit of Thanksgiving
By David Scott
20 A Distinguished Tenure
By Judy Roberts
Professor John Korzi retires after 47 years of service.
20
29 The Other Three R’s
By Katrina J. Zeno
departments
4
Franciscan Way Staff:
From the President
6
News Briefs
22
Class Notes
26
Alumni Profile
27
Alma Matters
28
Meet the Profs
30
Franciscan Saints
Editor:
Lisa Ferguson ’84
Assistant Editor:
Tom Sofio
Design Director/Production:
On the cover: Entrepreneur Joe LeMark ’93, co-owner of New Oregon Builders Company. (Photo by Caren LeMark)
Winter 2003
Marie Highfield ’91
Design/Production:
Melissa Zifzal
Class Notes:
Joan McGlone ’82
Photographers:
Steve Zehler ’92
Katie Shawl
Marianne Skees
Callie Stone
3
The Franciscan Presence
Rev. Terence Henry, TOR
President
I
n 1970, consecrated persons or
priests made up 51 percent of the
200,000 teachers in Catholic schools in
the United States. By the year 2000 that
proportion had dropped to 7.5 percent,
just over 12,000 teachers. This dramatic
decline, among other considerations,
prompted a new document, “On Consecrated Persons and Their Mission in
Schools,” issued November 19, 2002, by
the Congregation for Catholic Education.
The document emphasized the contribution consecrated persons make to the
apostolate of education by their radical
reference to Christ, and by their important witness to the transcendent dimension of the spiritual life. In the section profiling the consecrated person, it said, “The
consecrated life must try to testify that
holiness is the highest humanizing proposal of man and of history” (No. 12) and
that “consecrated persons communicate
the richness of their specific vocation to
the extent that they live their consecration commitments to the full” (No. 13).
Calling their role in education “vitally
important” because they evangelize as
they educate, the document exhorted consecrated persons to “revive their educational passion” by “starting afresh from
Christ…contemplating his face, pausing
at length with him in prayer to then be
able to show him to others” (No. 82).
As a Franciscan who has served as a
teacher and administrator in high schools
and colleges for over 25 years, I found
these reflections both a wonderful reminder and affirmation of the role of
priests and religious in education, especially at Franciscan University. Since its
founding by Third Order Regular
4
Franciscans in 1946, this school has
enjoyed a strong Franciscan presence on
the Board of Trustees, in administration,
staff, and faculty, and today, 15 friars
continue the rich Franciscan educational
mission here.
Several recent decisions highlight our
ongoing commitment to Catholic higher
education as Franciscans.
First, we decided to increase the
Franciscan presence in our Austrian study
abroad program by inviting a community
of Franciscan sisters to join us in our work
there. They will assist our chaplain, provide a greater religious presence, and teach
some courses. This decision came out of
our October Board of Trustees meeting
in Gaming, which celebrated the end of
our tenth year in Austria, and the many
blessings that have come through this
program.
Second, Franciscan University started
a new semester abroad program in Rome
for our MA theology students. This program became possible when Minister General Father Ilija Zivkovic, TOR, invited us
to house our students at the guesthouse
at the international headquarters for the
Franciscan Friars of the Third Order
Regular of St. Francis. This kind invitation represents a commitment to education at the highest levels of the order.
Third, at the prompting of our provincial, Father Edmund Carroll, TOR,
and the Provincial Chapter of the
Franciscan Friars, we created a new administrative position ensuring that another
friar will always work in close collaboration with the University president. I am
so pleased to announce the appointment
of Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, as the
University’s first vice president for Mission Effectiveness. A 1989 graduate of
Franciscan University, Father Dave will
work throughout the University to help
focus depar tments on our unique
Franciscan mission and will also serve as
my assistant.
Fourth, the University hired Frank
Glazer as our new vice president for Advancement. A senior development professional with nearly 30 years’ experience, he
will lead our efforts to build up our endowment fund. As the Congregation for
Catholic Education’s document stated,
Catholic schools must provide access to
education “especially for the poor” as a
matter of justice. Increasing our endowment will allow us to assist families of
modest means who wish to send their sons
and daughters to Franciscan University
even as we strive to improve academic
excellence.
The University also welcomed Dr.
Robert G. Filby ’75, former president of
the Trinity Health System Foundation and
vice president of Medical Affairs for Trinity Health System in Steubenville, as our
new vice president for Community Relations. He replaces John Madigan ’58, who
retired in January after 18 years of dedicated service but will continue to play a
role in the University on our Board of
Advisors.
I am grateful for all the fine men and
women—lay and consecrated—who serve
alongside the Franciscans here at this University. Together, may we do our best as
educators to “light and trim the lamp of
faith of the new generations, the ‘morning watchmen at the dawn of the new millennium’” (No. 84).
Franciscan Way
By Tom Sofio
Photos by Steve Zehler
C
alling it “a great
day for the
Kartause Maria Thron,”
Architect Walter
Hildebrand opened the celebration
marking the tenth anniversary of
Franciscan University’s study abroad
program in Gaming, Austria. The man
responsible for the renovation of the
medieval monastery, no one would
know better than Hildebrand how
much hard work, vision, and sacrifice
went into making it a reality.
Civic and Church leaders from
Austria, Franciscan University’s Board
of Trustees, administrators, faculty,
and students gathered October 14,
2002, for the festivities along with
benefactors of the program.
Mass, a gala reception, and a
formal dinner rounded out the program thanking
God and honoring all those who
contributed to
the restoration of
the Kartause and
the success of
Franciscan
University’s study
abroad program.
Photos (counterclockwise from top)
1) Architect Walter Hildebrand shows
dignitaries the Kartause library with its
priceless artwork.
2) Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, archbishop
of Vienna, celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the
Mass in the Kartause chapel.
3) US Ambassador to Austria W.L. Lyons
Brown greets University President Father
Terence Henry, TOR.
4) President Father Terence Henry, TOR,
Trustees Mickey Pohl, Mike Dougherty, and
Paulette Kardos, and Walter Hildebrand
plan future renovations for the Kartause.
Winter 2003
5
Franciscan University Gains “Top Tier” Ranking
U
S. News & World Report
ranked Franciscan University of Steubenville in the
top 21 percent of schools in
its division in the 2003 Guide
to America’s Best Colleges.
This placed the University in
the publication’s elite “top
schools” category for three of
the past four years.
Contributing to the top
tier ranking were high scores
in two important categories:
Franciscan University had the
sixth highest graduation rate
of any school in its division,
and ranked ninth overall for
freshman retention. These are
considered two of the most
important indicators of a
school’s overall academic excellence. According to U.S.
News, “The higher the proportion of freshmen who return to campus the following
year and eventually graduate,
the better a school may be
at offering the classes and
ser vices students need to
succeed.”
Franciscan University also
ranked in the top 3 percent
out of 1,400 schools in the
study abroad category, for its
program at a restored medieval monastery in the foothills
of the Austrian Alps. Another
contributing factor to the favorable ranking was the 14-1
student-to-teacher ratio.
More information is available at www.usnews.com or in
the publication, America’s Best
Colleges, 2003 Edition, available in bookstores.
Bishop Sheldon Receives Founders’ Award
S. Zehler
F
Father Terence Henry, TOR, presents the Founders’ Award to
Bishop-Emeritus Gilbert Sheldon.
6
or nourishing the people
of his diocese, the Church,
and society throughout his
nearly 50 years as a priest, the
Most Reverend Gilbert
Sheldon,
bishopemeritus of Steubenville, received the
Founders’ Award during the Founders’ Association Dinner on
December 1.
“You mar velously
lived out your Episcopal motto, Fortes in
Fide—‘Strong
in
Faith,’” said University
President
Father
Terence Henry, TOR.
He cited Bishop Sheldon’s
many works in the diocese,
with Serra International,
Knights of Columbus, and on
Catholic bishops’ committees
on Latin America and for
Catholic Charities.
Bishop Sheldon called the
University a “crown jewel” of
the Steubenville diocese. He
thanked the University for
avoiding the trend toward
secularization that gripped
many Catholic learning institutions over the past several
decades. “Thank the Lord that
didn’t happen here,” he said.
“Here you emphasize faith and
reason, and especially the ready
availability of daily Mass, confession, and retreats,” as focal
points of campus life.
At the start of each fall semester Bishop Sheldon publicly administered the Oath of
Fidelity to new theology faculty and those involved in spiritual formation of students. He
also participated in summer
conferences and other educational and liturgical events.
Though now retired, Bishop
Sheldon takes on a more active
presence on campus than ever
before as a member of the
Board of Advisors and as a
guest lecturer, primarily on
Church teachings in bioethics.
At the dinner, Founders’
Association scholarships were
presented to Nathaniel Freeman and Andrew Plesich, two
local students enrolled in the
MBA Program. The Franciscan
University Women’s Club
awarded scholarships to Carol
Kidwell, who will soon complete her education degree, and
to Sarah Proya, who is enrolled
in the MA Counseling Program.
Introducing Franciscan.edu
F
ranciscan University has
changed its domain name to
www.franciscan.edu. The new
name reflects the actual name of
the University more clearly than
the hybrid “franuniv.edu,”
which it replaces. Another plus:
Franciscan University is now the
sole proprietor on the educational branch of the World Wide
Web of the word Franciscan,
which encompasses the
University’s name, its patron
saint, and Franciscanism.
After March 3, 2003, any
e-mail sent to “franuniv” will be
undeliverable. Change your email bookmarks or favorites and
address book for any Franciscan
contacts now.
Franciscan Way
Coming Events
Cardinal Arinze Explains Roots
of Islamic Extremism
F
February 2003
1
rancis Cardinal Arinze,
former president of the
Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, spoke to
a standing-room only audience
on Christian-Muslim relations
October 11 at Franciscan
University.
Cardinal Arinze discussed
the shared beliefs and differences between two of the most
influential religions in the
world—and pointed out the
root causes of fundamentalismfueled terrorism.
Christians can find much
to commend in Islam, Arinze
noted, such as the fidelity of
Muslims to prayer, fasting, and
almsgiving.
Among the differences,
Arinze stated that “Muslims do
not accept the Christian mysteries of the Blessed Trinity and
redemption of all humanity by
the Incarnate Word. Muslims
honor Jesus as a prophet, but
not as son of God.”
Addressing the religious fanaticism that has fueled terrorist attacks in America and other
countries, Cardinal Arinze explained that some Muslim leaders became popular “because of
situations of oppression and re-
pression, poverty and underdevelopment, corruption and bad
government, poor economic
conditions and unhealed
memories of
political
domination, real
or perceived.
In such
situations Cardinal Arinze
of suffering, the extremist can
look credible to some misguided people when he calls for
a radical revolution or suggests
violent action as a solution.”
In 1998 Arinze formed the
Committee of Muslim-Catholic Dialogue to work against
racism and terrorist violence.
“It is not enough to condemn
extremism,” said Arinze. “It is
also necessary to see that it is
not provided the type of climate that favors its growth.”
After 17 years as president
of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue, Arinze
was appointed recently by
Pope John Paul II as the new
prefect of the Congregation
for Divine Worship and the
Sacraments.
Classical Concert
2
2-8
Festival of Praise
Finnegan Fieldhouse—7:00 p.m.
Franciscan University Presents,
EWTN—7:00 p.m.*
International Week
March 2003
1
2
Festival of Praise, Fieldhouse—7:00 p.m.
Franciscan University Presents,
EWTN—7:00 p.m.*
15
FIRE Rally, Phoenix (412) 951-0306
17-23 Spring Break
April 2003
3-6
Anathan Spring Production:
Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale,
Anathan Theatre—8:00 p.m.
4
Nursing Dedication,
Christ the King Chapel—8:00 p.m.
5
Festival of Praise, Fieldhouse—7:00 p.m.
6
Franciscan University Presents,
EWTN—7:00 p.m.*
9
Honors Convocation,
Christ the King Chapel—7:30 p.m.
10-13 Anathan Spring Production:
Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale,
Anathan Theatre**—8:00 p.m.
16
Tennebrae, Chapel—8:00 p.m.
17
Easter Recess Begins, 6:00 p.m.
Holy Thursday Mass, Fieldhouse—7:30 p.m.
18
Good Friday Service, Fieldhouse—3:00 p.m.
19
Easter Vigil Mass, Fieldhouse—9:00 p.m.
20
Easter Sunday Mass,
Christ the King Chapel—10:00 a.m.
21
Easter Recess—Evening Classes Resume
27
Franciscan Chamber Music Society
Spring Concert, Gallery—2:00 p.m.
30
Last day of classes
May 2003
3
4
9
10
Festival of Praise, Fieldhouse—7:30 p.m.
Franciscan University Presents,
EWTN—7:00 p.m.*
Baccalaureate Mass, Fieldhouse—6:00 p.m.
Graduate and Undergraduate
Commencement Exercises
K. Shawl
*New shows repeat Tuesday of the same week
at 1:00 p.m., and Friday of the same week at
3:00 a.m. All times are eastern.
** Matinee performance on Sunday, April 13.
Under the direction of Dr. Susan Treacy, far left, the Franciscan University
Chamber Music Society performed the music of Mozart at its Fall Concert.
