Saint Benedict Seminar: Courtship, Marriage, and Sex

In today's society, there is very little instruction about how to navigate the world of love and romance. Saint Benedict Institute co-founders Jack Mulder and Jared Ortiz invite current Hope College students to join them February 18 and 25, 2022, for a two-week Saint Benedict Seminar: “Courtship, Marriage, and Sex.” Jared Ortiz (Religion) and his wife Rhonda Ortiz (author) will lead the first seminar on courtship.  Jack Mulder (Philosophy) and his wife Melissa Mulder (Spanish) will lead the second seminar on marriage and sex.

This seminar is open to current Hope College students only. Registration is required. Please use the links below to sign up for each lecture.

Week 1 (February 18): “What Is Courtship?” with Jared and Rhonda Ortiz

Week 2 (February 25): “Sex and Theology of the Body” with Jack and Melissa Mulder

Immersion Trip: Saint Meinrad Archabbey

March 18-27, 2022

The life of the monks at Saint Meinrad Archabbey revolves around prayer and work for the love of God and neighbor. Located in the hills of rural southern Indiana, the monastery offers visitors a chance to experience a rhythm of life very different from our own. This immersion trip, sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute, allows Hope students to enter into the rhythms of monastic life for a week, beginning with vigil prayers at 5:30 AM in the abbey church. The prayer is beautiful, the setting is tranquil, and the people are joyful. Please pray for the students who will attend this trip!

In Persona Christi Servi

On Saturday, January 8, 2022, seven men were ordained to the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Among them was our very own Brian Piecuch! We asked Brian to share a little bit about becoming a deacon. See what the Diocese of Grand Rapids has shared here.

Brian Piecuch (middle row, far right) with the six other men ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, January 8, 2022.

What made you decide to pursue ordination to the permanent diaconate?

There was a time in my life before becoming Catholic when I sensed a calling from God and was discerning whether to be ordained a Protestant minister. That desire went dormant after getting married, working overseas, and converting to the Catholic faith. However, after having the opportunity to talk to a married Catholic friend who had recently been accepted into a diaconal formation program, the Holy Spirit kindled anew the desire to serve as an ordained minister.  At the time, we were living in a diocese that didn’t offer formation into the permanent diaconate, so it wasn’t until about five years after moving to Holland, when Bishop Walkowiak restored the diocesan formation program, that I was able to apply to join the program.

Brian and Bishop David Walkowiak during the Rite of Ordination

Describe how you were feeling at the ordination Mass. Did any part of the Rite of Ordination stand out to you? How was God present to you during this time? 

I was filled with joy throughout the whole Mass. There were a number of things that stood out to me: kneeling before the bishop, placing my hands between his, and promising my obedience to him; lying prostrate on the floor while the litany of the saints was sung; receiving the Book of the Gospels from the bishop with the words, “Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach”; and making numerous promises, including the promise to “conform your way of life always to the example of Christ, of whose Body and Blood you are a minister at the altar.” Even the final blessing at the end of the Mass was awesome! “May God, who has called you to the service of others in his Church, give you great zeal for all, especially the afflicted and the poor. May he who has entrusted you with preaching the Gospel of Christ, help you, as you live according to his word, to be its sincere and fervent witnesses. May he, who has appointed you stewards of his mysteries, make you imitators of his Son, Jesus Christ, and ministers of unity and peace in the world.”

In regards to God’s presence, the joy I felt was certainly a special grace of the Holy Spirit. During the litany of the saints, I found myself focusing on the promise to conform my life to the example of Christ. I petitioned God for even greater clarity of knowledge of his will for my life and the grace to focus my words and actions completely on fulfilling that purpose.

Tell us a bit about the ministry of a deacon. What will you be doing to serve the Church? 

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles once wrote that “a Deacon is called to minister in persona Christi Servi – in the person of Christ the Servant. Ordination configures him to Jesus in his most humble form – as the Son of God who emptied himself to come among us in the form of a servant; as the Son of Man who came not to be served, but to serve.”

Brian Piecuch with his wife and children

Deacons are members of the clergy along with priests and bishops. A deacon’s ministry has three dimensions: liturgy, word, and service. At the liturgy, he assists the bishop and priests. At the Mass, the deacon proclaims the Gospel, may be invited to preach the homily, and assists at the altar. The deacon may also baptize, witness and bless marriages, preside at the Liturgy of the Hours, and preside at funeral liturgies, among many other duties. Living in the world, deacons are sent by the Church to be the presence of Christ to those in need.

Personally, I will continue my involvement in praying/live streaming Lauds every morning and helping with marriage preparation at the parish. I also will begin serving at different Masses each week and preaching roughly once a month. Other ministries will arise as the needs manifest themselves and time allows.

