The 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti in January brought relief efforts from all the over the world. There were individuals and organizations stepping up to lend a hand to the millions of Haitians who were devastated by the quake that measured 7.0 on the Richter scale. A few of those organizations providing assistance included the Red Cross, The Salvation Army, Compassion International, the American Bible Society and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is an international humanitarian Catholic organization that provides aid to countries such as Asia, Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and the United States. CRS has had a presence in Haiti for the past 50 years. Initially the organization provided aid to refugees in Europe in the early 1950s. At that time it was known as War Relief Services. The name changed to Catholic Relief Services in 1955.

CRS has provided aid to Haitians since 1954 when Hurricane Hazel killed more than 1,000 people. Since then, the organization has continued to provide education and health programs, food, shelter and agricultural recovery to Haitian residents. One of the most important contributions made over the years by CRS for the people of Haiti has been safe water provisions.

CRS’s initial financial contribution to Haiti after the 2010 earthquake was $5 million. Since the quake, Catholic Relief Services has continued to provide financial and emergency aid to the people of Haiti. In addition to the aforementioned assistance, CRS provides safe water by daily filling 2,600 ton bladders in the Bureau de Mines Camp in Port a Prince. The organization has also provided showers, latrines and hand washing stations.

In 2008 and 2009, 95 percent of CRS’s operating expenses went directly to programs while only 5 percent went to fundraising and administration costs. As a result, the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance found that CRS met all 20 standards for charity accountability in 2008.

On a more local level, the Hope for Haiti initiative here at Lewis University continues to move forward with fundraising efforts by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. There are also ongoing Hope for Haiti or “Lespwa pou Ayiti” (Creole for “Hope for Haiti”) events that are continuing throughout the semester where students, faculty and staff have an opportunity to participate every Tuesday at the Sancta Alberta Chapel and remember the people of Haiti.

These quotes from “In God’s Name” by Jules and Gedeon Naudet

“My greatest fear, I think, in our world is that we fail to see how very fast out civilization can unravel. Both in terms of environmental disaster and in terms of economic and military disaster. We don’t understand how quickly it could all fall away. And we don’t have enough sense of urgency about reconciliation. We don’t have enough sense of urgency about our material environment. And we need some sharp and clear voices to say, “Wake up. Wake up to how very quickly this could disappear!”

-Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and Head of the Church of England

“I wish I could say that it’s going to get better and better and better. But the Bible teaches that our history is not cyclical. It is linear and the day will come when the forces of evil and the forces of God will face a final and a rather cataclysmic confrontation.

While I pray and hope that my children will not have to see that, I believe that the day is going to come when history as we know it will end.”

-Dr. Frank S. Page, President of the Southern Baptist Convention

“Starting from this point we must find the way to meet each other in the family, among generations, and then among cultures and peoples as well. We must find the way to reconciliation and peaceful coexistence in this world, the ways that lead to the future. We will not find these ways leading to the future if we do not receive light from above.”

-Pope Benedict XVI, Head of the Roman Catholic Church

“Nobody can determine the future of the world, especially in view of the existence of large world centers, which possess weapons of mass destruction, and the economic power through which they try to take over the economy of others, the political power to pressure the others, and the security power through which they try to topple the others. The problems of the world are caused by those who have no respect for the humanity of others and are motivated by an imperialistic thinking that tramples on human beings’ goodness and energy. However, we wish that the world would advance through science and knowledge, which should be used to build and not to destroy life, in the interest of human beings and not against them.”

-Grand Ayatollah Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, Prominent Shiite Muslim Leader

Some say that it is old-fashioned to actually sit down in a recliner next to a warm fire and read your Bible. Nowadays, the Bible is so accessible, it doesn’t matter where you are.

Many CD packages are available that one can purchase that have the entire Bible on them. The “Word of Promise Complete Audio Bible” has famous narrators such as: Jim Caviezel, Richard Dreyfuss and Marissa Tomei.

For the majority of people, especially college students, Facebook is a way of life now. For those who enjoy getting a daily dose of the Bible and feeling encouraged, Facebook has the option of giving you an inspirational Bible verse every day. You can even become a fan of “Bible Quotes” on Facebook. Surprisingly, they have their own page.

Apple has also jumped in on the “eBible” wagon by providing many different Bible applications (apps) available to those who have an iPod Touch, iPhone or iPad. There are apps with longer, more complex Bible verses or a daily inspirational Bible quote.