Winter 2003
7
Catholics Reflect on 35 Years of Charismatic Renewal
O
Bishop
Stanislaw
Rylko, secretary of the
Pontifical Council for
the Laity
n September 11-12,
priests, religious, theologians, and lay people met at
Franciscan University
for a Catholic Charismatic Theological Symposium. The gathering
marked the thirty-fifth
anniversar y of the
ecclesial movement
known today as the
charismatic renewal.
Since its arrival in
1967 on the heels of the
Second Vatican Council,
the Catholic charismatic
renewal movement has
reawakened awareness of the
Holy Spirit’s role in the lives
of the Church’s faithful.
Reflecting upon the fruits
of three and a half decades of
the renewal, speakers affirmed
the overwhelming support of
Pope John Paul II for the
movement.
“The Holy Father has expressed appreciation and admiration for the renewal
movement fr uits,” said
Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, who traveled
from Rome to speak at the
conference.
Encouraging integration
of lay charismatic groups
within parish communities,
Rylko said, “The parish must
be the center toward which
the movement grows, the
place where the movement
intersects with the Church.”
“Before Vatican II, ministry had been what priests
do,” said Father Rober t
Oliver, a professor of systematic theology in Boston and
published author specializing
in the role of the laity in the
Church. Oliver explained that
Vatican II helped people understand that laity can play a
very important ministerial
role by building up the
Church through charisms.
Today, the charismatic movement continues its mission as
an integral part of the life of
the Church.
Catholic Church History From A to Z by Dr. Alan Schreck
• Charis Books/Servant Publications
• Reviewed by Tom Sofio
U
nless you are a Scrabble
diehard, you’re rarely
tempted to read a dictionary
cover-to-cover. But
theology professor
Dr. Alan Schreck’s newest book invites such an
approach. Catholic
Church History from A
to Z can be utilized as a
reference tool for capsule information about
significant Church
councils, creeds, saints,
and popes. It can also
be picked up and read
at will. Each entry offers
insights into the people
and events that shape
the “big picture” of the
Catholic Church.
Dr. Schreck, chair of
8
Franciscan University’s Theology Department, wisely
decided to dispense with the
rigorous textbook approach
he applies in the classroom.
This is an “inspirational dictionary” intended for a much
wider audience. The explanation of the Lateran Councils
and events related to them,
such as the crusade against
the Albigensians, will help a
high school student finish a
religion paper as well as enlighten the average Catholic
about why the Church made
confession at least a once-ayear requirement.
There is also room for
some trivia. You probably
didn’t know that the word
“bride” can be traced to
Ireland’s St. Brigid, who in
the fifth century rejected a
marriage arranged by her father and formed her country’s
first religious community for
women.
Being a capsule history of
the Church, there’s room for
heretics as well as saints. The
book’s last entr y tells of
Ulrich Zwingli who in the fifteenth century broke away
from the Church and
preached against the Mass
and the Eucharist.
If you want to get to
know Mother Church better
without taking on a major
reading project, spending a
few minutes each day reading
this book’s 314 entries is a
good way to go.
Franciscan Way
Creative Cornerstones: A “Teacher’s Heaven”
F
or Franciscan University
language professor Dr.
James Anderson, summer
school means getting together
with teachers from throughout
Ohio. Co-director of Creative
Cornerstones, a week-long
summer workshop designed
for educators, Anderson’s
dedication has contributed
largely to the program’s overwhelming success, bringing
the University an estimated $1
million in revenue over the past
two decades.
The conferences take place
at area hotels, where largegroup and small-group sessions address K-6 themes such
as hands-on science, family
math, and children’s literature.
Teachers also hand-make
curriculum materials, such as
puppets, posters, and manipulatives, and can purchase
discounted books and other
materials on site.
“It is teachers’ heaven,”
remarks first-grade Fremont
City public school teacher
Janet Ward.
First held for elementary
school teachers in 1973, and
officially named “Creative
Cornerstones” in 1981, the
conferences now include locations in three cities for four
different weeks. This summer,
conferences will be held in
Cleveland, Toledo, and Cincinnati.
“The goal is to help teachers meet state proficiency
guidelines by exposing them to
current, very practical methods
that work,” says Anderson,
adding that the program also
serves as an “educational retreat” where teachers can share
ideas and support.
Creative Cornerstones offers educators the opportunity
to earn three graduate credits
in education from Franciscan
University, with courses tailored to meet Ohio state re-
University Hits Record Enrollment
D
Winter 2003
ate enrollment of 1,648.
President Father Terence
Henry, TOR, says the enrollment records show “that
people recognize the value of
a strong liberal arts education
and appreciate Franciscan University’s integration of faith
and reason.” He adds that in
times of economic uncertainty,
“the liberal arts education
gives the college graduate a
broader base of knowledge in
the professional and pre-professional programs and makes
them better candidates for
master’s programs and more
employable than those with a
narrower academic focus.”
Garfield Heights, Ohio, elementary teachers Linda Doubrava
(retired), and Patty Scaravalli
facilitated workshops for crafting paper cut-outs.
Century Club Honoree
K. Shawl
ue to full residence
halls, there’s not much
room for growth, yet
Franciscan University’s enrollment for the fall semester managed to exceed last year’s highest-ever total by 42 students,
bringing the total number of
undergraduate and graduate
students to 2,250.
Other enrollment milestones include the largest-ever
freshman class of 360 students
and the largest incoming class
(freshmen and transfers) of
548; a record-breaking total
undergraduate student enrollment of 1,800; and the largest-ever full-time undergradu-
quirements
for
teacher certification
renewal.
The originator
of the program, Dr.
Floyd Cogley, holds
a doctorate in education and has used
his expertise to coordinate the topics
for nearly 30 years.
“This is a first-class
operation that everyone at the University should be
proud of,” Cogley
says. Pat Agresta,
former secondary
education supervisor for the
Trumbull County Board of
Education, serves alongside
Cogley and Anderson as assistant director.
For more information
about Creative Cornerstones,
click on Conferences/Events
at www.franciscan.edu or call
740-283-6245, Ext. 2304.
Steubenville Municipal Court Judge Richard
Powell receives the 2002 President’s Award from
Father Terence Henry, TOR. In addition to his
nearly 20 years as a magistrate, Judge Powell has
served the local community and the University in
many capacities.
9
Entrepreneurship
takes passion, creativity,
independence, hard work,
and the confidence to weather
the storms of competition, a shaky
economy, and the inevitable
beginner’s mistakes. Many recent
Franciscan University of Steubenville
graduates possess these qualities plus
some that have regained respect
following the corporate scandals of
2002: honesty, humility, and charity.
They measure their success not only
by the bottom line, but by their
ability to balance business with their
faith, family, and community priorities. Here’s how some young alumni
entrepreneurs are redefining success
in their businesses, and in their
personal lives.
New Oregon Builders Company
Joe and Caren (Wendell ’93) LeMark ’93
“The good ol’ boys around Stayton
had all the business so it took us three
years just to get our name out there,” says
Joe LeMark of the New Oregon Builders
Company owned and operated by him
and his wife Caren. “Now it’s finally
turning around, and we’re getting repeat
customers and a constant influx of work.”
A mental health major with a business
minor who worked construction to pay
his college tuition, Joe does all facets of
residential construction. Caren, who
majored in theology, handles the office
work and does interior design and murals
on some projects.
10
S. Zehler
The Young
Entrepreneurs
Redefining
“We love being our own bosses,”
Caren says, “and we’ve found it successful enough to raise our four boys on.”
Not every husband and wife can
create a successful business team, but
the LeMarks realize “it’s the livelihood
of our family” and have made it work
for them. Caren says, “We have a
business meeting once a month in a
nice restaurant. As long as we go out,
I’m happy to talk about the finances.”
Their partnership works especially
well as they collaborate on interior
design. “Joe knows the building code—
how far the toilet has to be from the
sink, for example—and I can make it
look good,” Caren says.
Joe says a “personal pride” sets his
work apart from the competition. “I do
most of the work, so I know just about
every single nail in my project,” he
explains. “Plus I’m upfront with project
costs and that helps all the way through.
I never wanted to be the contractor
who gave an estimate and come to find
out, it’s $10,000 more to finish.”
LeMark considers himself a Christian steward and consciously tries to
bring the faith into work, saying it has
been “an asset to my business.” “Out
here construction workers tend to have
long hair, earrings, and can be pretty
rough around the edges,” he says. “On
my job site we don’t smoke, don’t use
foul language, and try to present a
good, clean atmosphere. A lot of guys
who are looking for that environment
want to work for me.”
O’Meara Capital Partners, Inc.
Patrick O’Meara ’95
Patrick O’Meara has a gift for putting
difficult concepts into terms others can
understand. That’s how he parlayed his
youth ministry background and theology
and philosophy degrees into jobs at
Raymond James Financial and then Bear
Stearns & Co. That’s how his investment
services boutique now helps sectarian nonprofit organizations, especially Catholic
religious orders, schools, and dioceses,
reduce their borrowing costs by up to four
and a half percent.
O’Meara meets President George W. Bush
“A high school we worked with was
paying eight percent interest on an $8
million loan. We got them down to three
and a half percent,” O’Meara explains.
“We’re saving them $275,000 every year
on interest costs.”
He and his six associates in the
Leesburg, Virginia, based O’Meara
Capital Partners do this by applying
sophisticated tools widely used in the
corporate realm to the non-profit world.
By putting non-profits in a financial
position that’s more understandable to
Wall Street, O’Meara enables them to be
better stewards of their resources and
build their projects sooner.
“We do the work,” he says. “We’re
Franciscan Way
Success
Franciscan University alumni entrepreneurs (left to right): Philip ’01 and
John ’97 Rook of Professional Lawn and Landscape, Michelle Chynoweth of
Angel’s Halo, and Flip Howard (owner) and James McDade ’02 (Dallas
operations manager) of Mustang Laundry and Dry Cleaning.
By Lisa Ferguson
not asking a priest to become a financial
wizard.”
Just over two years into his business,
O’Meara says the lessons have come fast
and hard. One that’s been particularly
valuable: “Humility does not mean being a
wet noodle.”
Humility, he says, means following
Romans 12:3, which urges, “Do not think
of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober
judgment.”
That sober assessment, O’Meara says,
enables him to use his strengths and to
delegate other tasks to his partners. “The
failing of most entrepreneurs is thinking
they can do everything the best.”
Another educational aspect of owning
a business, O’Meara says, is that the owner
isn’t “insulated” from success or failure.
“When you work for big companies,
you’re insulated from your failure. You
may feel a bit of it, but if I fail, folks don’t
take home paychecks.”
O’Meara says balancing his commitments to his wife Desiree [McDonnell ’96]
and two small sons with the “unrelenting”
demands of his business can be tough. He
tries to create a culture within the whole
company that values the family, giving
employees permission to care for their
families. Even so, he admits it’s “extremely
difficult,” especially as he becomes more
involved in Catholic service and speaking
for the Diocese of Arlington, Theology on
Tap, Legatus, and other groups.
“Unless you actively strive to balance
the two, the thing that gets cut is the
family.”
Winter 2003
Professional Lawn and Landscape
John Rook ’97
John Rook’s most challenging job
involved installing an irrigation system
on a $10 million property in Bermuda—
with laborers who didn’t speak a word of
English. Most of the jobs undertaken by
his company, however, are much closer
to his Steubenville home and employ as
many as 15 Franciscan University
students in season.
“We get the opportunity to teach a
work ethic to the younger employees—
high school and college students. We’ve
tried to lead by example.” He adds,
“You get to see them grow, their skill
level improve. That’s satisfying.”
Not so long ago Rook was a high
school student himself, launching the
business that grew into Professional
Lawn and Landscape.
“I started out in 1987 mowing
lawns, trimming shrubs, doing basic
lawn care. Today, we have a retail center
in Follansbee, West Virginia, and do full
landscape design services consisting of
driveway installation, brick, walkways,
retaining walls, and custom water
features such as ponds, streams, and
irrigation systems,” he says.
His brother Philip ’01 does all the
design work using a computer system
that gives them “a bit of an edge” over
their half dozen competitors. “We take a
digital picture of the site as it is, and
then we can modify it and show customers the proposed landscape renovation.”
Though landscaping tends to be a
luxury, Rook says tough economic times
have improved business through the
“cocooning” effect. “When times are
tough, particularly with the terrorism
situation, uncertainty in the economy,
people tend to spend their money close
to home. People are investing in their
properties because home tends to be a
secure place and conjures up good
feelings.”
The company shares the wealth by
helping local charities with fundraisers
such as a water garden tour benefiting
the Valley Hospice Foundation and the
memorial and prayer garden next to
Holy Name Cathedral for the Diocese of
Steubenville.
A business major, Rook says his
degree has helped him in many ways:
“From Franciscan I learned so much
about ethics and God in the workplace,
which has been a big help in terms of
making decisions. And the business
background has definitely helped me
with the financial end.”
Angel’s Halo
Michelle Chynoweth ’92
“Are you a bridal veil company?”
Sitting on her bed in St. Thomas
More Hall, Michelle Chynoweth paused
thinking, “Am I or aren’t I?” then told
her long-distance caller, “Yes, ma’am!
May I take your order?”
From her fourth-floor dorm room,
Chynoweth’s part-time bridal business
evolved into Angel’s Halo, one of the
largest custom bridal millinery and
design companies in the Upper Midwest.