How are you most looking forward to serving as a deacon? 

I like to preach, although homilies take a lot of preparation time and prayer (at least for me!), so I’m thankful I will have at least a month to prepare every time before preaching. Baptisms are beautiful, joyful times and will be fun. However, I think it will be at funerals where I will feel most useful, because of the opportunity to bring Christ’s love into the lives of people who are in deep pain and who are often far from him.

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Brian and his wife Carmen have lived in Holland for twelve years. They have five children: Armand, Sofia, Cristina, Lucia, and Austin. Brian has worked as the Development Director and Program Coordinator for the Saint Benedict Institute for the last seven years. Many people are surprised to learn that Brian has a twin brother and several parishioners had a chance to meet him for the first time at the ordination!

Extraterrestrial Life and Catholic Theology

Thursday, February 3, 7:00 P.M.

Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, 263 College Avenue, Holland, MI 49423

New methods in astronomy and new models in evolutionary biology have opened up new expectations that we humans may not be alone in the cosmos. How are Christian theologians to consider this in light of what God has revealed in the Incarnation of his Son in Christ? In this lecture, Prof. Chris Baglow, the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, will draw upon the thought of classical and modern theologians to propose some possibilities for what Christians might expect to discover if the universe is inhabited by other species who, like Homo sapiens, are created in the divine image.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College departments of Religion, Philosophy, and Physics.

Jared Ortiz on Advent

Recently, Dr. Jared Ortiz, the Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Saint Benedict Institute, spoke at a Hope College chapel service. He exhorted the students to allow God to transform them during this season. His talk begins seventeen minutes into the video.

Promoting Integral Human Development

Challenges and Opportunities for the Church and Catholic Organizations

December 15, 10:00—11:15 a.m.

This event is free and open to the public. It will be held online over Zoom.

This event is presented by the Lumen Christi Institute and the Catholic Research Economists Discussion Organization, and is cosponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute, Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education, the International Office of Catholic Education, the International Federation of Catholic Universities, the World Organization of Former Students of Catholic Education, the World Union of Catholic Teachers, the International Catholic Child Bureau, the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, America Media, the Harvard Catholic Forum, the Nova Forum, and the Saint Anselm Institute.

The concept of integral human development (IHD) is fundamental for the Catholic Church, and the role played by the Church in promoting IHD is essential to its mission. The term IHD emerged from Populorum Progressio, the encyclical on the development of people in which Pope Paul VI stated that “the development of peoples must be well rounded; it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man.” This webinar will feature a conversation on challenges and opportunities for the Church and Catholic organizations to promote IHD. This event will feature a presentation of the Global Report 2021 on Integral Human Development prepared by Quentin Wodon and soon to be available on the Global Catholic Education website, followed by a discussion with a panel of experts – Katherine Marshall, Patrizio Piraino, and Diana Filatova – and a question and answer session with participants.

#GivingTuesday 2021

November 30 is #GivingTuesday! Please consider making a gift to support our ministry at Hope College. Throughout the months of October and November we have shared several stories from our current students. They are beautiful accounts of community, prayer, worship, and intellectual and spiritual growth. When you give to the Saint Benedict Institute, your generosity will foster many new stories in the lives of students at Hope College in the years to come. 

Check out our featured students below!

Welcome Back!

“The seats were full of students excited to see one another as the new school year began. We gathered together and worshipped and became one through the Body of Christ, all together on our campus, in our space. Welcome back, Hope College! The Lord has great plans in store for us.”

Read Grace Brown's Story

Praying in Song

“I enjoy playing for the on-campus Mass as a way to give back to the community that has given me so many of the parts of life that matter, like real friendships, a deeper relationship with the Lord, and my faith as a whole.”

Read Kelli Trudeau’s Story

Letting Go

“We must let go of the things on this earth and keep our focus on the things above. This fueled my purpose, and this is what Exodus 365 taught me. I am forever changed.”

Read Dan Campbell's Story

Thomistic Circles Conference

Karlie: "Like a lot of students, I came into college thinking the only purpose of being here was to take the classes necessary to get a good job. But God has been gently redirecting me to see this as a unique time to think and learn about what is true, good, beautiful, and leads me to him, regardless of if it will help me get a particular job."

Kamaron: "I met amazing students who all sought to live faithfully and to grow in knowledge of heavenly things, and we had the opportunity to worship and pray with the Dominicans. During the retreat, the Holy Spirit fixed my eyes upon heavenly wisdom and the mysteries that God has given his Church to meditate on. I grew in my desire to know God more and to continually submit myself to him."

