W.I.S.E. Travelers!
Several members of Worcester Institute for Senior Education (W.I.S.E.) traveled to Jerusalem this past summer accompanied by alumni, students, and Dr. Marc LePain, professor of Theology. A theater trip to London this past fall was also a great success. The next planned trips are an art tour of Italy, May 1019, and an opera tour of Vienna, fall 1999. All trips are accompanied by a faculty leader. For further information, call the Center for Continuing and Professional Education at (508) 767-7364.
The College and the Community
by Mark P. Bilotta
Executive Assistant to the President
Since my arrival at Assumption College in January, I have continued
to be impressed by the community relationships developed over
the years by various college constituencies. A day does not go
by without someone telling me how they have been impressed with
Assumption students, alumni and employees. Whether it's the 500+
students at the Reach Out Center, or the faculty and staff involvement
with agencies and/or school systems, Assumption has had a profound
impact on the lives of many in the Greater Worcester area.
As a higher-education institution, many in the community look
to us to take the lead in addressing a host of community needs.
We do not intend to let them down. Over the next few months,
we will look to our public school partners in the Doherty Quadrant
of Worcester and examine the needs of middle school students.
This age group tends to be one of the most vulnerable and requires
additional strategies to promote their healthy development.
Even though we are located on the West Side, we can make our
presence known throughout the city. In collaboration with the
Worcester Area Chamber of Commerce and others, we will explore
an innovative program to dress up some of downtown's vacant storefront
windows until new tenants occupy them. Such a program could serve
to showcase student and faculty artwork, while at the same time
address an aesthetic issue of abandoned or vacant buildings.
And we will continue to search for ways to draw the community
onto our own beautiful campus for educational, recreational, and
social opportunities. By doing so, we continue to promote Assumption
College as an academic community, committed to the greater community.
That certainly has been a big part of who we are and will continue
to be for years to come.
Assumptionists at the Millennium
by Fr. Dennis Gallagher, A.A.
As time presses on toward the millennium, the Assumptionists
worldwide are readying themselves for some upcoming events of
major importance for the life of the congregation. For three weeks
in May, representatives from throughout the world will gather
in Rome for the general chapter. This meeting takes place every
six years and is an especially important occasion to take stock
of the present reality of the congregation and to set directions
for the future. This year, the chapter members will have the additional
responsibility of electing a new superior general to replace Father
Claude Marechal, who has guided the course of the congregation
for the past 12 years.
The Holy Father has done much to focus the attention of the Church
on the millennial year and the special graces of spiritual renewal
available to the Christian community at this time. For us Assumptionists,
the year 2000 also marks the 150th anniversary of the founding
of the congregation. It was on Christmas Eve, 1850, in the chapel
at Assumption College in Nimes, France, that Father Emmanuel d'Alzon
and four others were authorized to make their first public vows
in the newly founded community. That the celebration of this anniversary
should coincide with the millennial year provides a rich context
in which to give thanks for the gift of the Assumptionist charism
to the Church and to invoke the guidance of the Holy Spirit for
the apostolic witness of the congregation in the new millennium.
Locally, plans call for a year-long calendar of events, including
Assembly 2000 in June, on the theme of the Assumptionist charism
for the 21st century, the conferring of the d'Alzon Medal, special
prominence given to the annual d'Alzon lecture at the College
in November, and a solemn renewal of vows as part of the Christmas
celebration of the millennial year.
At this important moment in their history, the Assumptionists
here at home continue to search for ways to respond to the vigorous
call for evangelization. The ongoing efforts to find the most
effective ways to minister to our students at the College, a renewed
commitment to the awakening of young people to an appreciation
of their vocations, and the decision in recent months to establish
a new foundation in close proximity to the poor all testify to
a desire on the part of the community to draw strength and inspiration
in our own situation from Father d'Alzon's great passion for the
Kingdom of God. Together with all those with whom we collaborate,
we pray for the grace of renewal in our life and in our work.
The Relationship Between Faith and Reason
by J. Brian Benestad '63
d'Alzon Visiting Professor of Theology
On September 14, 1998, Pope John Paul II issued an extraordinary
encyclical on the nature of philosophy and theology and their
various relations, entitled Fides et Ratio or On the Relationship
Between Faith and Reason (130 pages in the edition published by
Pauline Books and Media). The encyclical is truly extraordinary
because of its range and depth. It shows a level of thinking and
open-mindedness in the Church that would surprise Catholics and
non-Catholics alike. At the very beginning, it calls philosophy
"one of the noblest of human tasks," which is only properly
cultivated if "the primacy of philosophical enquiry"
over the building of any kind of philosophical system is never
forgotten. The letter goes so far as to say that a human being
may be defined as "the one who seeks the truth." John
Paul II believes that without the capacity to generate and experience
wonder, "men and women would lapse into deadening routine
and little by little would become incapable of a life which is
truly personal." That the Pope is also thinking of Christian
believers is shown by his quoting of the following statement from
St. Augustine: "To believe is to think with assent. Believers
are also thinkers: in believing they think and in thinking they
believeIf faith does not think, it is nothing." People must
think not only to understand the Christian faith (intellectus
fidei), but also even to hear it correctly (auditus fidei).