There is an entire app called the Holy Bible. This includes many different languages as well as translations. You can even highlight key verses as well as make notes in the margins.

Are the days of the “old-fashioned” paper Bible over? Hardly. There will always be people out there who prefer to read the hard copy of the Bible. If you’re in church and the pastor asks you to pull out your Bible and turn to the book of James, it would be better to have an actual Bible than pulling out your iPad during the sermon. (It would be distracting.)

Whether you prefer to read your Bible at home and flip through the pages, or if you would rather check your Facebook to see what wonderful thing God has to say to you today, the Bible will always be available.

“And does anyone know what Gospel this is from? …Kevin?”

This familiar exchange has been enacted throughout my years as a Lewis student. After realizing I was a theology major, the professor never failed to call on me whenever any religious topic entered the classroom. On the one hand, this is to be expected and seems only logical in light of theology’s quest for “faith seeking understanding.” Nevertheless, I have always had an unsettling feeling that I need to confess: most of what I know about my Catholic faith I didn’t learn in a Theology classroom.

The background of my religious education is very sketchy and incomplete. I went to CCD. (You’re right. It wasn’t fun.) I went to public schools my whole life. I was never particularly religious. I’m fairly certain I slipped by without memorizing the Apostles Creed, let alone the Nicene. When my priest interviewed me before my Confirmation he asked me what change I might like to see in the Church. Quite fittingly, I replied that I would think it wise to cut an extra ten or 20 minutes off Mass (so we could all get out of the parking lot and off to dinner in a more efficient manner). The priest was speechless. Only by the grace of God was I confirmed. Or perhaps God has a much more refined sense of humor than I cared to admit.

When I began to see my faith as a source for a deeper meaning and purpose in my high-school years, I knew I needed to rediscover the basics. I immersed myself in the readings at Mass and looked over the Catechism. I learned the many prayers that I had neglected.

The irony of all of this is that most of the questions I receive a theology major touch on these very basic elements of the Catholic faith. The questions aren’t about the divine processions in Trinitarian doctrine or concerns with the relationship between Christ’s dual natures. They’re simple questions about basic religious literacy. How do we know God exists? What is the Gospel message? What happened in the Bible?

When I am looked to for these answers, I must admit that I do not usually draw on anything I learned from a theology class. These basic questions come from my own attempt to learn what I was not taught in my religious education. Generations of poor catechesis have produced a nearly unprecedented level of religious ignorance. Any Catholic person should be able to answer the questions posed to me. One need not be a theology major.

Even as I have advanced in theological studies, I find myself having to return to the basic gaps in my religious education. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul tells his fledgling congregation that “I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people, as infants in Christ. I fed you milk, not solid food, because you were unable to take it” (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). Are our theology classes providing a more advanced knowledge while neglecting to cover the very basics many have been denied?

Moreover, most of my knowledge comes from my experience of living the Christian spiritual life. I have learned far more from my time spent in a classroom of silent prayer and meditation on the life of Christ than in a classroom at the university. The experiential knowledge of the heart that comes from prayer becomes more real and living than my theological research. By participating in a community of faith and engaging others on my spiritual journey, I have learned the Christian faith in a far more personally meaningful way. Some professors marvel at my knowledge, but I simply try to live the life the Church offers for all of us. I pray for wisdom and understanding. I immerse myself in the beautiful ancient liturgy of the Church. I try to be gentle, caring, and pure of heart.

At times, I feel tension between academic theology and my growth in the Catholic faith. Academic theology has enriched my understanding of the faith by providing me with knowledge about God, and we can only love what we first know. At other times, I find academic theology as separate business apart from (if not harmful to) my faith.

Faith and reason remain in constant dialogue, but the tension is not always so easily resolved, which has led me to one of the greatest epiphanies of my college years: Theology does not make you holy. It is possible to know much about God without really knowing God.

One of the greatest theologians, St. Thomas Aquinas, realized at the end of his life that all of his theology was straw compared to the beatific vision of God. Whether I become a theologian or not, I simply want to love God and serve Him. I just want to be a good Catholic and a good man. And if all of my knowledge simply comes from this, then I know I’ll be okay.

Nancy Moser is considered one of the greatest Christian writers of our time. She has won the Christy Award that is given out once a year to the most excellent Christian novels, specifically those that address Christian world views and themes.

Moser won this award in 2003 for her novel titled, “Time Lottery.” This novel’s genre is considered “futuristic,” which is surprising, because after reading “John 3:16” I never would have thought that this author also wrote science fiction books.