Read Karlie's and Kam's Stories

Student Stories: Thomistic Circles Conference

Last month, I traveled to Washington, D.C., with a fellow Hope student, Kamaron Wilcox, to attend a Thomistic Circles Conference and retreat at the Dominican house of studies. This event was hosted by the Thomistic Institute (TI), which is part of the Pontifical Faculty of the Dominican House of Studies and “exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square.” Students, professors, and religious were invited to the conference to attend seminars and discuss the topic “virtue and divine grace.” The speakers, Professor Jacob Wood, Fr. Michael Sherwin, O.P., and Professor Angela Knobel, shared their interpretations of Aquinas’s work on infused and acquired virtue, a topic I was surprised to learn is quite nuanced and even divisive. Students attending the conference stayed at the Washington Retreat House run by the Franciscan Sisters of the Atonement. Aside from attending seminars, we joined the Dominican brothers for daily Mass, the Liturgy of the Hours, and a holy hour.

The TI retreat had a profound impact on me for several reasons. First, as a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, my studies thus far have been primarily focused on the natural sciences. I knew the Catholic Church had a beautiful intellectual tradition, but aside from some occasional reading and SBI events, I hadn’t had much exposure to it. The conference was a great opportunity to step out of my STEM bubble for a weekend, and I was absolutely captivated by the combination of faith and intellect. In fact, my experience at the retreat contributed to my decision to declare a second major in Christian History and Theology. Like a lot of students, I came into college thinking the only purpose of being here was to take the classes necessary to get a good job. But God has been gently redirecting me to see this as a unique time to think and learn about what is true, good, beautiful, and leads me to him, regardless of if it will help me get a particular job.

The second reason why the TI retreat meant so much to me was because it really deepened my relationship with God. Attending the Liturgy of the Hours, Mass, and a holy hour with the Dominicans was fantastic. It was a privilege to be able to devote so much time to prayer, especially surrounded by the admirable faith of the brothers and fellow students. I also grew a lot in trust of the Lord. Prior to the conference, I had never traveled alone, and I was understandably nervous. Yet, I felt called to go, so I put my trust in God and I went. The wonderful experience I had at the conference showed me that if the Lord is calling me to something, I can trust him to be with me in it. 

Karlie Platz is a sophomore from Sand Lake, MI. She is double majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Religion.

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I felt uncertain about going all the way to the Thomistic Institute (TI) in Washington, D.C., for a few reasons: I didn’t want to miss school, which takes a lot of time—a scarce resource. I’ve never been to D.C. before, so I didn’t really know what I was doing to get around. Above all, I have never made a trip like this, so the thought of going to a conference in a place I had never been before with a bunch of people I had never met was daunting. It seemed exciting, too. I would not have gone alone, but because another student, Karlie, wanted to go, I felt encouraged to make the trip. It was the right choice.

When we got to D.C., we were scrambling to try to find a place to go to Mass. The best we could do was to get to Mass about fifteen minutes late if we hustled and made no mistakes in catching all the right metros. God knew better than us, of course. When we just missed the metro we needed to take to get to the Catholic University of America (CUA), we looked at the website of St. Patrick’s Parish—a five minute walk from our location—and they had Mass in ten minutes! In God’s providence, our mistake ended up allowing us to make Mass with a few minutes to spare. So far, it was a great start to the weekend.

At the retreat, we were welcomed generously by the sisters and TI staff. Everyone was so kind, and many other students attending the conference were intrigued to learn that two STEM majors from a mostly unknown small college in Michigan that doesn’t have a TI chapter were attending a conference about philosophy and theology.

The talks by the guest speakers baffled me because the level of philosophy was far beyond my knowledge. However, this encouraged me and awakened a deep desire to dive into Thomistic philosophy and theology rather than discouraging me from seeking to grow in philosophical endeavors. I learned about disagreements among Thomists regarding the compatibility of the acquired and infused virtues. Another area of disagreement is whether the existence of acquired virtues within a person can in any way aid the development and growth in infused virtue. These topics fascinated me as I tried to wrap my head around what these speakers were sharing. I loved every second of it.

Karlie and I also had the opportunity to participate in the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass with the Dominicans at their house of studies. This gave the conference grounding in spirituality. I took what I had been learning and allowed it to transform the way I worshiped. Furthermore, God brought me closer to him through praying the Liturgy of the Hours in that large community of people. I often felt drawn to spend time before the Blessed Sacrament, pouring my heart out before the Lord. Jesus pulled me in toward him, and I found great peace in his presence. Having a Blessed Sacrament chapel in the same building I was staying at made a huge impact! At night I would often go down to the chapel by myself just to be with Jesus, and I felt truly at rest in his presence.