11
“Brides fly in from all over the
world to meet with me because there
aren’t many milliners left. It’s a dead
art,” she says, noting that she has made
“thousands” of handcrafted headpieces
and veils.
Chynoweth also specializes in
redesigning existing wedding gowns
for women who want a unique look. In
addition to this high-end specialty, she
alters dresses and creates veils for
people with disabilities or special
needs.
“I had a client who was burned on
85 percent of her body. I’ve had people
with prosthetic work, hair loss from
cancer, pacemakers, you name it. Some
are profoundly overweight or underweight,” she explains. “I can be gentle
with them and make them look good.
It’s rewarding.”
She also finds it rewarding to pray
with clients when the opportunity
arises and to talk to them about the
importance of the sacrament of matrimony. She also seeks ways to be
“continually generous,” seeing that as
one way to be “salt and light.” “I
scramble around and find old veils or
parts of veils for people who really
can’t afford them. Little acts of generosity are important witnesses.”
She sells her work wholesale to The
Wedding Shoppe in Minneapolis, one
of the 25 largest bridal stores in the
United States, and says she’s “never
looking for work.” Though several
accountants have told her the company
has great growth potential, Chynoweth
limits herself to 40 hours a week so she
can care for the 16-year-old daughter
she informally adopted and has helped
raise for 10 years, participate in her
Catholic community, and pursue
graduate studies in psychology.
“I love what I do, but it’s not it for
me. I have eight godchildren; they’re
more important to me,” as are her
many other family members and
friends, including her Acceptance With
Joy Household sisters with whom she
remains in constant contact.
12
Mustang Laundry
and Dry Cleaning Service
Philip (Flip) Howard ’97
“I’m not opposed to making as
much money as I can in reasonable
hours, but I don’t want to work as
many hours as I did at first,” says Flip
Howard, who put in 19 hours a day, six
days a week in the first year of his
Mustang Laundry and Dry Cleaning
Service.
During his senior year, Howard, a
business major, wrote his business plans
for a laundry service that would pick
up, clean, mend, iron, fold, and deliver
clothes to students in college dormitories or Greek houses. Immediately after
graduation he returned to Dallas and
set to work renting coin-operated
laundries, hiring employees, and
convincing parents their child’s time
would be better spent studying than
doing his or her own wash. Though
Howard says he did “everything”
wrong his first year, he bought out the
competition and his business partner a
short three years later and today
services Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, Texas Christian University in
Fort Worth, and University of Texas at
Austin.
Howard says he now works only 12
hours a day with one scheduled late
night per week, an arrangement that
makes life easier on his wife Celeste
(Mazzan ’94) and his three children.
He also seriously weighs the impact of
expanding Mustang on his family.
“I’m looking at two other schools
in Texas and will probably do one in
the next year. I’ve toyed around with
the idea of Boston, which has lots of
colleges, and California as well,” he
says. “But I don’t really want to travel,
since I have a family. Growth excites
me, but I’d like to keep it as regional as
I can for as long as I can.”
The reduced hours also help him
maintain a regular prayer life and get to
daily Mass more often, which in turn
helps him at work. “At the workplace, I
try to bring a sense of moral Christian
duty,” Howard says. “People will know
what religion you are, and if you’re a
shifty guy, and you don’t honor your
word or you run a business unethically,
it’s obviously going to reflect real
poorly—aside from the moral consequences to you personally.”
Shawn Wise ’85
Wise Coffee Services, Inc.
Shawn Wise ’85
As district manager for a chain of 24hour convenience stores, Shawn Wise
learned “many ways people can steal from
you.” Now owner of Wise Coffee Services,
Inc., he says refusing to “take shortcuts”
has cost him some accounts, “but I can go
to sleep at night.”
Started out of his one-car garage in
Grafton, Massachusetts, 11 years ago,
today Wise Coffee has 423 coffee
machines in offices, nursing homes,
restaurants, and convenience stores in
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, and sells not only “the finest
Arabica coffee” but 200 other beverages,
foods, and office supplies.
“It’s a very competitive business,”
Wise says. “I like to think we get the
business because of our quality, maintain it
because of our quality, and don’t lose it
because of our service.”
Wise taste tests coffee before he buys it
to ensure the quality and flavor his customers want. “Some months my coffee might
be 80 percent Brazilian, 20 percent Colombian; other months it might be 72 percent28 percent because the acidity in the
various growing regions changes,” he
explains. “I know the taste we’re looking
for in New England, which is a lightroasted, pleasant-tasting coffee.”
When asked how his business classes at
Franciscan prepared him to be an entrepreneur, he laughs then replies, “This would
Franciscan Way
The Young Entrepreneurs:
shock a lot of people, but I think they
gave me a moral ground. I wasn’t the
ideal student by any stretch of the imagination and probably raised more hell than
a lot of people, but I did listen every
now and then.”
He says Dr. Donald Kissinger was
the strongest influence on him. “Because of the way he conducted himself,
I have the utmost respect for him. He’s
an excellent man.”
Wise knows part of success means
giving back to his community so he
stays active on the board of directors of
the Marlborough Regional Chamber of
Commerce and in the Rotary Club. He
also donates food, drink, and his time
at the annual Evening of Giving, a gala
event supporting local charities, and
other fundraisers throughout the year.
“It’s nice we’re in a position to
help,” he says.
Dian Schmiedicke, Matthew Gelis, Mike and
Andrew (MA ’97) Schmiedicke
Veraprise, Inc.
Andrew Schmiedicke MA ’97
A largely self-taught computer
network whiz, Andrew Schmiedicke
listened fascinated when his brother
Mike introduced him to the Internet in
1996. “What is the Web? Where is it?”
he demanded, as Mike shared the latest
from his master’s classes in information
science. Dumbfounded that Mike knew
how to design those mysterious Web
pages, Andrew blurted out, “We
should start our own business!”
They began part time, keeping
their day jobs until their Web development company could support them,
eventually growing to six full-timers
and one part-timer. Veraprise designed
Web sites small and large, came up
with e-commerce solutions, and
created custom Web applications, even
Winter 2003
Redefining Success
building a secure database application
for America Online. Then the dot-com
crumble hit at the end of 2000, and
Veraprise had to lay off two full-time
employees and the part-timer.
“That was probably the hardest
thing we’ve ever had to do in our
business,” Schmiedicke says.
Veraprise has since rebounded, and
Schmiedicke sees “really good prospects” on the horizon.
“If I didn’t love this, I wouldn’t
have stuck with it,” he says. “Sure there
are times I have to take a call at midnight because something went wrong,
and I have to get up and take care of it.
On the other hand, if one of the kids
needs to go to the dentist, it’s a lot
easier for me to take the child in than
for my wife [Regina Doman ’92] to
juggle four kids in the dentist’s office.”
Schmiedicke maintains that loving
what you do, good planning, and
perseverance can make the difference
between success and failure. “Something like 85 percent of small businesses fail within the first five years, and
we’re starting our seventh year. It may
be a bit of a struggle now, but we’re
still here, and we don’t have any debt,”
he adds.
Bronson Breaux ’00
Sure Fit Health Club
Bronson Breaux ’00
A psychology major who went into
sales, Bronson Breaux quickly found
himself “so aggravated” he prayed a
novena to find a better job. A few days
later his two older brothers proposed
he become a partner in a new business
venture: building and running a health
club. They provided the capital, and
Breaux manages the day-to-day operations of Sure Fit Health Club, which
opened in February 2001 in Breaux
Bridge, Louisiana.
“It’s a feat in itself, just managing
people,” says Breaux, who hires and
supervises the club’s six aerobics instructors and four desk managers. “I’m
only 24, and it kind of humbles me
because I’m managing people twice my
age. I feel like they deserve respect
more than I do because of their age.
One employee managed a health club
before, so I look to her for advice on
how to run the business, and she helps
me out a lot.”
Breaux became a certified personal
trainer working in Finnegan Fieldhouse
while studying at Franciscan University,
so he’s right at home in his 6,000square-foot facility, which offers weight
training, cardiovascular exercise machines, aerobics, cardio-kickboxing,
tanning beds, and a protein bar. He says
his Fieldhouse experience plus learning
to relate to many different people
prepared him to run this business.
“I took a lot of classes where I had
to do a lot of interacting and giving
presentations,” Breaux says, noting that
those communication skills have helped
him create the friendly, welcoming
atmosphere that increased Sure Fit’s
membership from 100 to 750 in its first
18 months.
Breaux may open another gym 20
miles away, but for now he’s content
expanding the current facility by 1,000
square feet to include a “ladies only”
gym, hoping to attract more female
members.
“Life is so good,” he says. “My
mom and dad have bent over backwards
for me and my wife [Lisa Beauregard
’00]. I wouldn’t be here right now
without the blessings from God, my
wife, my mom and daddy. It’s a nice
circle.”
13
I
14
Scrum Time!
By Tom Sofio
With the planting of
the papal flag,
rugby
arrives on campus.
Listen to Ryan Stewart, a communication arts major, who never imagined
himself playing rugby. “It was the
brotherhood and the spiritual aspects that
attracted me,” says Ryan, whose jersey
patch reads, “Defenders of the Faith.”
“Our motto means we live our faith on
and off the field. We’ll help a player from
another team get up after a hit. There’s
no trash talking, and swearing is definitely
forbidden. All the players visit nursing
homes. For me, rugby is the manifestation of the virtues we’re learning in class.”
Current coach and mental health/
theology major Devin Gradwell learned
to play the sport in the Army. In rugby he
found a great way to live out the
military’s esprit de corps, but was disillusioned by the off-field carousing and
eventually quit playing. When he arrived
at Franciscan University, he was delighted
to find a team being formed by Jeremy
that would incorporate Christian virtues.
C. Stone
t was Saturday morning in spring
2001, a few hours before Franciscan
University’s first-ever rugby game.
Athletic Director Chris Ledyard stood in
the lobby of the near-empty Finnegan
Fieldhouse, holding a giant crucifix. He
felt a bit silly.
His thoughts raced back to the day a
few months earlier, when graduate
student Jeremy Treece entered his office
and asked if the University could sponsor
a rugby team. Chris encouraged him, but
said the odds were slim. For starters, who
on campus knew how to play the sport?
There would be no budget for a coach
and other resources. And then there was
rugby’s mud, blood, and beer image to
contend with. Chris ended the meeting
with a challenge: “You get a rugby team
going that doesn’t detract from the
University’s mission, and I’ll eat the
fieldhouse!”
Now, like a steady drum beat, Chris
could hear the clump, clump, of players’
shoes. In a solemn procession the team
emerged from the locker rooms and one
at a time, reverently approached the
cross, knelt down, kissed it, then jogged
out to the playing field.
At that moment, Chris says, he knew
rugby had arrived as Franciscan
University’s newest club sport. He also
says he’s never been happier to have lost
a bet!
Indeed, rugby has taken hold on
campus, growing in less than two years
from barely enough players to field a
team to 40 participants. The marquees of
nearby businesses announce the next
home games, which draw as many as 500
fans. Last fall, the team did the unthinkable and made it all the way to the elite
Midwest Sweet 16 Rugby Tournament
and a “final four” playoff game.
All this excitement may seem out of
place at Franciscan University—better
known in recent decades for its fervent
prayer life and academics than sports—
until you get to know the players and
their take on the sport.
Jim Campbell tries to make a tri, rugby’s equivalent to a touchdown in football.
“This is really the ultimate Catholic
game,” says Devin. “It’s all about community. You rely on your brother and are
dependent on him to move the ball
downfield. It’s not about ‘me’—it’s all
about the team.”
The Baron’s Rugby Team is usually
hundreds of pounds lighter than their
opponents (“scrawny” is one player’s selfdescription.) They also lack a full-time
coach, equipment, team bus, and other
resources typically afforded a college sport.
Franciscan Way
Yet in its short existence the Baron’s
Rugby Team has beaten the likes of Yale,
the Ohio University, the University of
Pittsburgh, and in the first round of the
playoffs, Marshall University, a perennial
rugby powerhouse.
Devin says the bonds of Christian
brotherhood negate size and equipment
differences. “These guys want to be
humble servants. They seek unity and
friendship. And that’s what it takes to play
this game.”
In keeping with the game’s British
Isles’ roots, Devin wears a kilt to each
game. Other team rituals include planting
the American flag, the papal flag, and the
Barons’ Rugby flag on the sidelines.
Inviting their opponents to pray with
them at the end of each game has also
become an important tradition. At first
this gave the Franciscan team a “Biblethumpers’ school” image. Now, the other
teams often ask, “Will there be prayer
afterwards?”
Baron “ruggers” as they are known,
recount that collectively, these small
opportunities to evangelize add up. One
opposing player commented, “We love
playing you guys because of the way you
act.” Another stated, “You don’t cuss,
what’s the deal with you?” Still another
struggled with the words to the Our
Father during the post-game prayer, as if
relearning a long-forgotten prayer.
Those involved with the rugby
program see it as a manifestation of the
writings of Pope John Paul II on the ideal
Christian athlete, and the value of sports
in its fullest sense.
The team can’t wait for the spring
season to begin, and not just for a chance
to play deep into a national tournament
again. Sums up business major Matt
Schlater, “This has a Christ-centered
influence on the University. And the pain
gives us a chance to live the resurrection.
