Mission & Ministry

Hospitality: College-wide Theme for 2005-2006

During Ministry House Teas held over the course of the 2004-2005 academic year, a consistent theme emerged: a desire to learn the skills necessary to create a culture and a community in which genuine listening enables respectful dialogue about even potentially divisive or stressful issues. Participants from among faculty and staff shared hopes that by developing such skills and a listening and respectful climate, our college community could deepen our commitment to Peacemaking. As a result of these discussions, Hospitality has been identified as a theme for the 2005-2006 academic year. Our Welcome Back Celebration on August 24, 2005, will help us to reflect upon this theme and consider ways that each of us can create a hospitable and welcoming environment in which genuine listening can take place. For an excellent introduction to the theme, you may wish to read Hospitality in the Franciscan Tradition: A Distinctive Ethical Vision and Practice by Richard Kyte in The AFCU Journal: A Franciscan Perspective on Higher Education, January 2004, pp. 10-22. If you don't have a copy of the journal, contact Sr. Pat at hutchisp@neumann.edu.

International Day of Peace

Neumann's celebration of this event was so well received last year that the Neumann Institute Committee has decided to repeat the celebration during the week surrounding September 21, 2005. In keeping with the theme of Hospitality, the focus will be on welcoming and reverencing the cultural, religious and ethnic traditions represented at Neumann College. The Neumann Institute committee invites you to e-mail Sr. Pat at hutchisp@neumann.edu and identify any tradition you would like represented. For information about the International Day of Peace visit http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org.

St. Francis: Troubadour of God's Peace

On Thursday, October 27, 2005, there will be a professional one-man production on the life of St. Francis in our own Meagher Theater. This event, which will be presented in the afternoon and evening, is free for the college community in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the college and the 150th anniversary of the Sisters of St. Francis. Faculty who integrate the life, vision, and values of Saint Francis in any way into courses may wish to make students aware of this production.

Resources available through the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies

The Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies (NIFS) was founded on August 26, 1998. The NIFS directly responds to the first of Neumann's strategic goals: Advance Neumann College as a recognized Catholic Franciscan higher education institution focused on its mission and values. In order to fulfill its mission and purpose, the Directors (past and present) of the Institute have sponsored lectures by national and local scholars; coordinated presentations, workshops, and seminars around mission-related themes; published occasional newsletters; collaborated with college committees, task forces, and work groups (e.g. Faculty Development, Core Curriculum Assessment, Work Groups for Theology, Philosophy, Diversity, and English); contributed to the orientation of faculty and staff; spoken in classes; helped faculty to integrate the Catholic and Franciscan tradition into courses; and located and purchased resources for use by faculty, staff, and students. During the course of the past year, conversations with various Middle States committees and program self-study groups have revealed that faculty and staff are looking for additional ways to deepen their understanding of the Catholic and Franciscan tradition and to integrate it appropriately and effectively into the curriculum and within the various units.

To respond to requests for easy access to resources, an on-line center will be developed this summer and made available through the webpage of the Neumann Institute for Franciscan Studies. There will be an e-mail notification when this on-line resource is available. In addition, the NIFS newsletter will be presented on-line four times each year - August, November, January, and April. The AFCU Journal, published annually each January, will be available in the library and to faculty and staff by request. (January 2005 journals are still available for anyone wishing a personal copy!) The NIFS Director is also available for presentations to college units, academic divisions, and classes. This is an excellent way for all employees, faculty, staff and students to become more aware of who we are as a Catholic college in the Franciscan tradition. Presentations can be arranged during the day, evening or weekends. Length can be streamlined to fit every schedule. Call 5407 or e-mail Sr. Pat at hutchisp@neumann.edu for details.

Summer Reading

Although the summer months do not necessarily produce "down time," there may be a few moments to "catch up" on reading. For a concise introduction to the Catholic intellectual tradition, you may enjoy Monica Hellwig's presentation available as a slide show or essay at http://cmer.sacredheart.edu/cit.htm. To learn more about the Franciscan intellectual tradition, read the essay by Brother Bill Short and Sr. Ilia Delio available on the website of the Commission for the Retrieval of the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition at http://cfit-esc-ofm.org. Also check out the other resources on this site.

You may also wish to take time to review the following excellent resources
Franciscans International
Franciscans Youth International
Education for Justice
(Call NIFS or library for password.)

Peace and All Good!