Overall, the conference and retreat were wonderful. I met amazing students who all sought to live faithfully and to grow in knowledge of heavenly things, and we had the opportunity to worship and pray with the Dominicans. During the retreat, the Holy Spirit fixed my eyes upon heavenly wisdom and the mysteries that God has given his Church to meditate on. I grew in my desire to know God more and to continually submit myself to him.

Kamaron Wilcox is a senior majoring in Physics and minoring in Mathematics. Kam enjoys altar serving at Mass and is a member of the diving team.

Student Stories: Letting Go

Exodus 365 is something I would have never imagined doing in college, but here I am. At first, I saw it as a challenge. If I complete each discipline every week, I will be all set. In my eyes, this would be the ultimate level of discipline for self-improvement.

However, as I grew in my faith and talked with others who were sacrificing the same things, I learned that it wasn’t supposed to be looked at as some checklist challenge. My heart took a turn. The purpose of Exodus is really to sacrifice some of the things I enjoy doing and give them to the Lord. I also learned to give up "my time” and fill it by spending time with the Lord. Don’t get me wrong, this is a challenge, but my intention and pursuit are different from when I started.

Exodus put in perspective how worldly I am, and this scared me. But I needed this reality check. Right off the bat, I was struggling with giving up sweets, social media, and frivolous internet. However, it was necessary for my growth, considering that I would like to be able to lay down my life for my faith. It is crazy to think that I should be able to give up my whole life, but I struggle with making time for only twenty minutes of prayer each day.

Many people believe that to be a follower of Christ you must hold on for dear life because it will be tough living for him. But I say that being a follower of Christ is more like letting go for dear life, leaving all our desires behind to go serve him. We must let go of the things on this earth and keep our focus on the things above. This fueled my purpose, and this is what Exodus 365 taught me. I am forever changed.

Dan Campbell is a sophomore from Brighton, MI. He is studying Physical Education and Health. Dan runs on the cross-country team as well as the track team at Hope College. He loves nature, going on hikes, and exploring.

Genres, Tropes, and Satisfying Stories (Photos and Video)

By Piper Daleiden, a Junior at Hope College

Photos: Haniah Kring, a Senior at Hope College

Almost every reader has experienced the disappointment of reaching the end of a book just to feel dissatisfied with the conclusion. But what causes these novels to be unfulfilling? Why do they fail to meet our expectations?

On Thursday, October 21, 2021, Eleanor Bourg Nicholson and Rhonda Ortiz examined this topic in their presentation “Werewolves and Fainting Damsels: The Genius and Challenges of Genre Fiction,” hosted by the Saint Benedict Institute. Nicholson is an editor, educator, and the author of the Gothic novels A Bloody Habit and Brother Wolf. Ortiz is the author of the historical romance novel In Pieces. She is also a nonfiction writer and the founding editor of Chrism Press.

Ortiz began by defining the terms that she and Nicholson would return to throughout their presentation. “Genre” refers to a story’s content and overall form, and “genre conventions” are elements of a specific genre that are necessary to tell the story well. “Tropes” are characters, settings, premises, and plot devices that occur often in a genre but are not mandatory. Ortiz emphasized that it is impossible to write or find a story without tropes. However, although tropes and conventions might be common, they are not necessarily bad. “Conventions and obligatory scenes are form, not formulas, and tropes are tools, not clichés,” explained Ortiz. These components of a genre become well known for a reason: they reflect universal truths about the human story. For example, the “Who done it?” trope in detective fiction points to man’s natural inclination to search for truth. Overall, tropes allow readers to tap into something greater than themselves.

Nicholson held a magnifying glass over the progression of tropes and conventions in mystery and detective fiction. This genre relies on conventions so the reader will be satisfied at the conclusion of the story. Ronald Knox, a Catholic priest and author, summarized these conventions in his “Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction.” One of his rules is that the criminal needs to be mentioned in the early part of the story. However, Knox’s “Ten Commandments” proved to be controversial when other prominent authors, including Agatha Christie, formed the Detection Club with the goal of breaking Knox’s rules. While some of the Detection Club’s stories were successful, others struggled to please the readers without Knox’s conventions. Nicholson concluded that tropes in detective fiction should be tastefully used so that the reader is surprised but not incredulous about the identity of the culprit.