One of Moser’s goals in writing “John 3:16” was to keep the reader on edge. She said that if one of her books keeps you up late at night, then “victory is [hers]!” This novel twists in so many different ways you are astounded to see how it all pulls together in the end.

A character named Roman Paulson was recently widowed and his son is the only thing left in his life. At least this is what he believes. His son, Billy, is an all-star football player for the Nebraska Huskers with a very promising future.

Another character, Maya Morano, is a woman who desperately wants a child but is incapable of conceiving. She reaches a point where she will put her ethics aside just to be a mother.

And there’s Velvet Cotton, a middle-aged woman with spunk who runs the concessions stand at the Huskers stadium. She may seem aggressive on the outside, but there is someone who enters her life that makes her heart soften.

All of these people’s lives are interconnected. One thing each of them end up having in common is the reappearance of John 3:16 in their lives. One by one, each person experiences something unexpected, whether it be tragedy or love, and each time the same symbolic phrase appears.

John 3:16 states: “For God so loved the Earth that He gave his only begotten Son, and whoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

It can be explained in many different ways with each character in the novel able to live through a different part of that verse that will change them forever.

I highly recommend reading this novel, because it’s like a small, entertaining Bible study in its pages. For some people in the novel, a simple verse could change their perspective on life from living a life of greed to a life of generosity and giving.

The one verse touched them all, but it’s up to them to take the signs from God and become a Christian.

About five years ago Pastor Fran Leeman got lost on the East side of Joliet, while trying to get home.  After he had taken the wrong turn and was trying to get on the right road to Plainfield, he realized that there was an explanation as to why he was guided to the mostly Hispanic neighborhood.

“I really felt like the Holy Spirit was saying to me, ‘Slow down and look around because you’re lost in this neighborhood for a reason.’” Leeman said.

For the next six months, Leeman would go back and walk through that neighborhood late at night and pray, hoping to figure out what should be done next.

“God, I don’t know anybody in this neighborhood.  I don’t speak Spanish. I’m here and I’m praying and you need to figure out the rest,” Leeman said

And God did provide. Leeman made contact with the pastor of a little storefront church in the neighborhood, and with the help of his congregation at LifeSpring Community Church they have seen Iglesia Bethania flourish. Leeman and his congregation have volunteered at Iglesia Bethania by teaching English classes, mentoring children, and starting a huge food pantry ,which has given away more than 2.5 million pounds of food in the last few years. As the relationship between the people of LifeSpring and the parishioners of Iglesia Bethania, many of whom are illegal immigrants grows, Pastor Leeman said, “We always get more back than we give.”

The ideas of giving to others and building relationships are at the heart of the message of LifeSpring Community Church, a non-denominational church in Plainfield started by Pastor Leeman and his wife Linda about 15 years ago. The church focuses on the teachings of Jesus Christ and how He wants his followers to become good human beings. Becoming a pastor or starting a church community wasn’t a dream of Leeman’s, but a series of experiences throughout his life, such as the one he had when he was lost in Joliet that helped him discover his calling.

Growing up, Leeman’s family moved around a lot, because his father was a college professor and administrator. In the ‘70s, the Leemans settled in this area when his dad took the position as Dean of Benedictine University in Lisle. Leeman was raised Catholic, but as he later added, he “grew up a bad Catholic boy.”

Throughout his early teenage years, Leeman was habitually getting arrested, was involved in drugs, stealing, breaking and entering and vandalism, and his parents almost lost him permanently to the juvenile detention system.

Leeman never felt a real connection to his family’s religion or thought he needed God in his life. “Nothing about my family’s religion had been attractive to me so that didn’t really seem like an alternative way to frame life or think about life,” he said.

When he was 15, God would enter his life, however, when he met a group of girls in high school who, as he described “had this whole Christian thing going on in their life, and it was deeply meaningful and it shaped how they looked at every thing. And I was kind of intrigued by it.”

Because of these girls he joined a Christian group for high school students where he heard people talk about Jesus’ connection to life that he hadn’t heard before in Church.  Leeman learned that Jesus understands our lives. “I never heard that. Jesus understands what it’s like to be lonely, and betrayed, and confused. Because I feel lonely, and betrayed, and confused…and it started a whole new journey for me.” Leeman flushed his drugs down the toilet after that. He stopped getting arrested, and he took Jesus as his Savior.

