Category: Campus Ministry

International Day of Peace | PHOTO GALLERY

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The International Day of Peace (“Peace Day”) is observed around the world each year on 21 September. Established in 1981 by unanimous United Nations resolution, Peace Day provides a globally shared date for all humanity to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.

Hilbert held events on campus to observe Peace Day, including a Global Feast for Peace, which featured international foods and creating individual peace flags; a minute of silence/moment of peace, which connects Hilbert with people around the world in observing a moment of silence in the noon hour in every time zone; and a presentation – Home Begins Again – which featured stories of conflict, displacement and, ultimately, hop that led people from around the wold to Western New York.

Photo credits: Mary Kate Wirfel, Hilbert Marketing Dept.

Jeff Papia Reflects on Franciscan Pilgrimage

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By Nicholas Clay, Hilbert Senior, Sports Industry Management Major

 

Jeff Papia, Director of Mission Integration and Campus Ministry at Hilbert College, experienced the lives of St. Francis and St. Clare during an 11-day Franciscan Pilgrimage to visit many of the places that Francis lived.  Jeff traveled with other affiliates of the Association of Franciscan Colleges and Universities (AFCU), through the Franciscan Pilgrimage Program for Educators, Alumni, and Staff of Franciscan Colleges and Universities.

“Joining other members of the AFCU to walk in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare was an experience that will remain with me forever. Standing in those sacred places made us feel as if we had a personal relationship with Francis and Clare. I learned more about the Franciscan movement in 10 days than a book or lecture could ever provide.”

The trip began with a three-day stay in Rome, where the group visited two major sites, St. Peter’s Basilica and St. John Lateran. The pilgrims attended a mass at the Altar of John XXIII, which was followed by a tour of the Basilica. The following day they listened to the Pope during his weekly Papal Audience, in which the AFCU group was announced over the loud speaker as each visiting organization is broadcasted.  Jeff snapped this photo with his phone, as he was just five feet away from Pope Francis.

Following their stay in Rome, the group moved on to Greccio, where in 1223, Francis celebrated Christmas and began the practice of displaying the Christmas nativity scene.

Following the brief stop in Greccio, they spent the remaining eight days in Assisi – the city where St. Francis and St. Clare were born.  Jeff and the group toured the tombs of these two Saints and several places around the city where Francis had worked and lived.  They visited San Damiano, where Francis prayed and heard the voice of Christ say, “Francis, go, rebuild my house.”  He restored this church by begging for stones in Assisi.  They also visited the Porziuncula, which became the center of the Franciscan movement, where Francis obtained the Pardon of Assisi and now, we celebrate the Feast of the Pardon each year.  This is also where Francis died on October 3, 1226.

“At the tomb of St. Francis, during the Prayer of the Faithful, one member of each institution named their college or university aloud,” Jeff said.  “It was a privilege to pray for Hilbert College at the tomb of St. Francis.”

As Jeff reflects on his journey through the eyes of St. Francis and St. Clare, he holds the memories, which will last a lifetime, close to his heart.

“My most memorable experiences were the celebrations of Mass inside St. Peter’s Basilica at the tomb of John XXIII, inside the Porziuncula, and at both the tomb of St. Francis and the tomb of St. Clare,” Jeff said. “Thousands upon thousands of people visit these spots every year, but we had the opportunity to be still and pray with our community of fellow pilgrims.”

He continued, “On a personal note, my wife and I have had a devotion to St. Francis and St. Clare for our entire lives. To share this experience together, particularly at San Damiano, is a grace and a blessing we could have never earned or deserved.”

“Finally, I went on this pilgrimage expecting to discover more about St. Francis and I certainly did. However, in a surprising way, I ended up discovering St. Clare and hope to bring her life and her spirit back to Hilbert with me.”

Tomb of St. Francis
Porziuncula
Jeff with his wife, Maria
San Damiano
St. Peter’s Basilica

News & Notes – Dec. 6

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— Hilbert’s Director of Multicultural Affairs & Social Justice Initiatives, Ahyana King, was a presenter at the National Conference on Student Leadership in Orlando.  Her presentation was titled: Launching Leading Ladies. Below is a description of her presentation.

While more women attend college than ever before, and women make up more than 51 percent of the U.S. population, women are still struggling to launch into roles of leadership on campus and in their post-collegiate professional lives. This workshop reveals ways to create campus environments that lay the foundation for launching females into leadership roles. Topics include mentoring and sponsoring, involving and supporting alumni, women-centered work and conversations from women’s history month, as well as supporting students as they overcome the discrimination that often comes with being a woman who desires to lead.

—  Professor of Political Science Dr. Andrew Kolin’s new book “Political Economy of Labor Repression”  has been nominated for two book awards.  The Philip Taft Labor History Book Award, which is offered by the International Labor Research School at Cornell University, in cooperation with the Labor and Working Class History Association.  The second nomination is for the Lemkin Book Award sponsored by Notre Dame University.

— Hilbert professor, Dr. Megan Witzleben, recently moderated a panel on Social Architecture: Forming Victorian Life at the Social Victorians 2016 North American Victorian Studies Association (NAVSA) Conference in Phoenix.

— Hilbert English Professor Herb Kauderer recently had three book reviews published in Speculative Poetry Book Reviews on the SFPA website, and excerpted in Star*Line magazine.  His review of Sacrificial Nights by Bruce Boston & Alessandro Manzettti, and his review of What Strange Miracles by James Brush appear at http://sfpoetry.com/sl/slreviews.html , while his review of the Nostrovia! Winning Moon Facts by Bob Schofield appears at http://sfpoetry.com/sl/reviews/15reviews.html.

Professor Kauderer had two poems appear in the British magazine BSFA Focus #66 for Summer 2016 and actually published October 27.  Apparently Britain has a more interesting calendar than the US.  The poems are “All the Way Down” and “after the cancer”.  The first poem is a reprint from professor Kauderer’s first collection of poetry Olives: A Jar Full of Small Pokes published in print in October 1995, and as an ebook in October 2015.

—  Below is the link for the December edition of Mission Monthly, featuring “No-Gift Christmas,” “Rediscovering Christmas,” “Chaplain’s Corner,” and “Franciscan Funnies.” Thank you to Rachel Wozniak and Fr. Jud Weiksnar for your contributions!

December Mission Monthly