On October 16, 2023, Bishop Joseph Perry joined us to discuss the path to sainthood for six African American Catholics. Watch his lecture below and view photos from the event.
Photo Credit: Haniah Kring
The Big Bang, the Beginning, and Creation
Thursday, November 16, 7:00 p.m.
Maas Auditorium at Hope College
Did the universe have a beginning? Was it created? Are these the same question? And will the universe come to an end or last forever? This talk will discuss what Christian revelation, philosophy, and contemporary science have to say about these questions.
This event is cosponsored by the Dean for the Natural and Applied Sciences, the Physics Department, the Religion Department, and the Magi Project at the Collegium Institute. It is the second lecture in the Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos series hosted by the Saint Benedict Institute in fall 2023.
Stephen Barr is President of the Society of Catholic Scientists, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware, and former Director of the Bartol Research Institute. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1978. Professor Barr does research in theoretical particle physics, especially grand unified theories, theories of CP violation, neutrino oscillations, and particle cosmology. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (2011). He is the author of Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (University of Notre Dame Press, 2003).
Student Stories: Molly Leonard on Daily Mass
Regularly attending daily Mass has been the single most important part of my life at Hope. What had originally set Hope apart from other schools in my college search quickly became the anchor of my daily prayer life. Whether my day is great or tough, perfectly ordinary or wrapped up in the craziness of my student-athlete schedule, I am able to find a steady reminder of what really matters praying with my peers in St. Anne’s. It is a wonderful gift that, even in between classes, I can be brought into the central mysteries of the Christian faith and share in the self-same body of Christ.
Molly Leonard is a junior from Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is majoring in mathematics.
Ecology, Evolution, and Faith: Video, Student Reactions, and Photos
On September 7, 2023, the Saint Benedict Institute welcomed Sr. Damien Marie Savino for a lecture titled What Is Man that You Are Mindful of Him? Ecology, Evolution, and Faith. We are grateful to Sr. Damien Marie and our co-sponsors for this wonderful talk showing the compatibility of faith and science. You can watch the full lecture, read student reactions, and see photos from the event below.
Student Reactions:
“One thing I took home from is that it’s super important to emphasize how science and religion don’t have to conflict.”
“Great lecture and dinner, food was great, and Sr. Damien Marie Savino was great company. I loved hearing her story about the northern lights and hearing about her love of nature and creation.”
“I learned about new theories in the field of evolution.”
“It was very beautiful to see how Sr. Damien Marie's heart for God impacted the way she approached her studies with the warmth of humility and piety. Her talk helped me better understand why evolution does not threaten Christianity, but is actually quite compatible with it. I want to be #bestiesfortheresties with her.”
“I loved the event and enjoyed hearing from Sr. Damien Marie. The dinner was insightful to learn about vocation, God and creation, and how evolution is viewed by the Catholic Church. This lecture did a great job of appealing to different disciplines: religion, biology, and philosophy.”
Photo credit: Haniah Kring
African American Saints in the Making with Bishop Perry
Monday, October 16, 7:00 p.m.
Haworth Hotel at Hope College
African American Catholics have a rich and complicated history. At present, there are three million African American Catholics in the United States. Six African American Catholics have active formal causes for sainthood before the Vatican. Some of these figures escaped slavery and others died as recently as 1990. Any one (or more) of them could become the first canonized African American saint. Come hear Bishop Joseph N. Perry discuss the path to sainthood for some of these important figures.
Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, a recently retired Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, is a professor of canon law at Mundelein Seminary, chair of African American Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the postulator for the cause of sainthood for Venerable Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), and a past vice-president of the board of the National Black Catholic Congress.
This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College Religion Department, the History Department, the Center for Ministry Studies, Campus Ministries, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Hope Catholics.
A Long Obedience: Cultivating Christian Virtue in Long-Term Illness
Tuesday, September 19, 7 p.m.
Graves Hall, Hope College
This event is hosted by the Girod Chair at Western Theological Seminary and co-sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute. The panel discussion will be recorded. Register to receive a link with the recording.
Modern Christian stories of “the good life” often assume faithful obedience leads to healthy, happy lives. Christians who are ill become recipients of prayer and care to buoy them back to health. However, despite medical advances, sometimes illness remains mysterious or untreatable. In addition, many patients with other forms of long-term illness receive benefits from medical treatment, yet continue to live with chronic pain, fatigue, and other types of physical and mental distress.