By the time he was 20 years old Leeman married his wife Linda whom he met in high school but hadn’t started dating until the year after their graduation.

He and Linda were “hungry for a community” that would fulfill them, and in searching for that group they joined many different churches. Starting a church or becoming a pastor still was not on Leeman’s mind, but all the time that he and his wife spent in those different kinds of churches was a wonderful learning experience.

When it came time to start their church, Leeman and his wife took their experiences from the previous churches they had joined and were able to “sift what’s good about this expression of Church [and] what’s not so good about it,” and coupled with their own life experiences created a church that answered the question, “what would a good community of Jesus look like?”

When Leeman felt like God was speaking to him about becoming a pastor, he “had two little kids and, we had $100,000 in uninsured medical bills. [I] was working three jobs to keep the apartment rented and food on the table.” It wasn’t exactly the greatest time to be going to school, but his education came along slowly and when he could afford it. He attended Christian Life College in Mount Prospect, IL and a non-denominational seminary called International Seminary in Florida. Soon he became a pastor and for Leeman all his previous career endeavors helped train him as a pastor.

He calls himself a “small business guy” and has worked many diverse jobs. He owned bakeries, drove a taxi, mopped floors, hauled newspapers and filled newspaper machines in corporate offices, and had hair a cutting businesses. “I’ve done all these different kinds of things for a living and they may seem like odd precursors to pastoral ministry and third world development but they were all about relationships.”

Understanding that God is big and mysterious has led Leeman to start an organization to help the people of Haiti even before the Janurary earthquake. Pasor Leeman had visited the poor island country and was struck by the immense poverty. Feeling compelled to help the people of Haiti, he brought back members of LifeSpring once a year to volunteer.

After about five years, Leeman created New Life for Haiti as a way to start a “Christian development mission and focus on one piece in Haiti.” Now, his organization helps the people of the Grand Anse river valley in Haiti, where they have opened schools to educate the people and to take care of their basic needs.

Leeman was also a part of the first Lewis University Hope For Haiti Tuesdays, the University’s initiative to raise funds for and educate people about Haiti.

If you would like to visit Life Spring Community Church visit their Web site at www.yourlifespring.org. If you would like to learn more about Leeman’s mission to Haiti, visit www.newlifeforhaiti.org.

The sexual abuse crisis that rocked the American Catholic Church earlier in the decade has resurfaced with renewed intensity in European countries.

A few months ago, a media frenzy erupted over cases of sexual abuse, (most decades old,) in the Irish Church. I remember waking up each day to find out that another case came to light with another Bishop under pressure to resign for mishandling it. In the midst of the failure of the Irish Catholic hierarchy, Pope Benedict XVI issued a rather blunt pastoral letter to the hierarchy that called for repentance and reparation for their moral failures.

Even more recently, the German Catholic Church came under the same scrutiny for allegedly covering up cases of sexual abuse that date back even a few decades. As the abuse crisis seemed to swell, the media appeared to become even hungrier for a trail of blood leading back to the implication of the Pope. Is it a surprise that they (allegedly) “found” it?

Suddenly, the Pope appeared to be the symbolic center of global sexual abuse, responsible for silently failing to address it during his time as a Cardinal in the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.

The New York Times latched onto a case where a priest in Milwaukee allegedly abused some 200 deaf children entrusted to his care. For their sources, the Times largely relied on discredited Archbishop Rembert Weakland and Jeff Anderson, a lawyer who has profited immensely from sexual abuse settlements. In any serious journalism, these sources would be simply unqualified.

Furthermore, the media failed to note that these cases need only be handled by the local diocese, pointing rather to Weakland’s abysmal failure. The priest-judge of the case in Milwaukee also noted that when the Pope was a Cardinal, his department was not responsible to oversee cases of sexual abuse. This case, blown up by the Times, only represents a factually deficient attempt by the media to discredit the moral authority of the papacy.

In addition, the Pope was also accused of mishandling a case of sexual abuse when he was the Archbishop of Munich. Media outlets speculated that the Pope knew about a priest who was reassigned to pastoral ministry after therapy in his diocese in the 1980s.

However, the Vicar General admitted to making this decision, with the Pope simply allowing those under him to do the jobs they were assigned to do. Here as well, the accusation relies only on speculation. The media seems to have forgotten how the Pope (then Cardinal Ratzinger) has worked harder than perhaps any other Vatican official to root out sexual abuse. The Pope has revised canon law to make it easier to dismiss offenders from the clerical state and personally took action to reprimand high-profile clerics accused of sexual abuse.