That’s why I like it so much.”
C. Stone
Three cheers for the opposing team.
A
They Call Him “Papa”
Winter 2003
eight players from each team gather in
a clump and begin kicking the ball.)
Nile calls rugby a character builder.
In the Franciscan team he sees that
character being expressed in manly,
Christian ways. He’s impressed that each
player has a prayer buddy to pray for
during the season. He admires them for
turning down invites from other teams
to post-game kegger parties. And he was
awestruck when, at an away game, the
entire Franciscan team averted their eyes
when a female rugby team started
changing into uniforms on the sidelines.
“That showed me they want to be pure,
strong Catholic men” who want evangelize others, he says.
“Papa” doesn’t talk much, says
player J.D. Chism, “but his presence is
so inspiring. When he says ‘well done’
C. Stone
t least six times each semester
Nile O’Mahony fills up the
cooler with snacks and makes a 400mile road trip from his New Jersey
home to Steubenville.
He puts his paint contracting
business on hold so he can visit his
daughter Erin, a sophomore, and
reconnect with the sport of his
youth—rugby.
Born in Ireland where he “ate,
played, and slept rugby,” Nile is part
coach, part booster of the Barons’
Rugby Team. He arrives in
Steubenville a day or two before each
game to coach the forwards and help
mold a young team, many of whom
are just learning a scrum from a ruck.
(A scrum, by the way, is that often
misunderstood moment in rugby when
Nile O’Mahony teaches the fine points of rugby
to a player.
with his Irish accent, that means a lot,
coming from a man who played on
Dublin’s senior team.”
Nile says he’s the one who benefits
most. “I’ve become a better husband, a
better father, just from being around
these guys of faith, and getting to know
Father Brian [Cavanaugh, TOR, team
chaplain], Father Terry [Henry, TOR],
and the other friars. It’s like being on a
retreat.”
15
Catholic Writers Gather for a
Fellowship of the Pens
By Tim Drake
P
16
of Oklahoma City’s The Sooner Catholic
and contributing editor of Inside the
Vatican, led a workshop on “Crashing
the Secular Media: Keeping Alive the
Lewis/Chesterton Tradition.” Describing himself as an accidental journalist,
Mallon explained how a letter to the
editor of a Boston daily launched his
writing career.
“Following the priest scandal, we
face an unusual opportunity,” said
Mallon. “The Church is in the news.
Good editors at leading newspapers want
to hear from those who support the
Church. Their own columnists and
reporters are writing about the bad news,
and they want to hear from the other
side.”
Mallon shared methods for submitting opinion pieces to the editors of
secular magazines, newspapers, and Web
sites. He encouraged writers to do their
research, keep the emotion to a minimum, and to use logic and humor.
Franciscan University professor and
National Catholic Register columnist Dr.
Benjamin Wiker presented a session on
“Writing and Marketing of Op/Ed
Pieces for Both Catholic and Secular
Presses.” Wiker described the three types
of opinion pieces, shared tricks of the
trade, and spoke of the importance of
timing. He encouraged writers to “start
small and write big” and to “illuminate
the ephemeral with the eternal.”
Emily Snyder ’99 gave a presentation on fantasy writing titled “Tolkien on
the Roof.” She received many laughs
when she announced, “Tolkien is dead.
Get over it,” wearing elf ears. “He’s not
writing anything new.”
The founder of The Christian Guide
M. Skees
ut a playwright and a poet together
and you’re bound to come up with
something very creative. That’s just what
happened when Drama Professor Shawn
Dougherty and English Professor Dr.
David Craig teamed up to organize and
host Franciscan University of Steubenville’s first Catholic Writers Festival,
September 13-15, 2002.
Dougherty originally conceived of
the idea as a theater event. “I wanted to
bring Dr. Kazimierz Braun to the
University to speak,” said Dougherty.
“David Craig wanted to do a writers’
festival, and so the two ideas became one
sometime during the spring of 2002.”
Through funding from individual
University departments, a grant from the
AMDG Foundation, and the generosity
of many of the speakers who presented at
no cost, the two organized the festival.
In the end 50 presenters, including such
renowned Catholic writers as Ron
Hansen, Dr. Ralph McInerny, Joseph
Pearce, Bud Macfarlane, Jr., and Barbara
Nicolosi, 150 non-student participants,
and 100 University students attended.
Representatives from major Catholic
publishing houses—Ascension Press,
Emmaus Road, FrancisIsidore Electronic
Press, Loyola Press, Our Sunday Visitor,
Servant, and Sophia Institute Press—
were on hand to help would-be authors
learn how to fine-tune their book
proposals, as were editors from publications such as Faith Magazine, National
Catholic Register, Lay Witness, This Rock,
and Saint Austin Review.
Naturally, Franciscan University
alumni presenters and participants
populated the festival.
John Mallon MA ’93, former editor
University Professor Dr. Regis Martin presides
over mock trial proceedings of Director Peter
Jackson for the “desecration” of The Lord of
the Rings.
to Fantasy (www.christianfantasy.net),
Snyder explained that many Catholics
think they can “rest on Tolkien’s laurels.” Instead, she challenged attendees,
telling them that it was their responsibility as Catholic writers to take up where
he left off. Snyder also spoke of the
special needs of fantasy writing, such as
creating valid worlds with rules and laws.
Catholics United for the Faith
president and Lay Witness publisher
Leon Suprenant, Jr., MA ’95 co-hosted a
session on “Publishing and Editing for
Dummies: Starting and Running a
Successful Small Publishing House”
based upon his experience with
Steubenville-based Emmaus Road
Publishing.
Regina (Doman ’92) Schmiedicke,
author of Snow White and Rose Red: A
Franciscan Way
Meeting Writers’ Needs
The festival served several purposes.
It served as an opportunity for writers of
all types to learn more about their craft.
It served as a forum for writers to pitch
ideas to editors and publishers, and it
served as a spiritual oasis—an inspiring
and affirming time for writers to connect with one another.
Dr. David Craig said, “We needed a
weekend like this, not only to free our
spiritual writing souls, but to know there
are many others like us called to write
and to use our talents to the greater
glory of his name.”
Students in hobbit attire listen as presenters argue the merits of last year’s movie, The Lord of
the Rings.
Winter 2003
Ron Hansen opened the festival with
a talk on the relationship between poets
Gerard Manley Hopkins and Robert
Bridges. Friends of a sort, they were also
harsh critics of each other’s work. Given
the nature of the conference, the talk was
an appropriate keynote, focusing on the
companionship between these two men.
Within the context of such fellowship, one cannot overlook the importance of the social aspect of this writers’
gathering. The festival offered Catholic
writers the unique opportunity to gather
together as one body.
Conversations held in the hallways
and on campus between the workshop
sessions debated the ever-present questions regarding Catholic writers and
their work. “What is
Catholic writing?” “What
are the merits of fiction?”
“What should be
fiction’s purpose?”
“How can we
reach beyond the
Catholic ghetto?”
Both screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi and novelist Ron
Hansen emphasized the importance of,
first, telling a great story. Hansen and
Nicolosi argued that too many stories try
too hard to proselytize at the expense of
the story.
On the other side of the aisle,
Marcus Grodi, fresh from writing his first
novel, How Firm a Foundation, spoke of
his zeal for souls as the driving force
behind his book. It is the difference,
some say, between Tolkien’s The Lord of
the Rings and Lewis’ The Chronicles
of Narnia. One tries to tell a
story. The other tries to
prove a point. Both
are great stories.
Notre
Dame professor and
mystery
writer Dr. Ralph McInerny reminded
participants what a slippery term
“writer” is. It includes the biographer,
the blogger, the self-published author,
the poet, the playwright, the novelist, the
apologist, and the journalist. McInerny
brought to mind novelist Flannery
O’Connor’s famous comment that “the
Catholic novelist doesn’t have to be a
saint; he doesn’t even have to be a
Catholic; he does, unfortunately, have to
be a novelist.”
The conference afforded time to
dwell upon the spiritual aspect of one’s
work, and to have some fun. At the
conference’s opening, Theology Professor Dr. Regis Martin moderated a mock
trial of Peter Jackson for his “desecration” of The Lord of the Rings, and the
conference concluded with a performance of Dr. Kazimierz Braun’s play,
Tamara L.
Both participants and presenters said
they hoped Franciscan University would
consider hosting future festivals.
Dougherty said he is not certain the
University can support an annual festival,
but is considering the possibility of
another in 2004.
Tim Drake is features correspondent with
the National Catholic Register and editor
of Saints of the Jubilee, available from
www.1stbooks.com/bookview/9831.
M. Skees
Modern Fairy Tale, led a workshop on
“Writing for Youth and Teens,” using a
group-discussion format to describe the
interests, goals, and needs of the middle
school through high school age group.
Many alumni, such as Steve
Carrigee ’93, Heather Sutton ’95,
Jeanne Diener-Stark ’85, and Katrina
Zeno ’86 attended as well. Kathleen
(Alcott) Happ ’96 was among them.
Happ said the caliber and diversity
of the authors who attended
amazed her. She particularly
enjoyed the presentation by
Polish playwright Dr.
Kazimierz Braun.
During one of Braun’s
two presentations, he told
how the Holy Father
writes his encyclicals in
front of the Blessed
Sacrament. Later,
Braun spoke on
the difference
between covenantal art, which is
symbolic of a meeting between
God and man, and anti-covenantal art,
which is morally indifferent, ignores or
denies God, or attacks the faith.
Matt and Rachel (Van Durme)
Watkins met while they were students at
Franciscan and later married. “The
festival was wonderful,” said Rachel. “As
an aspiring writer it was great to get a
chance to listen to the experts—Catholics who had succeeded in becoming
writers while keeping their faith intact.”
17
M. Skees
Steubenville turns into an old-time revival
tent, a kind of movable Pentecost feast
known as a “Festival of Praise.”
Easter Every Month
A
S
In the
pirit
T
of
hanksgiving
By David Scott
More than two decades
after they began,
Franciscan
University’s
Festivals of Praise
are still making
a joyful noise.
18
t a wallflower’s first glance, it looks
like a run-of-the-mill college mixer,
the kind you’d find on any given campus,
on any given Saturday night.
The music on the bandstand is loud,
guitar-driven contemporary pop. The
fieldhouse swells with excited young
people cheering and singing along, feet
moving to the beat, hands waving high in
the air.
But as you watch, the picture starts to
shift. There’s definitely something
different in the air. There’s fervor, joy,
and devotion in the lyrics that splash on
the large video screens flanking the stage;
between songs, an insistent murmur of
praises and thank-yous to Jesus seems to
move—at times almost like a physical
presence—through the room.
After a while, a young woman from
the crowd takes the stage, introduced
as having a word to deliver to the
gathering.
“I just had this beautiful image of the
baby Jesus,” she begins shyly, going on to
explain how she was inspired to consider
the need for us to make way for Jesus in
our hearts, as a mother prepares a cradle
for her newborn.
It goes on like this for the next two
hours—joyous adoration, enthusiastic
songs, words of exhortation and inspiration, quiet periods of contemplation and,
underlying it all, that incessant murmur of
prayer.
That’s the scene every first Saturday
of the month as the Finnegan Fieldhouse
on the campus of Franciscan University of
Festivals of Praise have been a unique
staple of campus life at Franciscan since
the early 1980s.
These Spirit-filled prayer meetings
began after spring break one year, when
students organized a post-Easter thanksgiving service, billing it as a “great festival
of praise to celebrate the resurrection.”
And each festival today is still a
student-led celebration of the resurrection, of Christ’s giving of his Holy Spirit
to his apostles on that first Easter night
and later at Pentecost, of the renewal and
rebirth in the Spirit that Jesus spoke of.
The festivals are prayer meetings, a
chance to gather to give thanks to the
Lord with the joyful noise that the
psalmist used to sing about. They are
nights filled with singing, short teachings
on topics such as prayer and the gifts of
the Holy Spirit. Sometimes they include
adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, but
every Festival of Praise is about a meeting
with the risen Lord.
“The goal of the celebration is to lead
the people of God deeply into praise—
essentially to lead them into an encounter
with the Holy Spirit,” says Carole Brown,
MA ’97, director of Orientation and
Evangelistic Outreach who is charged
with overseeing the festivals.
Brown says that on average 900 to
1,000 people attend each month, many
traveling from miles away for the chance
to worship in the Spirit.
Spirit of Readiness
The Spirit may blow where it wills, as
Scripture says, but Franciscan’s Festivals
of Praise are anything but willy-nilly or
haphazard gatherings.
A month’s worth of preparation and
prayer goes into each festival, according
to Nathan Halloran, a senior who serves
as worship leader.
The festival team meets each week to
plan the music and the teachings, and
most of all to pray to be “open to what
God wants to do with the festival,” he
says.
As worship leader, Halloran is a sort
of spiritual emcee. He starts each festival
with a short introductory talk that
Franciscan Way
welcomes regulars and alerts newcomers
to expect the unexpected—exuberant
examples of worship, people praying in
different tongues, giving testimonies and
“prophecies,” prompted and inspired by
the Holy Spirit.
Throughout the course of the
evening, it’s Halloran’s job to keep his
finger on the pulse of the crowd, to see
which way the wind of the Spirit is
blowing on this particular night.