The Church's respect for philosophy goes back to the first centuries
of the Christian era. The fathers of the Church known for their
profound theological learning, such as St. Augustine, Gregory
of Nyssa and Gregory of Nazianzus, were also very good students
of philosophy. Today the Church still expects philosophy on its
own to achieve genuine wisdom about God, humanity, and the world;
help theology both understand and explain the truths of the faith;
and provide believers with the ability to understand and to dialogue
with modern culture and every kind of philosophical orientation.
A few examples will have to suffice. A believer needs knowledge
of human nature and society provided by reason in order to apply
Biblical principles and precepts to situations in everyday life.
Philosophy provided the categories of person and nature to help
believers explain "Christ's identity as true God and true
man." Finally, philosophical inquiry can enable every thoughtful
person "to discern in different world views and different
cultures not what people think but what the objective truth is."
Majority opinion may not correspond to reality.
This last point could help us think about the problem of recognizing
the benefits and disadvantages of diversity in a culture. Plato
taught that every culture is a cave. In other words, no culture
can expect to be fully based on the knowledge of the way things
are, but will necessarily fall into error on fundamental matters.
Think of the American acceptance of slavery, not to mention other
matters. Philosophy, at its best, can help us recognize both when
tolerance of an evil is wrong and when the denial or abridgement
of the freedom to think and live a certain way is likewise wrong.
Other disciplines and the Gospel, of course, can also help us
recognize disorders in a culture.
John Paul II is certainly aware that modern philosophy disclaims
any ability of attaining the kind of knowledge he expects. He
explains, "A certain legitimate plurality of positions has
yielded to an undifferentiated pluralism, based upon the assumption
that all positions are equally valid, which is one of today's
most widespread symptoms of the lack of confidence in truth."
In his detailed explanation of philosophy's plight today, he mentions
that the adherents of nihilism believe that "the search is
an end in itself, without any hope or possibility of ever attaining
the truth." Historicists claim that truth changes from age
to age. Adherents of positivism or scientism hold that only knowledge
attained by the methods of the modern natural sciences is valid.
Pragmatists think that reason cannot make ethical judgments, but
can only be used as an instrument to attain wealth, pleasure,
or power.
In his closing remarks, John Paul II makes a special plea to
three kinds of scholars. He urges theologians to make use of philosophy
in their work and to dialogue with the whole philosophical tradition
("whether consonant with the word of God or not"), and
he asks philosophers and teachers of philosophy to recover the
metaphysical dimension of their discipline. Finally, he addresses
scientists, praising their great achievements and encouraging
scientific research. But he also asks scientists to remain "in
the sphere of wisdom within which scientific and technological
achievements are wedded to the philosophical and ethical goods
which are the distinctive and indelible mark of the human person."
Otherwise stated, he is asking scientists to think about the effect
of what they do or will be able to do in the future (e.g., cloning)
in the light of theological and philosophical wisdom. John Paul
II, of course, is fully aware that the recovery of philosophical
wisdom may not occur, at least on any kind of scale that makes
a difference.
Students Rave about Study Abroad Experiences
Danielle Weaver
"It's hard to sum up the most amazing experience of my life
into just a few short sentences, but what I will say is that I
learned some of the most incredible things in my semester abroad
in London. Of course, I absorbed the academics of it all, but
the most important thing to me was that I learned the ins and
outs of a new culture and how to relate to the people of that
culture as well as others."
Michael Thomasian '00
"As a transfer student, I knew I wanted to study abroad.
It has always been a goal of mine. Last fall, I was fortunate
enough to study in London through the AIFS program at Richmond
College. London is a huge city with much to offer in tradition,
the arts, and music, and has a variety of cultures. It was one
of my best decisions, and I will always cherish the memories and
friendships I made in Europe. The application process was simple,
and all approved credits transferred into Assumption. It was an
opportunity to take classes in a new culture while also being
able to travel and meet new people. With so much activity available,
the weeks flew by, and there was no rush to return home. It truly
was a learning experience of a lifetime. I strongly urge both
shy and outgoing students to look into their options about study
abroad.
Kelly Panos
"Studying abroad was the best decision I have made since
coming to Assumption College. Although I lived in Europe for a
relatively short period of time, it was the most amazing experience
of my life. Studying in Spain not only gave me the chance to live
everyday life in a foreign society, it also allowed me to visit
new places and meet all kinds of people throughout Europe.
"Now that my time abroad is over, I know that I will never
again have such an incredible opportunity to experience so much
in so short a period of time. I plan on returning, but for now,
I have many wonderful memories and an overwhelming sense of pride
that I survived on my own in Europe."
Renée Beaurivage
"At first it was a strange feeling, leaving the support system
at Assumption and attempting to build my own system. It felt like
piloting my own journey.
"I interned for Bear Stearns Investment Banking, Ltd. in
London. I created my own niche. My leaving forced them to fill
the position I had created.
"I feel the experience gave me a competitve edge in my job
search as I prepare to graduate."