The outrageous, tantalizing headlines of “Pope Knew Priest was Pedophile but Allowed Him to Continue in Ministry” mislead the American public who remain unfortunately tied to sound bites of information and tabloid scandal instead of balanced reporting of the truth. One might even be tempted to think that sexual abuse is strictly a “Catholic” problem.

Instead, sexual abuse is a societal problem that equally affects the public school system and other denominations. Up to 60 percent of all sexual abuse in the United States comes directly from family members, pointing more to the sexual revolution and breakdown of the family than any vow of clerical celibacy. While I do not seek to sugarcoat any cases of sexual abuse, the injustice of media focus on the Catholic Church suggests a more malicious motive.

Is it any coincidence that all of this comes to surface as the Church approaches its Holy Week? Perhaps. Is it a coincidence that all of this comes to surface as the Church attempts to remain a moral voice in the health care debate? Maybe. Either way, I firmly believe that our society seems to want to quickly discredit the Catholic Church because of the heightened level of morality to which it calls its followers.

Doesn’t it give the lapsed Catholic an excuse not to attend Easter Sunday at a Church that “harbors abusive priests?” If all these cases had even an inkling of truth, the Church is composed of sinful men and not angels. However, the existence of bad Catholics does not mean that Catholicism itself is bad.

Rather than focusing on the scandal of the sinner, we should look to the crowning glory of the saints who lived the Catholic faith to its fullest. Any Catholic response to allegations of sexual abuse should be a prayer for the purification of the Church, a deeper act of hope and a belief that the truth will set us free; anything less suggests a lack of faith to begin with.

Have you ever been stricken with the familiar phenomenon that has you holding a grudge or seeking revenge against a person you feel has wronged you? If you answered “yes” to this question, you’re probably a person who has struggled with the concept of loving your enemy.

Whether Christian or non-Christian, loving your enemy can be tough when an enemy has hurt you with harsh words, gossip, jealousy, envy or worse yet, abuse of a physical or sexual nature.

This hurt inflicted by another person can take you through a myriad of emotions that may leave you with very harsh feelings toward the individual who has caused you harm.

Brenda D. Taylor, chiropractic student and author of “Beauty for Ashes,” knows these emotions all too well. She grew up with a father who abused her emotionally, physically and sexually as a child.

“Unforgiveness is like being led down a crooked road. Sometimes it’s hard to get back on the road that’s straight,” she said.

“I remember being in church one day when the pastor preached his sermon on honoring thy mother and father. That sermon literally hit close to home for me,” said Taylor

According to Taylor, it was a time she knew she was on that crooked road of resentment.  She could not in any way feel honor for a person who at the time she perceived as her enemy.

Loving our enemy boils down to freely extending forgiveness and grace. Forgiveness is that thing we do when we pardon someone for an offense against us. Grace is undeserved favor. It’s what God extends to us over and over again, even though we don’t deserve it.

Romans, chapter 12 gives us lots of solid advice about how to get along in relationships. In it, the Apostle Paul leads us down the straight road to loving our enemy:

1. Repay no one evil for evil
2. If it is at all possible… live peacefully with all men.
3. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
4. If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
5. If your enemy is thirsty, give him drink.

Taylor says she feels like she was able to maneuver a detour down that straight road of forgiveness by strengthening her Christian walk.

“There will be times when we need to be forgiven. We need to be able to extend that same forgiveness to those who have hurt us. It’s not always easy, but it’s necessary,” said Taylor.

“Being able to forgive my father is not wrapped up in the things he did to me. My forgiveness is wrapped up in what God has done, is doing and will continue to do in and with my life,” she added.

To love your enemy comes down to not treating people the way they treat you but treating them the way you want to be treated. It’s the Golden Rule, and it can apply to your life no matter what you believe in.

Do you ever wonder how some musical groups come up with their name? I wonder about this all the time, especially with odd names like “Eagle-Eye Cherry,” “Counting Crows,” and “Hole.” What do these names signify, and is there a deeper meaning to them?

When I first heard of Rush of Fools, I didn’t know who they were. They were the opening band for one of my favorite Christian bands, Newsboys. I felt as if I was stereotyping them because of their name-Rush of Fools. Who would want to classify themselves as a fool?