Music plays a key role in setting the
mood, he explains, first in readying
students’ hearts for the Spirit through
songs of praise and later in quieting them
down to really listen for the call of the
Spirit.
Halloran is aided by a “discernment
team” charged with determining which
“word gifts”—spiritual insights and
inspirations received by people in the
audience—should be shared from the
stage.
Healing Gifts
Praise in Perspective
Despite countless inspirational success
stories, for a new generation of Franciscan
University students, those not reared in
the charismatic renewal movement that
played such a formative role in shaping
the University, the festivals have given rise
to a few misunderstandings.
Occasionally students will complain
about the charismatic emphasis of the
festivals.
Halloran, who grew up in a charismatic community that serves the poor
near the Mexican border in El Paso,
Texas, takes the tussles in stride.
“I tell them it’s not just about
praying with guitar music,” he says. “It’s
about being open to the activity of the
Holy Spirit—like the Blessed Mother
was.”
Brown stresses the Second Vatican
Council’s affirmation that all the baptized
can rightly long and pray for an outpouring of the gifts and special graces of the
Holy Spirit.
She notes, too, that Pope John Paul
II, in his 1998 address to the World
Congress of Ecclesial Movements and
New Communities, described “the
charismatic dimension” of the Church as
“co-essential…to the life, renewal, and
sanctification of God’s people.”
For her and many others, something
vitally important would be missing from
campus life without the Festivals of Praise.
The monthly festivals, Halloran says,
put everything into perspective: “The
festivals empower students in their
studies, in their prayer lives. It provides a
frame of life for the whole month.”
David Scott is an associate of the St. Paul
Institute for Biblical Theology in Steubenville. His latest book is Praying in the
Presence of Our Lord With Dorothy Day.
M. Skees
It is these word gifts and other
promptings of the Spirit that make each
festival a unique work of God, says
Brown.
“We can’t know ahead of time which
prophetic words and prophetic gifts he
has for the Body of Christ gathered
there,” she explains. “The Holy Spirit
moving among them will impress upon
people with those gifts the words he has
for the group.”
By the power of the Spirit, every
festival night is different, and over the
years God has worked astonishing
spiritual healings and conversions at the
festivals.
Brown tells the story of a student
who reluctantly attended a Festival of
Praise, fearing that the style of worship
would be too emotional and enthusiastic
for her tastes.
During the quiet, contemplative
phase of the evening, when audience
members began coming forward with
their word gifts, the student was astonished at a testimony about a person
whose relationship with a family member
had become a barrier in that person’s
relationship with God.
Suddenly the student shot up in her
chair and declared, “I don’t hate my
mother anymore,” and a life-long animosity was resolved.
“Here was this wallflower, who
didn’t want to go in the first place, and
she experienced healing and continues to
grow as a young Christian woman,”
Brown recounts with amazement.
Dallas Carter (left) with the FOP music team and Nathan Halloran, worship leader (right).
Winter 2003
19
P
rofessor John Korzi was a young
man working for West Virginia’s
Weirton Steel Company in 1955
to pay for graduate school when a little
college across the river in Ohio beckoned
him to his future.
He agreed to teach a summer course
at what was then the College of
Steubenville and ended up staying for an
entire career spanning nearly half a
century. But before he began the work
that made him into an institution within
the institution of Franciscan University,
Professor Korzi almost took another,
more financially lucrative path.
He had been a part-time instructor
for two years at the College when he
arrived at a crossroads: Weirton Steel
wanted to hire him for its personnel
department.
A challenging professor
and untiring faculty
member, John Korzi
retires after 47 years
on the job.
Professor Korzi stayed so long, as he
said in a 1998 lecture on campus, because
the University gave him the opportunity
to implement his ideas about higher
education. He said he has enjoyed
witnessing and being part of the growth
of the University, which was only in its
ninth year when he arrived.
“If I had been at a larger school, I
would never have had the opportunities
to be involved in so many kinds of
nascent programs, gain such diversified
experiences in teaching, maintain such
individual personal contacts with students, and have ideas so readily accepted
and implemented.”
A native of the coal-mining town of
Windber, Pennsylvania, Professor Korzi
came to Steubenville the day after getting
his master’s degree in counseling from
Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. He
had gone on to graduate school because
at the time, he said, his bachelor of arts
degree in philosophy from Providence
College didn’t have much practical
application.
While at Providence, he considered
becoming a Dominican priest. He spent a
year as a novice and three more years at
the order’s House of Philosophy. “My
spiritual director and I and others along
the line felt that maybe Divine Providence
had me set for something else. And it
seems that that’s what has happened.”
He later did doctoral studies at the
University of Pittsburgh, specializing in
the psychology of emotionally disturbed
children and counseling psychology.
Throughout his tenure at Franciscan
University, Professor Korzi has become
known as much for his academic expertise
as for his knowledge of the University’s
history. In fact, when asked about his own
career, he often prefers to segue into
talking about the development of the
College.
Professor Korzi recalls in particular
the College’s move from a few old houses
and an administration building downtown to the top of the hill overlooking
the Ohio River. When he first talked with
the dean of the College about coming
here to teach, he said, Father Dan Egan,
TOR, the first president, was busy with
“furious planning” for the hilltop campus.
A Distinguished
Tenure
By Judy Roberts
“I told the good fathers here, either
I will have to work here full-time or go
with Weirton Steel.” They offered him a
promotion to assistant professor and
director of a then-nonexistent testing and
counseling office, but at half the salary
the steel company was prepared to offer.
He talked to his wife Mary, and
together they decided that since his first
love was teaching, they would manage on
the lesser salary, even with the addition of
a son to their family.
It is a decision Professor Korzi has
never regretted, as evidenced by his 47year tenure at the University, which ended
with his retirement from full-time
teaching in December.
20
Franciscan Way
While the college-on-the-hill was
co-founding the Bachelor of Science in
being planned, Professor Korzi was
Social Work Program in 1993.
involved in his own building project:
During his long tenure, Professor
helping the school gain accreditation
Korzi adjusted to the changing needs of
from the North Central Association. The students by immersing them in the
college had failed its initial accreditation
practical aspects of their studies so they
review, and Professor
are doing more than taking notes
Korzi and other memand highlighting facts in a
“He is deeply
bers of the 30-member
concerned about textbook. All the programs he
faculty were charged not
founded incorporate internships,
the perception
only with teaching, but
enabling students to get practical
of the human
participating in commitexperience with clientele.
tee work to see that the
In the classroom, he often
person, how
required standards were
divided his students into
others understand
met. The College
study groups of eight, required
our humanity,
reapplied to North
them to write case studies of
Central in 1959 and
but even more
themselves citing important
accreditation was
influences and events in their
importantly
granted in 1960.
lives, and instructed them to
how we treat
Over his nearly five
make up their own psychological
one another.”
decades at Franciscan
tests. Some tests they devised, he
University, Professor
said, were worthy of publication.
Korzi has observed many changes in the
Professor Korzi said such methods
campus, the students, and the curriculum. have helped bring the abstract material
The most significant of these, he said,
taught in the freshman and sophomore
occurred in 1974 with the arrival of a
years down to the practical application
priest who had been affiliated with the
level in the junior and senior years.
Catholic charismatic renewal, Father
His style of teaching has earned him
Michael Scanlan, TOR.
high praise from his students, who have
At the time, Professor Korzi recalled, nominated him many times for Teacher of
the College’s full-time enrollment had
the Year, and from Father Scanlan, now
plummeted from a high of 1,100 to 600. University chancellor, who called him
During what he calls “the Scanlan
“one of the most diligent faculty members
period,” the University not only gained
in the history of the University.”
enrollment, but added seven master’s
“Professor Korzi has been very
degree programs, including a Master of
attentive to students and the most
Arts in Counseling. Professor
thorough faculty member in following up
Korzi started that program while the careers of former students,” Father
he was chairman of the DepartScanlan said.
ment of Psychology, a post he
One of those students, Tim Rogers
held from 1962, when he
’02, now in graduate school at Cleveland
founded the department, until
State University, said of his former
1999.
professor, “[He] challenges me. His
Over the years, the departpresence reminds me that I too must seek
ment has sent 375 students on
more earnestly to understand the human
to 90 different universities
person, and that these attempts can only
throughout the United States
lead to the betterment of myself and
for graduate work. The group
those whom I encounter.”
includes six lawyers and four
Rogers, who served as president of
physicians.
the Gemelli Society, another Korzi
Professor Korzi also is
creation, and was the winner of the
credited with starting the
Gemelli Award as outstanding graduating
University’s Counseling Depart- senior, said although Professor Korzi is a
ment in 1957, the Department
remarkable teacher, he thinks of him first
of Sociology in 1964, and the
as a caring person dedicated to the service
Bachelor of Science in Mental
of others.
Health Program in 1977, and
“He is deeply concerned about the
Winter 2003
perception of the human person, how
others understand our humanity, but even
more importantly how we treat one
another. I can only say that I am touched
by the love that he possesses for his family
and friends.
“He also has my deepest respect and
admiration for having endured the loss of
two wives to cancer. These unfortunate life
events have not stopped him from teaching
others how to value the gift of life.”
Professor Korzi’s first wife, Mary, was
an elementary schoolteacher and his
second wife, Audrey, served as the
University’s registrar for 30 years.
When Professor Korzi retired at the
age of 74, he planned to continue doing
psychological consulting and working in
some capacity for the Diocese of
Steubenville and Catholic Charities.
1968: Professor Korzi gives a psychological testing demonstration with Damien McCann ’68,
now a PhD in private practice.
He also expects to have some time to
pursue his avocations in “psychohistory,”
the development of biography by looking
at the psychological influences on the
subject’s life, and early Renaissance art.
About the same time he became
interested in early Renaissance art, Professor Korzi began writing poetry. He has had
several poems and drawings published in
the University’s literary magazine over the
years and continues to gather his poems
and drawings for future publication.
His view of retirement, he said, is
summed up in a statement made by
Bernard Baruch, economic advisor to
several presidents, who, when asked at 84
when he would retire, said, “A man can’t
retire his experience.”
Judy Roberts is a journalist living in
Millbury, Ohio.
21
1984
Bob and Sheila Tiballi live in Oak Brook,
Illinois, with their daughter, Francesca, 5.
Bob started Germbusters, his infectious disease practice, in 1996. His Web site is
germbusters.com. He is also an assistant
clinical professor at the University of Illinois,
Chicago College of Medicine.
1986
1966
Larry and Kathleen “Katy” (Tuthill)
Finneran had a great time at the 1960s
Alumni Reunion. Larry is a senior vice president at WesBanco Bank, Inc., and Katy teaches
kindergarten at Wheeling Catholic. They live
in Wheeling, West Virginia, and are the parents of Bill, Kara, Pat, Megan, and Amy.
1981
Steve and Bridget (Berg ’93) Patton recently adopted two girls, Krystena Marie and
Jacinta Grace, who were baptized at St.
Matthew’s Catholic Church in Jacksonville,
Florida, on July 20, 2002.
1982
Jim Gartner is an associate controller at
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
His daughter Lindsay followed in her father’s
footsteps and enrolled in fall 2002 at Franciscan
University. At orientation weekend, Jim and
his wife Tricia ran into former classmates Ed
and Ginny (Spencer ’84) Pankus ’83. He
welcomes e-mail from former classmates and
friends at jgartner@cmu.edu.
1983
Shawn (Olson) Cesario lives with her daughters, Maria and Angeline, in Mundelein, Illinois. She works as an infection control nurse
at Condell Hospital. She says, “Hello to all
nurses who graduated in ’83; contact me if
you are ever in Chicago.”
Eileen (Jones) Lombardi and her husband
Steve happily announce the birth of their son,
Stephen Antonio, on March 7, 2002. They
thank St. Francis and St. Clare for their intercession and role in the miracle of Stephen’s
birth. The family resides in Silver Spring,
Maryland. Friends can e-mail them at
jones_emm@ hotmail.com.
22
Kathleen (Colligan) Cleary recently finished playing a lead role in an independent
film, From the Diary of a New York Lady,
based on the short story by Dorothy Parker.
Classmates won’t recognize her, as she had to
go blonde for the film! She has also been
promoted to associate professor and coordinator of the performing arts at Clark State
Community College.
1988
Marcy (Marian) Burke lives in Halifax, Nova
Scotia, and has retired from teaching to spend
time with her children. She has been successful in contacting some old classmates, but is
still looking for Eileen Hernon and wonders
if anyone has heard from her.
Peter (MA ’92) and Katie (Petko ’01)
Murphy live in Orchard Lake, Michigan.
Peter works as director of student formation
and development at St. Mary’s College of Ave
Maria University, and Katie is a guidance
counselor at Mercy High School. They can
be reached by e-mail at peter_Murphy@
hotmail.com or katiepetko@hotmail.com.
Eric Zipf married Alexa Major on November
24, 2001, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where
they reside. Eric was elected co-chairman of
the staff senate at Santa Fe Community College. He is also a member of the western
regional board of the Alliance for Community
Media. He says, “Hello to the brothers of
Alpha Phi Delta. Drop in for a visit if you
journey to the beautiful southwest.”
Air Combat Command Public Affairs as a
newspaper consultant.