What does faithful and fruitful Christian discipleship look like for believers enduring long-term illness? For centuries, Protestant and Catholic theologies of “the virtues” have described the Spirit’s work through particular habits and dispositions to conform believers into the image of Christ. This panel explores the question: What resources and implications does the Christian virtue tradition have for believers and congregations when illness is chronic and ongoing? How might this tradition provide a pathway for chronically ill Christians and their communities to grow more deeply into “the good life” as redefined by Christ, and bear witness to the good news in a hurting world?
Join the Faith and Illness Initiative for this evening panel event, featuring Dr. Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, University of Saint Mary of the Lake; Dr. Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, Professor of Philosophy, Calvin University; Rev. Wendy Haack, Healthcare Chaplain, Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital; and Dr. Peter Jaggard, M.D., NorthShore University Health System; moderated by Dr. J. Todd Billings.
Bishop Barron on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition
Presented by our friends at the Harvard Catholic Forum and co-presented by the Harvard Catholic Center
Sunday, September 17, 4 p.m. Eastern Time
Memorial Church, Harvard Yard, Cambridge, and Live-Streamed
Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, explores some foundational themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including God, the human person, sin and grace, society, and freedom. All flow from Christology, our understanding of Jesus, so that, as St. Bonaventure said, Christ is truly found at the center of all the disciplines pursued in the university.
This event is made possible through the support of grant #62372 from the John Templeton Foundation, “In Lumine: Promoting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide.”
What Is Man that You Are Mindful of Him?
Evolution, Ecology, and Faith
Thursday, September 7, 7:00 p.m.
Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, Hope College
One of the polarizing questions in today’s culture is the question of evolution and its relationship to faith. Many presume an antagonism between the theory of evolution and the Christian faith and find it difficult to conceive of a harmonious relationship between them. This lecture will address this apparent disjunct and consider the theory of evolution in light of the resources of the Catholic tradition. It will do so in the context of the implications of the debate for Christian anthropology and for a holistic understanding of the unique role of humans in creation as stewards and mediators.
This event is cosponsored by the Hope College Department of Religion, the Green Team, and the Cultural Affairs Committee, as well as the Magi Project at the Collegium Institute. It is the first in the Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos series hosted by the Saint Benedict Institute in fall 2023.
Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist who has served as the Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College since 2016. She holds a doctorate in civil (environmental) engineering and a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America, as well as a master’s degree in soil science from the University of Connecticut and a B.S. degree in biogeography from McGill University. She has lectured and written widely on questions at the interface between science and theology and ecology and faith. Sister Damien Marie is the director of the new “Educating for Laudato Si’ Initiative” sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.
Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos
The Saint Benedict Institute is hosting a fall lecture series on Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos. The goal of this series is to show that faith has nothing to fear from science but is actually in harmony with it and can even encourage our Christian convictions. The speakers will serve as models of faithful Christian scientists who demonstrate the harmony of faith and reason. These events will show students a different way of reading Scripture and thinking about science. Two faithful scientists will speak in this series:
Sr. Damien Marie Savino, FSE, is an environmental engineer specializing in restoration ecology, ecology and theology, and science and theology. She is the Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, MI. Sr. Damien Marie will present What Is Man That You Are Mindful of Him? Evolution, Ecology, and Faith. She will focus on the anthropological dimension of the evolutionary question.
Stephen Barr is Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics and Astronomy of the University of Delaware and former Director of its Bartol Research Institute. He is the President of the Society of Catholic Scientists and author of Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (University of Notre Dame Press, 2003). Dr. Barr will present The Big Bang, the Beginning, and Creation, a lecture that will discuss what Christian revelation, philosophy, and contemporary science have to say about the origins of the universe.
In addition to their public lectures, we are organizing meals with a select group of students, including students strong in their faith and those who are questioning. We will ask students to read a relevant article to be discussed with the speaker over an intimate meal. This will allow students to encounter faithful scientists up close, ask hard questions, and see the harmony of faith and reason in action.
Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos is made possible by a LeMaître Grant. In honor of Georges LeMaître, the theoretical physicist, mathematician, astronomer, and Catholic priest sometimes called the “Father of the Big Bang,” the Magi Project is pleased to award grants to support projects and events on science and religion for an undergraduate audience. Many thanks to the Magi Project for supporting this series!
Icon Blessing in the Saint Anne Oratory at the Carol C. Schaap Chapel
Fr. Nick recently blessed the icons in the Saint Anne Oratory at the Carol C. Schaap Chapel. Thank you to all our supporters who made these icons possible!