After doing some research on the band, I discovered the meaning behind their name. It was taken from the Biblical passage in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31: “the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.” I would interpret this as saying no matter how smart we are and how perfect we think we are, we can never measure up to the All Knowing God.

Their first hit, “Undo,” was released on their premiere self-titled album, “Rush of Fools.” It is a song that every person can relate to, because we all make mistakes and the majority of us wish that we could undo them. This song is showing that we can undo our mistakes by repenting to God and asking Him for forgiveness. We all want to go back to “the place of forgiveness and grace” and “God is the only one who can undo what [we’ve] become.”

After attending the concert in 2008, I purchased their first CD and I can honestly say that it changed my life. In February 2008 I was in a terrible car accident. At the time it occurred, I was listening to Rush of Fools. I can remember the last track I was listening to, “Be Still.”

The last words I heard before someone’s car collided with mine were, “be still and know that I am God.” Such words, taken from Psalm 46:10 have great meaning and gave me a sense of calmness and peace; two things all of us could use more of in our lives.

Rush of Fools’ newest album, “Wonder of the World,” was released in 2009 and is just as fantastic as their first album. Again, the lyrics are relatable to all of us. The primary focus of this album is that God is the only wonder of the world.

Both albums can be classified as Christian rock, meaning that they have more upbeat tempos and catchy rhythms. I highly recommend this band. They helped me get through some rough times and helped me understand that we can always undo what we have done.

of God is stronger than human strength.” I would interpret this as saying no matter how smart we are and how perfect we think we are, we can never measure up to the All Knowing God.

Their first hit, “Undo,” was released on their premiere self-titled album, “Rush of Fools.” It is a song that every person can relate to, because we all make mistakes and the majority of us wish that we could undo them. This song is showing that we can undo our mistakes by repenting to God and asking Him for forgiveness. We all want to go back to “the place of forgiveness and grace” and “God is the only one who can undo what [we’ve] become.”

After attending the concert in 2008, I purchased their first CD and I can honestly say that it changed my life. In February 2008 I was in a terrible car accident. At the time it occurred, I was listening to Rush of Fools. I can remember the last track I was listening to, “Be Still.”

The last words I heard before someone’s car collided with mine were, “be still and know that I am God.” Such words, taken from Psalm 46:10 have great meaning and gave me a sense of calmness and peace; two things all of us could use more of in our lives.

Rush of Fools’ newest album, “Wonder of the World,” was released in 2009 and is just as fantastic as their first album. Again, the lyrics are relatable to all of us. The primary focus of this album is that God is the only wonder of the world.

Both albums can be classified as Christian rock, meaning that they have more upbeat tempos and catchy rhythms. I highly recommend this band. They helped me get through some rough times and helped me understand that we can always undo what we have done.

Fifty years ago seven De La Salle Christian Brothers came to the Lewis College of Science and Technology and gave the university the Lasallian roots it holds today.

One of the original seven, Br. Raymond McManaman of the Theology Department, still remains and teaches at Lewis, now a university of nearly 6,000.

At the recent “Together in Mission” event, 19 Chrisitian Brothers were honored for their prescence on campus for 50 years.

“They didn’t come to write about mission; they came to do it,” said Provost Dr. Stephany Schlachter. “They’re always here. […] Always present. Always steadfast.”

Nineteen Christian Brothers were honored at a Lasallian Feast Day Celebration on April 7 to commemorate 50 years of St. John Baptist De La Salle inspired teaching with the presentation of a commemorative medallion. Some were familiar faces around campus. Others were not. Some wore the traditional Lasallian robe, while others did not. In unison, the 19, part of the more than 100 to serve Lewis since 1960, renewed their vows of educational service of the poor, chastity, poverty, obedience and stability at the event.

Like any truly Lasallian event, the celebration titled “Together in Mission,” began with recalling that all were in the “holy presence of God.”

“These walls and this place speak of them (the Christian Brothers) in so many ways,” said Fr. Raymond J. Webb, the vice president and academic dean of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake, who offered the main reflection during the celebration.

The Christian Brothers of Lewis are part of a network of 5,000 who serve in over 80 countries, with the assistance of more than 70,000 colleagues. “It is the essence of their calling to ‘touch the hearts’ of the students entrusted to their care and to ‘inspire them with the Christian spirit,’” said the event’s program.

Schlachter summed up the Brothers’ contribution to Lewis. “Without your vision and hard work, we wouldn’t be sitting here today,” Schlachter said. “They (the Brothers) are the heart of this university.”