1991
Christiaan Alting von Geusau married Paola
Castillo Fernandez in Guadalajara, Mexico,
on July 7, 2001, in the Basilica of Santa Maria
de Gracia. They live in Brussels, Belgium,
with their son, Frederick, born May 24, 2002.
Christiaan sends special greetings to all the
brothers of Mathetai Christou.
1992
Sherri (Nally) McGrath lives in Normal,
Illinois, with her husband Brendan. She says,
“Hello” to the Myriam Agape girls and all the
’92 graduates.
Josh and Deborah (Hodsdon ’93) Piccirilli
live in Forest Hill, Maryland, with their four
children Gabriel, 7, Grace, 4, Sophia, 2, and
Francesca, 1. Josh works for Piccirilli Group
in advertising and Deborah, a stay-at-home
mom, works as an RN a few hours a week.
Josh ’92 and Deborah (Hodsdon ’93) Piccirilli
and family.
1993
1990
Mary (Burke) and Michael Faber joyfully
announce the birth of Burke Xavier on February 7, 2002. He joins Hannah, 10, Nicholas,
8, Moriah, 7, Michaela, 6, and Claire, 4.
Bryan and April Purtell welcomed the birth
of their first child, Colin Shane, on August 12,
2002. Bryan was recently promoted to 1st
Lieutenant in the US Air Force and works for
Jeff ’93 and Jo Hauge and family with Brother
Sean and CFR’s in South Bronx.
Jason and Jeanette Clark announce the birth
of their first child, Michael Andrew, on August 29, 2002. After living in Phoenix,
Arizona, for a year, they recently moved back
to Denver.
Franciscan Way
Judith Coopy lives in Guangzhou, China,
and is beginning her sixth year of teaching as
a professor of English, writing, and culture at
Guangdong Business College.
Kevin Schmiesing is the contact person for
the upcoming reunion of The Rock/In His
Image Household. The reunion will be the
weekend of March 29-30, 2003. Anyone
interested in attending should contact him at
kschmiesing@acton.org.
Mindy Voigt lives in Juneau, Alaska. She was
recently promoted to analyst/programer II—
information systems liaison. She works with
computer programers to fix and create new
programs for the division of Retirement and
Benefits for the state of Alaska.
Judith Coopy ’93 in Mongolia.
1994
Mary (Boland) Belew lives in Lewisville,
Texas. She sends her greetings and prayers to
Agape and Hearts of Fire! She thinks of you
often and would love to receive e-mail from all
her friends. You can reach her at
mary_belew@hotmail.com.
Mike and Diane Deck married February 26,
2000. They reside in Rochester Hills, Michigan, with their son, Alexander John, born
May 12, 2001. Mike has left the audio visual
field and is running MD Creative Services,
while Dianne is an OB/GYN in Detroit.
They send their best wishes to the lost brothers of Alpha Pi Chi. Mike can be reached at
mikedeck@mdcreative.com.
1995
Grace Abruzzo left a seven-year teaching
career to begin full-time chastity education in
New York. She has founded Love for Life,
Inc. She would love to hear from anyone
involved in similar work. Her e-mail address
is loveforlifeinc@aol.com.
Jennifer (Mincher) Gaddie and her husband Greg say, “Hello to the Servants of the
Eucharistic Heart of Jesus!” She has been
nursing at the Pope Paul VI Institute for
almost five years where she also teaches as a
practitioner of the Creighton model fertility
care system. She is still singing and released a
second CD this summer with Cor Sanctum.
She can be reached at gaddie@cox.net.
George and Lynn Kapusinski wed in September 2001. George is the IT manager of a
regional accounting firm in Baltimore, and
Lynn is the founder and president of Faith
Journeys Foundation. The Most Reverend
Donald W. Wuerl, bishop of Pittsburgh, endorsed her book, Making Your Way After
Your Parents Divorce.
Winter 2003
Jim and Andrea (Bede ’97) Hornecker live
in South Elgin, Illinois, with their children
Jacob, 6, Zachary, 3, and Catherine, born
June 2002. Jim’s book, The Lion’s Roar: A
Beginner’s Bible Study on the Gospel of Mark,
was published in November 2002. They say,
“Hello” to Agape, In His Image, and Brothers of St. Peter.
Jana (Kabiling) and Joseph Patterson were
married on July 20, 2002. Joseph teaches at
St. John’s College in Washington, DC, and
Jana works as an assistant event planner. The
couple resides in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Laurie (Grab) and Frank Traglia married on
June 29, 2001. They live in Richfield Springs,
New York. Laurie works as the liturgy coordinator at St. Mary’s Church in Cooperstown,
New York.
Laurie (Grab ’96) and Frank Traglia at their
June 2001 wedding with alumni and friends.
1997
Jennifer Brown moved to Michigan after
working for the Archdiocese of Boston for the
last five years. She asks that people say a prayer
for the youth of south Boston, and for the
adults and ministers to find the resources to
continue their ministry. She can be reached at
jenbrown@hotmail.com.
Roger and Rebecca (Tardiff ’90) Camp
announce the birth of their fifth child, John
Burl, on January 30, 2002. They live in
Lorain, Ohio, where Rebecca is a stay-athome mom, and Roger is the director of
religious education at Holy Trinity Church in
Avon, Ohio. They say, “Hello,” to members
of Earthen Vessels and Acacia.
Michael ’94 and Diane Deck with son
Alexander.
Jim and Therese (Nagle ’93) Griffin live in
Manassas, Virginia. Therese is a full-time
mom and part-time labor and delivery nurse
at Fairfax Hospital. Jim works at the US
Patent and Trademark Office as a trademarkexamining attorney. They have two children,
Will, 2, and Caroline, 1.
1996
George Kapusinski ’95 and wife Lynn at their
September 2001 wedding.
Paul Doetsch lives in Round Lake Beach,
Illinois, and works as the youth group coordinator for St. Joseph’s Parish. He says, “Hi,”
23
Father Joseph Williams was ordained at the
Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota,
on May 25, 2002, by Archbishop Harry
Flynn. He currently serves as parochial vicar
at St. Paul Cathedral.
to his household brothers in Soldiers Under
Command and prays for them every day. He
can be reached at deech4ever@yahoo.com.
Jim and Eva (Zemanek ’96) Gontis live in
Pottsville, Pennsylvania, with their four children, Anna, Stephen, Maria, and John. Jim
works as a director of religious education for
the Diocese of Harrisburg.
Ann Koehler is starting her third year at
Cedarcrest Academy in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota.
Sister Francisca J. Nzeke is now a member
of the provincial council of the congregation,
and the principal of St. Thomas Aquinas
School in the Diocese of Lokoja, Nigeria.
Stephani Placek teaches freshman and sophomore religion classes at Joliet Catholic Academy. She also hosts a Rosary group at her
home on Thursdays. Any alumni or students
in the Naperville, Illinois, area are welcome to
attend.
Amalia Zea says, “Hello to all Love of the
Lamb Household and Austria Fall ’96 alumni.”
She is praying for you all! She lives in Irondale,
Alabama, and works as an associate producer
for EWTN.
1999
Jeffrey Kirby is currently in Rome working
on his priestly studies at the Gregorian. He
sends his greetings to the Brothers of the
Eternal Song, the library staff, and the Student Life Office.
Kristy Kubasak teaches third and fourth
grade at St. Maria Goretti Academy in Sacramento, California, and does free-lance writing when she can. She also helps on a Life
Teen core team and plays indoor soccer. She
sends greetings to Misericordia Divina, Brothers in the Spirit, and Bellwether households.
She urges people to come visit her. She can be
reached at Kubakat23@aol.com.
Michelle (Lee Loy) and Nathan Roberts live
in Clinton Township, Michigan, with their
son Kolbe. Friends can reach her at
chelle929@hotmail.com.
1998
Father Anthony O. Adebusuyi returned to
the Ondo Diocese, Nigeria, in December to
do pastoral work. He looks forward to working in the area of marriage and family life.
Gina Castellani is an oblate lay associate
working with the Missionary Oblates of Mary
Immaculate in retreat and youth ministry.
She is currently enrolled in her first year of the
Master’s of Divinity Program at the Oblate
School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.
She would love to hear from any household
sisters or brothers in Agape or Hearts of Fire
at agapemore@hotmail.com.
Melvin and Vivienne (Almagro ’97)
Ventura are pleased to announce the birth of
their son, Braden Sebastian on May 6, 2002.
Braden joins big sister Hannah, 3. They live
in McKinney, Texas.
24
Corporation. They can be reached by e-mail
at nataliechiappone@hotmail.com.
Natalie (Ingram ’01) and Chris Chiappone ’00
wed December 8, 2001.
Ginny Dauses loves working as the director
of youth ministry at St. Francis of Assisi Parish
in Derwood, Maryland. She is doing very well
and would like to get back in touch with all her
Steubenville friends. She can be reached at
sfayouth@stfrancisderwood.org.
Jake and Christine (DeWolf ’98) Geurkink
proudly announce the birth of their first child,
Matthew Howard, on May 7, 2002.
Matthew’s godparents are David and Teresa
(Sanders ’00) DeWolf ’99. Jake and Christine both work at St. Ann’s Church in Washington, DC. They would love to hear from
friends at cmgeurkink@msn.com or
jake@stanndc.org.
Kristy Kubasak ’99, Avram Brown ’97, Elijah
Brown’02, and Tony Braun ’02 at Avram
Brown’s ordination to the transitional
diaconate for the Diocese of Sacramento, May
27, 2002.
2000
Matthew and Rebecca (Hagar) Brounstein
married on August 4, 2001. On July 17,
2002, they were blessed with a daughter,
Gabrielle Marie. Matt is currently teaching
and finishing his doctorate in philosophy at
Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They send a big “Hello” and prayers to
Theotokos and Knights of the Holy Queen.
Christopher and Natalie (Ingram ’01)
Chiappone were married on December 8,
2001, in Denver, Colorado. They live in
Annapolis, Maryland, where Chris is pursuing
a career in Internet security at Trustwave
Jake ’00 and Christine (DeWolf ’98) Geurkink
at the baptism of son, Matthew Howard. Godparents are David ’99 and Teresa (Sanders ’00)
DeWolf.
Jim and Susanna (Snyder ’01) Houska
announce the birth of daughter Elizabeth
Hope, on July 19, 2002. They say, “Hi,” to
all Magnificat and Regnum Christi. They
would love to hear from friends. Their e-mail
address is jimhouska@discoverfinancial.com.
Kevin and Donella (Cotter) Jacobs were
married in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, on
Franciscan Way
May 25, 2002. They currently reside in
Memphis, Tennessee, where Kevin is the
director of Life Teen at St. Francis of Assisi
Church, and Donella is a nurse at St. Jude
Children’s Hospital. You may contact them
at kdj525@catholic.org.
Mary (Ascough MA ’00) married Damian
Schönborn on February 2, 2002, in County
Wicklow, Ireland. Father Michael Scanlan,
TOR, celebrated their nuptial Mass and guests
included a dozen alumni. The couple makes
their home in Austria.
Cards can be sent to her family at 3910
Colonial Road, Roseburg, OR 97470. Tara
(Knob ’96) Thompson and Anastasia
(Kakos ’97) Suchoski are coordinating donations for a memorial from the Philothea
Household. You can contact Tara at
rftmthompson@aol.com or Anastasia at
asuchoski@neo.rr.com.
Julie (Yochim ’01) and Corey Ferraro on their
wedding day, June 1, 2002, with Roses of the
Immaculate Heart Household.
2002
Mary Garbe lives in Lake Bluff, Illinois, and
teaches first and second grade at East Lake
Academy. She loved seeing her Sacrifice of
Love sisters at their recent household reunion.
Libby, Nate, Seamus, and Aidan Waters.
In Memoriam
William Bettcher, father of Tim Bettcher
’97 died recently. Lillian Palicki, Tim’s grandmother also passed away this fall.
Mar y Ascough (MA ’00) and Damian
Schönborn on their wedding day, February 2,
2002.
2001
James B. Hagerty ’72 died September 24,
2002, in Davenport, Florida. He was a 28year employee of Weirton Steel and retired in
1988. He is survived by his wife MaryAnn,
sons, Brian and Pat, and daughters, Maureen,
Colleen, Marian, Marilyn, and Karen ’91.
Charles S. Lafferty ’60 died October 9,
2002, in Weirton, West Virginia. Charlie
worked for many years at Weirton Steel where
he held many positions in the Human Resources Department. His wife, four children,
and six grandchildren survive him.
Christine (Clark ’02) and John Brooks ’01 with
Hearts of Fire and Agape households at their
wedding reception.
Julie (Yochim) and Corey Ferraro were
married on June 1, 2002. They live in Erie,
Pennsylvania. Julie works in the public relations office for the Millcreek School District,
and Corey is the director of youth activities at
St. George Church.
Winter 2003
Monsignor James C. Marshall, pastor of
Holy Rosary Church in Steubenville, Ohio,
died September 19, 2002. He was an honorary alumnus and recipient of the Bishop Mussio
Alumni Award in 1992.
Libby (Hartranft) Waters ’98 died November 20, 2002. Libby suffered a brain aneurysm in August 2001. Her husband, Nate
Waters ’98, died in August 2000 of cancer.