Hope Catholic Ordained to the Priesthood on June 10, 2023
Originally from Lansing, MI, Corey Bilodeau graduated from Hope College in 2014. The Saint Benedict Institute helped fund Corey’s discernment pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and then he entered Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, MI, in 2017. On Saturday, June 10, 2023, Corey was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Lansing, MI. SBI co-founders Jared Ortiz and Jack Mulder had the privilege of attending the ordination Mass. We pray that the Lord will bless Fr. Corey abundantly as he begins his priesthood!
To learn more about Fr. Corey’s journey to the priesthood, watch these two videos from the Diocese of Lansing:
Back in 2017, the Saint Benedict Institute asked Corey to say a few words about his journey to the priesthood and the Holy Land. This is what he had to say:
“I had not thought much about the priesthood until my senior year of college. The catalyst that propelled my thoughts towards the priesthood was Dr. Ortiz’s Catholic Christianity class. He really went into depth about why Catholics believe what they believe. When we went over the topic of vocations I was instantly drawn to this idea of maybe I was being called to the priesthood.
“After graduation, I volunteered in the Archdiocese of Baltimore for one year as Volunteer Coordinator in a soup kitchen. I realized I had to pursue the priesthood more seriously. After much prayer and spiritual direction, I applied to seminary. Part of my discernment process was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
“One of the highlights of that trip was that we were able to have Mass on the beach of Capernaum. It was an amazing experience to celebrate the Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist where Jesus called His first disciples. I then had the opportunity to ponder on the beach what God was calling me to do in terms of my vocation.
“Another highlight was hiking up Mount Tabor, which is where the Transfiguration happened. We did it in silence and it took about two hours to hike 1500 ft. to the top. It gave me time to really pray without any distractions and I asked for God’s mercy and for Him to grant me the gift of celibacy for the priesthood.
“It was a truly blessed time where I learned how to read the Bible more deeply. I also learned how to draw closer to God in a personal and real way.”
Year-in-Review: 2022-2023
The 2022-2023 academic year was another great one for the Saint Benedict Institute and Catholic students at Hope College. Here are the highlights:
1. Student Interns
Our team grew this year when we welcomed four student interns in fall 2022. They are William Hurley, liturgy intern; Cameron Maloney, Exodus 90 intern; Kirsten Miskowski, evangelization intern; and Alec Kowalski, evangelization intern. Each of them has made a huge contribution to student ministry.
2. Louis Brown: Religious Freedom and Human Dignity
On September 20, we welcomed Louis Brown Jr., J.D., for a lecture titled “Religious Freedom and Human Dignity: The Contemporary Crisis in Healthcare.” Brown discussed current threats to religious freedom, the foundational importance of human dignity, and how Christians can respond to our contemporary situation.
3. Fr. Robert Sirico: The Economics of the Parables
On October 17, 2022, the Saint Benedict Institute was pleased to host Rev. Robert Sirico, who lectured on his latest book, The Economics of the Parables. Fr. Sirico pulled back the veil of modernity to reveal the timeless economic wisdom of the parables.
4. Snow Mass in the Pine Grove
Several of the Catholic students at Hope constructed a snow altar in the Pine Grove behind Graves Hall, complete with altar rail, ambo, and credence table. Fr. Nick celebrated Mass on the altar twice in early February.
5. Men of Hope
On February 9, men of Hope College gathered with seven of the coaches of Hope Athletics and the Athletic Director for a discussion on living out their faith, how they are called to treat women as men of God, and practical advice on dating and marriage.
6. Understanding Fertility
In February and March, we invited the women of Hope College to attend a series of three seminars on fertility and women’s health. Students had great conversations with Dr. Kim Barrows, Melissa Mulder, Carly McShane, and Laura Cole.
7. Richard Ray: Pilgrimage and Desire
On February 16, author and Hope College professor Richard Ray told the story of how a sacred journey to a sacred place resulted in a sacred purpose: the reordering of his desires and the reshaping of his heart.
8. Immersion Trip to Saint Meinrad Archabbey
Over spring break, Fr. Nick took a group of students to Saint Meinrad Archabbey in Indiana for a week of immersion in monastic religious life. Students joined the monks five times per day for prayer, worked on an outdoor project on the monastery grounds, and spent time with the monks.
9. Jared Ortiz: The Radical Doctrine of One God
In this talk, our very own Jared Ortiz explored the opening line of the Nicene Creed by situating it in its historical context. The talk draws on his forthcoming book The Nicene Creed: A Scriptural, Historical, and Theological Commentary (Baker Academic) co-authored with Daniel Keating.
10. Beautiful On-Campus Masses
Fr. Nick, liturgy intern William Hurley, and our student altar servers and choir did excellent work beautifying the Mass offered on Hope’s campus this year. This included a Mass with incense for Divine Mercy Sunday.