Ortiz flipped to a new chapter to explore tropes in romance fiction. The love story is extremely popular, even in genres outside of romance. Ortiz attributed this popularity to humanity’s natural desire to love and be loved, which stems from the romance between God and man. Within romance fiction, the conventions and obligatory scenes also find their roots in man’s relationship with God. For example, the trope of a damsel in distress reveals humanity’s deep need for a savior. Ortiz also discussed the challenges of writing with these tropes. In her recently released novel, she had to find a balance between using the damsel in distress trope and respecting the historical setting, characters, and plot. For Ortiz, this meant allowing her protagonist to be saved in a way that both followed the conventions of the romance genre and gave her protagonist independence.

Nicholson introduced the gothic genre, beginning with its historical context. This genre was a reaction to the Age of Reason, and even today, it encourages readers to consider what is beyond logic and empirical science. Gothic literature comes with its own set of tropes and conventions, and Nicholson stressed that there needs to be a sense that good can triumph in the end. Despite this genre’s darker themes and supernatural aspects, its tropes still reveal universal truths about man, especially by exposing the protagonist’s inner corruption and need for grace. Nicholson added that historically, gothic fiction has been grounded in anti-Catholicism. This can be seen in some of its tropes, such as “scary papists.” As a Catholic author in this genre, Nicholson balances these conventions by using tropes to “torture” her characters. In her novels, this might look like self-growth in the protagonist after having to rely on Catholic figures for help.

While stories of vampires and werewolves might be very different from an early American romance, Nicholson and Ortiz agreed that tropes and conventions can be artfully used to convey human universals and lead to a fulfilling conclusion, regardless of genre. Overall, they encouraged authors and readers alike to “unknot” a genre to explore the components of a satisfying story.

This event was co-sponsored by the Hope College Religion department and the Corpus Christi Foundation.

Student Stories: Praying in Song

When I was fourteen, I began playing at Mass once a month at my home parish, Holy Rosary in Cedar, MI. My older sister, Kirsten, who is also a Church musician, taught me how to plan music that was both appropriate for the liturgical season and fitting for the day's particular set of readings. A year later, Kirsten went off to study at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music (PIMS) in Rome. This left me as the primary organist at Holy Rosary, a position I held until I graduated from high school in 2019. During that time, I planned music for both the Ordinary and the Extraordinary Forms of the Mass.

In June of 2018 I visited Kirsten in Rome. While I was there, the choir from PIMS went to the island of San Giulio in Northern Italy to sing a concert of Gregorian chant. Professor Prassl, the choir director, said that I could rehearse with them. After the first rehearsal, he invited me to sing the concert with the choir. I gladly accepted. Singing with the PIMS choir opened my eyes to a world of chant I had never been exposed to before. They sang the chant according to semiology, which means that each note gets a distinct value instead of each note being of equal value. It was on that trip that I realized I wanted to study Gregorian chant and its history on a deeper level.

There is such a wide variety of music for the liturgy, including chants, hymns, choral music, propers, Mass settings, and even instrumental music that, when used wisely, can elevate the Mass as a whole. My goal when planning music for the liturgy is to choose music that the congregation can participate in while directing their thoughts and prayers to God.

Leading a church full of people in worship in the liturgy, which is the source and summit of our faith, is something that I’m grateful to be a part of. My favorite part of playing for Mass is when the organ is blaring and everyone in the church is singing their hearts out. I enjoy playing for the on-campus Mass as a way to give back to the community that has given me so many of the parts of life that matter, like real friendships, a deeper relationship with the Lord, and my faith as a whole.

Kelli Trudeau is a junior from Suttons Bay, MI. She is studying Organ Performance and Classical Studies. Kelli works as the organist and music director at a parish near her hometown. At Hope College, she sings in the Chapel Choir. Kelli spent the summer working on a cherry farm.

Before You Were Born

October 27, 7 p.m. in Schaap Auditorim in the Bultman Student Center

Students Cherishing Life is hosting a talk by Dr. Donna J. Harrison, the CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Harrison will deliver an address titled “Before You Were Born: The Beginning Stages of Pregnancy and Life According to Science.” The Saint Benedict Institute is co-sponsoring the talk.

RSVP is encouraged via QR code.

This event is free and open to the public. Due to Hope College’s COVID precautions, masks are required indoors on campus for all individuals who are vaccinated or unvaccinated.

Dr. Donna J. Harrison

Dr. Donna Harrison is a physician, board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology. She completed an Honors Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Chemistry at Michigan State University and an M.D. from University of Michigan. She completed her residency training in obstetrics and gynecology from St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, an affiliate of University of Michigan. She was in private practice for 10 years.

She serves as CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists, AAPLOG, and has been active with the organization since 1996. AAPLOG is the largest non-sectarian pro-life physician organization in the world, with over 7,000 members across the U.S., and international members on every continent.