In addition to their parents and siblings,
Libby and Nate are survived by their young
sons, Seamus and Aidan. Two of Libby’s
sisters, Cheryl (Hartranft ’89) Fitzpatrick
and Wendy Hartranft ’95, are alumnae.
Mark Grabinski, a 22-year-old senior English writing major, died October 2, 2002, in
a single car accident in Steubenville. Mark is
survived by his parents, Jerry and Jackie
Grabinski, and sister Lisa. A Mass of Christian
Burial was held for Mark in Finnegan
Fieldhouse on Monday, October 7, 2002,
with more than 1,200 family members, friends,
and students in attendance.
New Web Address
Franciscan University’s domain name has
changed from www.franuniv.edu to
www.franciscan.edu. All e-mail addresses
have also changed to username@
franciscan.edu. Please make these changes
immediately. After March 3, 2003, e-mail to
the old domain name will be undeliverable.
Keep in Touch
If you have changed jobs, married, had a baby,
or been involved in an interesting service or
activity, let us know! E-mail your notice to
avaughan@franciscan.edu or send to:
Audrey Vaughan, Alumni Relations Office, Franciscan University, 1235 University Blvd., Steubenville, OH 43952, or call
Audrey at 800-783-6447. Quality photos of
alumni will be used as space permits and
returned upon your request. Digital photos
must be of good quality and 300 dpi or
higher.
25
Class of 1952
Michael Rodak
n December 17, 2002, dignitaries, including several Supreme
Court justices, gathered at the ornate offices of the US Supreme Court Building
to pay tribute to one of their own, Michael
Rodak, Jr., 81, former Clerk of the Court.
An oil painting of Rodak was presented
for permanent display, and words of praise
were given in his honor.
It was a fitting tribute to a man whose
preparation for a career with the highest
court of the land began at age 20 when,
with $2 in his pocket, he left his West Virginia home and enlisted in the US Army
Air Force at the onset of World War II.
His strong administrative skills soon made
him the youngest sergeant major in North
Africa. “They chose me over some older
guys because I could make decisions, adapt
to a changing environment,” says Rodak.
When the war ended, Mike returned
home and plunged into the demands of
college and raising a family. He took classes
at the College of Steubenville in the morning, helped fit customers into suits at the
family-owned Rodak Men’s Store in the
afternoons, and balanced the clothing
store’s books at night. “I had a wife and
family to support, and I didn’t want to
fall into debt,” he says of the work ethic
that carried him throughout life.
After graduating with honors in 1952,
Rodak became the first graduate from the
College of Steubenville to be accepted at
Georgetown Law School. Soon after
graduating with two law degrees he became a member of the Washington, DC,
bar, the West Virginia bar, and later, the
US Supreme Court bar.
It has been said that success is 95 percent hard work, 5 percent luck. That combination paid off when US Supreme Court
Justice Earl Warren called the dean of
Georgetown Law School, looking for
bright, new talent. With the dean’s rec-
26
ommendation, Rodak became a deputy
clerk for the US Supreme Court in 1956.
He rose in rank, and in 1972, following
the unanimous vote of the nine Supreme
Court justices, was selected as Clerk of
the Court.
The job title is misleading. The clerk
is the chief administrative officer for all
Supreme Court activities, charged with
overseeing up to 4,000 cases a year. Rodak
put to good use his military training directing men and machinery and deftly orchestrated the movement of attorneys,
plaintiffs, and staffers during what became
one of the busiest periods in the history
of the US Supreme Court.
“I always said, ‘The buck stops with
the clerk,’” says Mike.
“I put in 70-hour weeks and handled
95 percent of the correspondence submitted to the Court. What most people don’t
realize is that the justices have no interactions with attorneys until they get to the
courtroom. The clerk is responsible for virtually all that goes on before and after the
decision is reached.”
During his tenure as clerk Mike ushered in the computerization of all court
affairs and developed an open office plan
for greater efficiency. He says his
Franciscan training instilled in him an
appreciation for the less fortunate. Each
year he helped nearly 2,000 lawyers representing clients without funds; he regularly answered handwritten letters from
prisoners and paupers seeking to address
the court. For these efforts he received
the National Public Defenders Award
in 1981.
From decisions ranging from Daniel
Ellsburg’s infamous Pentagon Papers to
Roe v. Wade and the court’s agonizing
decision over government access to former
President Nixon’s private papers, Rodak
recognizes that he was a part of history.
Photo by Steve Petteway, Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States
O
Michael Rodak poses next to his official
portrait, now on display in the West Conference Room of the US Supreme Court
Building.
He also recognizes that he wasn’t the one
making history—that was up to the nine
Supreme Court Justices. “I never got involved in the merits of the case. I was there
to write up the orders, collect the briefs,
set the calendar. The justices write the
opinion,” he reflects.
Rodak reluctantly retired in 1980 to
care for his ailing wife, Patricia. “As a
Christian, I knew it was more important
to help her than continue working.”
Last year he established the Rodak
Family Endowed Scholarship for needy
students seeking to attend Franciscan University. The scholarship is in part a tribute
to his wife, who died in 1995. It’s also his
way of helping young students achieve
their dreams. Mike’s advice for anyone
starting out: “Don’t be afraid to try new
things. You have to take risks!”
—Tom Sofio
Franciscan Way
Remembering the Sixties
Katie Vargo ’98
Director of Alumni Relations
B
Winter 2003
Majewski ’63 who made the trek from
California; the first person to register,
Frank Lyons ’67, and the first alumni
couple to register, Tom and Joanne
(Sholtis ’61) McDonald ’60. The group
danced until almost midnight to tunes
from the sixties and early seventies. Father Brian Cavanaugh, TOR ’69, Community Relations/OIT Associate, attended the dinner with his classmates
and commented to me later, “It was fun
being with my people again.” The
University’s archives provided some
wonderful pictures and other memorabilia for the display including freshman
beanies and College of Steubenville
pennants.
On Sunday morning we gathered
for Mass in Christ the King Chapel,
then it was off to the Gallery in the J.C.
Williams Center to feast on brunch.
Rose DeFede ’60, director of Community Development, gave an insightful
presentation on the artwork in the Gallery, and then classmates exchanged
good-byes.
Following the reunion, we received
this open letter to Father Terry and our
students from attendees, Gene ’68 and
Anne (Van Camp ’70) Ventimiglia:
“What a terrific weekend my husband and I had on your campus. We
were among the alumni from the sixties who returned to the College of
Steubenville—now Franciscan University of Steubenville.
“Thank you for your warm hospitality, your smiles, and greetings. Thank
you for sharing conversations with us
at Saturday lunch in your cafeteria.
Thank you for sharing the Eucharist
with us during the deeply spiritual
Masses on Saturday and Sunday.
“In the sixties, our college was a
‘place apart’ from the rest of the world.
Now, your
Franciscan
University
is, in so
many ways,
‘ o t h e r
worldly’…
a place for
God, for
prayer, for
contemplation, for
m i n i s t r y,
for learning, and for George ’66 and Mel Dougherty
s h a r i n g dance the night away at the
deep spiri- 1960s Alumni Reunion.
tual love—even with strangers.
“I believe that during the sixties at
our college, the good Franciscans were
sowing seeds with God. Now that we’ve
seen the University today, we’ve been
able to share in the fruitful time.
“God bless you all. Let’s pray for
each other.”
I would like to extend a heartfelt
thanks to all the alumni who returned
to campus for the reunion. It was such
a pleasure to meet you and hear about
your experiences at the University. I
would especially like to thank our reunion chairman, Don Plagman ’66,
who spent a great deal of time and energy organizing the weekend, including hours on the phone inviting alumni
and planning meetings.
The sixties reunion was such a great
weekend I’d like to host one this fall
for alumni from the 1970s. If you
are an alumnus from the seventies and
you’re ready for a reunion with your
classmates, please call or e-mail me
so we can start planning (kvargo@
franciscan.edu or 740-283-6340,
Ext. 4325).
M. Skees
y the time you read this I’m
sure much of Steubenville will
be blanketed with snow, but at the
moment my mind is on fall. I love fall.
When I was a little kid my parents
would drive us up to northern Arizona
to see the Aspens turn colors. Actually
they only turned one color—gold. And
you basically had one weekend to catch
the magnificent display before the leaves
fell to the ground. I don’t know what I
enjoyed more: the breathtaking scenery or riding in the back of our VW bus
with a bunch of snacks. Now that I live
in what I consider the East, I delight in
the fall even more. Leaves change multiple colors over a period of weeks, the
air is crisp, and I get to pull my boots
out of the closet.
Adding to my enjoyment this fall
was the arrival of an enthusiastic group
of alumni, many of whom had not been
back to campus for years. The weekend
of September 21-22, 2002, brought
close to 100 alumni back to campus for
the 1960s Alumni Reunion. Chaired by
Don Plagman ’66, the weekend was a
mix of eating, reminiscing, dancing, and
tours of campus. There were laughter
and hugs and picture taking galore at
the cocktail social that kicked off the
reunion. At dinner that night University President Father Terence Henry,
TOR, welcomed the group back to
campus, calling them important members of the University family. Don took
everyone on a trip down memory lane,
reminding them of such places and
events as the Christmas parade, float
building, John’s Sausage Shop, The
Boulevard, and Mass in Room 115
(now Anathan Theatre).
Door prizes were given to those
who had traveled the farthest: Michael
“Chief” ’66 and Elvia Kalman and Anna
27
By Melissa Zifzal
Prof. Stephanie Batalo
Prof. Beate Engel-Doyle
Dr. Jim Slater
Associate Professor of Graduate Nursing
Assistant Professor of German
Professor of Chemistry
Just ask Professor
Stephanie (Stevie)
Batalo what she likes
about teaching at
Franciscan University,
and her whole face
lights up.
“I’ve always loved to share what I’ve
learned,” she says. “When I heard
Franciscan University was starting a Master of Science in Nursing Program, I
thought it would be a wonderful way to
help promote a Family Nurse Practitioner Program in our valley.”
A registered nurse since 1969, Batalo
earned nurse practitioner certification in
1995, becoming the first in the Ohio Valley to do so. “It’s an exciting time to be
an advanced practice nurse,” she says. “As
our role becomes more understood, there
are more opportunities to work in a variety of areas.”
As required for licensure and certification in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, Batalo maintains a practice with
a local physician. A nurse practitioner can
provide primary care to patients, order
diagnostic tests, and write prescriptions.
She must also continue her education requirements and does so as a doctoral student at California Coast University.
Batalo previously served as an instructor at Trinity School of Nursing for
10 years. In her third year at Franciscan
University, her favorite classes to teach
are Health Problems I and II because
they deal with the “nitty gritty” of the
nurse practitioner profession, covering
clinical presentations, actual diagnoses,
and treatment plans.
In her free time, Batalo enjoys spending time with her family, going to musicals, reading mysteries, and playing with
her dog. Batalo and her husband Mitch
live in Steubenville and have four grown
children, Michelle, Millicent, Lindsay,
and Michael.
Born in Fulda,
Germany, Beate EngelDoyle came to the US
in 1984 as part of a
one-year university
exchange program,
studying in Bowling Green State
University’s American Studies MA Program. As a graduate assistant teaching
English composition and literature, she
realized she loved teaching and decided
to extend her stay in the States. While at
Bowling Green, she met her husband,
Dr. Robert Doyle.
It took some time to adjust to life in
the US, but Engel-Doyle says she particularly enjoys Americans’ prevalent
spirit of optimism. “Americans have such
a positive outlook, a ‘We can do it’ attitude,” she says.
Engel-Doyle has taught German at
Franciscan University since 1992 and
recently helped establish a German major
program. She likens teaching to writing
and directing a play. “It’s not a onewoman-show—it’s interaction and
dialogue,” she says. Whatever class she is
teaching at any given moment is her
favorite class. “Seeing my first-year German students interact a little more every
day is just as gratifying as teaching a culture and literature class involving fine-tuning,” she explains. Her love for teaching
led her to co-author a textbook program,
Alles in Allem, which includes workbooks
and audiocassettes. She uses the series in
her 300-level German classes.
Engel-Doyle’s husband Robert, associate professor of history, joined the
University faculty in 2000. “I’m overjoyed that we’re teaching at the same
university,” she says.
In her free time, Engel-Doyle enjoys
reading literature, tending her flowers,
and spending time with friends. She and
Robert attend Holy Family Catholic
Church and reside in Steubenville.
A chemistry professor since 1974, Dr.
Jim Slater has seen
Franciscan University
evolve from a tiny,
troubled school to a
renowned institution of higher learning.
He’s also seen the University’s science
facilities relocate from cramped quarters
in Egan Hall to the spacious Saints
Cosmas and Damian Science Hall. He
counts his 10-year involvement in its plan
and design among his most rewarding
experiences in a career he loves.
“I deal with what I love—chemistry—and I get to talk about it as a job,”
he says. “I look at the clock, and if it’s 4
p.m., I always wish it’s 3 p.m. so I can
get a little more done.”
Although inorganic chemistry is
Slater’s main field of expertise, environmental pollution has become an additional area of interest, and he has received
several grants to study air pollution. Most
recently, Slater and Dr. Gerald Keeler of
the University of Michigan received a
$350,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the
quantity of mercury gas and particles in
Steubenville’s air. According to Slater,
Franciscan University is the first mercury
study site in the state of Ohio. In addition, Slater was instrumental in obtaining funding to install solar energy panels that will enable chemistry, engineering, and physics students to study a variety of energy sources.
Slater attends Wintersville United
Methodist Church, serving on various
committees as needed. He also volunteers as a youth soccer referee and schedules referees for up to 60 games each
week during soccer season.
He and his wife Dianne live in
Steubenville and have two grown
daughters, Jill and Beth, and four grandchildren.
28
Franciscan Way
The Other Three R’s
By Katrina J. Zeno
F
Recycling Facts
• 14
million printer cartridges are
thrown away every year.
• 75 percent of the Earth is covered
with water. Only 3 percent is drinkable.
• Brown and green glass cannot be
recycled.
• Styrofoam never decomposes.
Recycling Tips
• Buy a big bag of chips instead of
10 little ones.
• Buy cardboard packaging whenever
possible.
• Look for the recycling symbol on
products.
• If you see garbage collecting somewhere, call your local health department or sheriff ’s office.
Winter 2003
their materials present vital
environmental statistics: A
glass bottle never decomposes. An aluminum can
biodegrades in 200-400
years. Forty percent of all
waste is paper. Natural
resources and fossil fuels
can’t be replaced.
For many kids, the ideas
are new. A fifth grader
named Jeremy thought
garbage “disappeared” in a
year or two. Another
grade-schooler, Cody, never Barb Busana and Maureen Kaufmann present a recycling
realized how much humans lesson to local students.
pollute the earth. A thirdgrade class weighed their daily trash after the teacher talk and talk.”
hearing Barb and Maureen explain how
The internship also tapped Barb’s
much garbage is generated each year.
creative flair. Working closely with
Besides the habit of recycling, the
Technimedia, a local production comcurriculum also emphasizes reducing and pany, Barb put artistic expression to
reusing. “We encourage the kids to reuse Maureen’s ideas. Among the results were
paper, to give away old toys and clothes,
20 games and puzzles on the CD-ROM,
and to buy something in a biodegradable including dragging trash to the appropripackage instead of a bottle,” Barb says.
ate recycle bins and the highly popular
The choice to reduce, reuse, and
recycle baseball game. Since Maureen’s
recycle really begins at the grocery store. area of certification will be as an interNo longer do we pluck a couple of eggs
vention specialist, the CD-ROM has an
from the hen shed or put out reusable
additional level for special needs students
bottles for the milkman. Instead, many
and is entirely auditory for the vision
items travel long distances to get to the
impaired. After successfully completing
grocery store so packaging has gotten
the games, each student receives an
sturdier and prepackaged convenience
“Expert Recycler” certificate.
foods are the norm. This leads to tons
With over 300 illegal dumpsites in
and tons of waste—over one million tons Jefferson County, waste disposal is a
per year in Jefferson County.
problem too big—and too ugly—to
“The three R’s are really about
ignore. Barb and Maureen hope schools
making conscious choices,” Barb says.
throughout the county and the state will
“Our hope is to educate the kids so they
purchase their curriculum and educate a
can educate their parents.”
new generation of expert recyclers.
In the process, Barb and Maureen
“The 3 R’s are not primarily about
received their own education. Researchwaste but about stewardship,” Maureen
ing, writing lesson plans, testing the
says. “The Earth is a gift from God,
curriculum in nine schools, and revising
and we need to teach our children to
their lessons plans provided an intense
respect the Earth, each other, and where
practicum and mountains of confidence.
we live.”
“I was able to evaluate how I teach and
what needed to change,” Maureen says.
Katrina J. Zeno ’86 is a conference and
“I learned that most kids want someretreat speaker for Women of the Third
thing hands-on rather than listening to
Millennium (www.wttm.org).
K. Shawl
or most education majors, the
three R’s stand for reading, writing,
and ’rithmetic, but not for senior
Maureen Kaufmann and junior Barb
Busana. They stand for reduce, reuse,
and recycle.
Since last January, the two Steubenville mothers have been up to their
educational necks in recycling information. Through a grant received from the
Ohio Department of Agriculture,
Maureen and Barb were hired as educational interns by the Jefferson County
Recycling and Litter Prevention Office.
Their mission? To create a curriculum
guideline book, two videos, and an
interactive CD-ROM to teach the three
R’s in rural areas for grades K-7.
Using three colorful robots and a
reduce, reuse, and recycle theme song,
29
St. Colette (1381–1447)
By Susan Lloyd
I
n a world where human suffering is
regarded as the ultimate evil, Catholics can find a patroness in St. Colette.
To her, suffering was one of the world’s
greatest gifts. While most Catholics pray
for resignation to our crosses, Colette
actively sought suffering.
Paradoxically, Colette came into the
world during its most joyous season,
Christmas. On January 13, 1381, holiday celebrations were still going full
blast. Her parents named her Nicolette
after the blithe and beloved St. Nick.
Colette’s father was employed as a
carpenter at a Benedictine abbey. Perhaps
it was there that she formed her first
positive impressions of contemplative
life. These would soon burst into ardent
desire.
At age 17 Colette was at a crossroads
in life. Recently orphaned, she was then
under the guidance of a Benedictine abbot. He believed she should marry. Instead, she followed her heart’s desire and
sought a quiet place where she could
practice a life of penance.
Penance was not long in coming.
Colette’s first three attempts to fit into
different religious communities failed.
Yet she remained convinced that God
was calling her out of the world. So she
became a hermit.
By age 21, the blossoming saint had
become a Franciscan tertiary. She had
herself enclosed in a cell within a church.
A grill looked out onto the only view she
wanted, the sanctuary.
After a time heaven willed that
Colette come out and share her talents
with the world. St. Francis appeared to
her with a request: reform the Poor
30
Clares, lately scant on severity. Who better to fix matters than Colette, the lover
of penances?
One source has it that she hesitated
at first. The result was three days of
blindness and three days of dumbness.
As hard as it may be for the modern mind
to accept that such an affliction could
come from the hand of good St. Francis,
consider how Colette took it. She viewed
as a sign and offered it up.
She then embraced her new mission
with zeal. Preach austerity she did, but no
one listened. So Colette put on a patched
habit and led by example, barefoot.
She walked all the way to the home
of false pope, Benedict XIII. As did most
of the French in her day, Colette believed
he was the true pope. He backed her
mission by several papal bulls and made
her superior of all the Poor Clare convents that would accept her reform.
At first, most of the convents were
inhospitable. At least one community flat
out called her a sorceress. Little by little,
however, people became convinced of
her holiness. In the end she founded 17
convents.
Colette had the supernatural gifts of
visions and miracles. She had great devotion to the Passion and would go into
extended periods of ecstasy after Holy
Communion. The saints would often
appear to her.
They were not alone. She also saw
the devil. He tempted and tortured her
much the way he later did to the Curè
of Ars. He seemed to forget that Colette
was the sort who liked to have unpleasant things to offer up.
She told her sisters, “If there be a
true way that leads to the Everlasting
Kingdom, it is most certainly that of suffering, patiently endured.”
Somewhere in her many travels
Colette met St. Vincent Ferrer. The two
saints were destined to straighten out the
mess created by having too many popes.
Though known for his golden
preaching and miracles, such as raising
people from the dead, St. Vincent
was also deceived by Benedict XIII. In
fact, Vincent’s famed holiness helped
convince others to follow the pope
of Avignon.
The true pope was Gregory XII, a
gentle, unambitious man. His greatest
wish was to heal the schism. He offered
to step down if Benedict would. A new
pontiff could then claim obedience from
a religiously united West. When Benedict
stubbornly refused, Gregory wavered. So
what did Gregory’s supporters do? They
plowed ahead without him and elected
yet another pope.
It’s enough to confuse even a saint!
Eventually, both Vincent and
Colette pledged obedience to the true
pope of Rome. Not long afterwards, the
40-year schism ended.
Were Colette and Vincent blamed
for throwing their weight behind a pretender? No. They did so ignorantly, without willing disobedience.
In 1447, after a long life of sacrifice
for the Church, Colette foretold her
coming death. She died on March 6 of
that year. She is patroness of orphans.
Susan Lloyd resides in Allentown, Pennsylvania, with her husband and five young
daughters.
Franciscan Way
We’re looking for our
lost sheep...
Do you know where to find them?
Franciscan University is missing
some of our graduates and needs
your help in locating them. Please
check out our Web page at
www2.franciscan.edu/alumni
and contact us if you know
the whereabouts of
any of our “lost sheep.”
(740)283-6340, Ext. 4315
alumni@franciscan.edu
Take a Journey
With Franciscan
University
Refresh Your Mind, Heart, and Spirit
For almost 20 years Franciscan University has traveled to pilgrimage and retreat
sites around the world. Thousands have come with us—young, old, couples, widows,
families, religious—people bound together by a common interest. Together we have
explored the richness of the Catholic faith, shared in the mysteries and beauty of our world,
and enjoyed the laughter, prayer, and support that exists within a community of pilgrims.
These Journeys have become an integral part of Franciscan University, with many
of our travelers returning year after year. Our goal is to create Journeys that will touch minds,
hearts, and spirits. Whether our events have helped them deepen their relationship with Christ,
find answers to spiritual questions and concerns, discover new places and new friends, or just
unwind from their busy lives, we know our Journeys have made a lasting impact on the lives
of so many.
Experience the joy and excitement of being a pilgrim or retreatant.
Join us on a Franciscan University Journey!
Franciscan University Journeys
1235 University Blvd.
Steubenville, OH 43952
1-800-783-6339 www.franciscan.edu
Winter 2003
Alaskan Cruise
Retreat
Aug. 10-17,
2003
Poland
Pilgrimage
Oct. 26 –
Nov. 5, 2003
Young Adult
Caribbean
Cruise Retreat
Jan. 5 – 10, 2004
Ketchikan,
Juneau,
Skagway,
and Victoria
Warsaw,
Czestochowa,
Wadowice,
Krakow, and
Auschwitz
Key West,
Cozumel, and
Belize
Hosted by:
Fr. Michael
Scanlan, TOR &
Fr. Benedict
Groeschel, CFR
Hosted by:
Franciscan Friars
Hosted by:
Fr. Dave
Pivonka, TOR
& Steve
Angrisano
31
2003 Adult Summer Conferences
at Franciscan University
Franciscan University Youth Conferences
June 20–22
June 20–22
June 27–29
June 27–29
July 11–13
July 11–13
July 11–13
July 18–20
July 18–20
July 25–27
July 25–27
August 1–3
August 1–3
Steubenville South
—Alexandria, LA
(318) 473-0539
High School Youth 1
—Steubenville, OH
(800) 437-8368
Steubenville Charleston
—Charleston, SC
(843) 402-9115, Ext. 38
High School Youth 2
—Steubenville, OH
(800) 437-8368
Steubenville St. Louis/
Mid-America
—Springfield, MO
(314) 633-2500
Steubenville East 1
—Attleboro, MA
(508) 236-9000
High School Youth 3
—Steubenville, OH
(800) 437-8368
Steubenville East 2
—Attleboro, MA
(508) 236-9000
Steubenville of the Rockies
—Denver, CO
(303) 715-3178
Steubenville San Diego NEW!
—San Diego, CA
(760) 727-4368
Steubenville Atlanta
—Atlanta, GA
(770) 649-8620
Steubenville North
—Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
(952) 224-0333
Steubenville West
—Tucson, AZ
(480) 820-7001
For more information about Franciscan University’s 13 nationwide
youth conferences, go to www.franciscanyouth.com.
To register for an on-campus youth conference, contact the
Christian Conference Office at 1-800-437-8368.
FRANCISCAN WAY
MAGAZINE (USPS 121-900)
is published quarterly by
Franciscan University of
Steubenville and distributed
free to alumni and friends of
the University. Periodical
postage paid at Steubenville,
Ohio, and at additional
mailing offices.
POSTMASTER: Send address
changes to Franciscan Way
Magazine, Public Relations
Office, Franciscan University
of Steubenville,
1235 University Blvd.,
PO Box 7200, Steubenville,
Ohio 43952-1763.
May 30–June 1
Catholic Women
Transformed By Grace
June 6–8
Catholic Men
More Than Conquerors
June 9–13
May Your Hope
Overflow
June 13–15
Priests, Deacons,
& Seminarians
Catholic Charismatic
Born in and for the Church
July 4–6
Young Adults*
Freedom!
(Washington, DC)
July 8–10
Religious Sisters**
Healing: The Bigger Picture
July 16–18
Applied Biblical Studies
A Living Sacrifice:
Scripture and the Sacramental Life
July 18–20
Defending the Faith
The Truth and Beauty of Holiness
July 23–27
St. John Bosco*
The Father’s Love
* To register for the Young Adults or St. John Bosco Conferences, visit
our Web site at www.franciscanconferences.com or call
740-283-6314 or 800-437-8368.
**
Call Sister Maria Walsh, CSJ, at 740-264-9979 to register
or visit www.franciscan.edu/annunciation to download registration
forms.
Questions?
Our staff and students in the Christian Conference Office look
forward to hosting you on our campus this summer. If you have
any questions before then, please do not hesitate to call us at
1-800-437-8368.
Winter 2003