Category : IPS Alumni

Dedication of Gilmour Connections Cafe

 

Peter Gilmour, D. Min, Professor Emeritus at IPS and recipient of the IPS Aggiornamento Award in 2014 was recently honored at the naming of Connections Café, to Gilmour’s Connections Café. Peter Gilmour Is a Loyola alum (BS ’64, MRE ’71) and has been involved with Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies since inception in 1964. Please read his speech below and take a look at the pictures from the dedication. Peter can be frequently seen hanging out in the café, and we hope you’ll make a stop over there and enjoy some coffee and good conversation. Gilmour’s Connection Café can be found in between the Information Commons and Cudahy Library at the Lake Shore Campus.

Mellow Coffee and Strong Conversation

Remarks by Peter Gilmour at the dedication of Gilmour’s Connections Café at Loyola University Chicago, April 12, 2017.

“I’ve heard it said that near death experiences bring on a sudden review of one’s life.  Seeing you all here this morning brings on a flashback of my own life, but, thankfully, without a near death experience.  I’m delighted to be here today with my cousin Joan, former students from St. George High School, Loyola faculty and staff, friends from the Sheil Catholic Center, and yet others from near and far.  And to think this is happening during National Library Week.  Thanks for celebrating this moment as we sip mellow coffee and strong conversation.

I have lingered at Loyola for 3/4th of my life now, from undergraduate student to Professor Emeritus.  I have witnessed and been part of many changes these past 57 years.  And now, another change, naming this cafe Gilmour, a name I share with other family members who attended Loyola — my father, my brother, and my cousin.

So Loyola is alive and thriving because of change.

If people and institutions don’t change, rigor mortis sets in, a sure sign of death.  Coffee houses and this café are great examples of change.  In 1677, an Oxford academic by the name of Anthony Wood complained about coffee houses: “Why doth solid and serious learning decline, and few nor none follow it now in the University?”  His answer: “Because of Coffee Houses, where they spend all their time.”

When I was an undergraduate, the only type of cafes were neighborhood greasy spoons: the Pantry, Standees, and the infamous Cindy Sues located on what is now the Loyola Plaza in front of the el station (Loyola graduate and noted Chicago author Stuart Dybek sets his short story “Tea Ceremony” at Cindy Sues that appears in his recent book, Ecstatic Cahoots).  Here in this library you were not allowed to bring food or drink into the building, and silence reigned supreme.  Today, in the heart of this library and information commons, this café serves up what used to be contraband — mellow coffee and strong conversation — now within the heart of the university!

Yes, change keeps thing alive and vibrant.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to have been present at the creation of the Institute of Pastoral Studies back in 1964, and having been part of it for my entire career.  I met the most fascinating and dedicated students from near and far in my courses through the years.  My many colleagues were a source of inspiration to me.  And I never would have been able to research and publish without their ever ongoing encouragement coupled with this university’s fine library services, and the research leaves and grants Loyola awarded me.

Since my retirement, I have devoted time to the promotion of the Loyola libraries through serving on the Friends of the Libraries Board.  My special interest has been to develop a catalog of Loyola Alumni who have published books.  This ongoing and never ending project has identified close to 400 alums who have written more than 800 books.

Thank you Loyola University for all these opportunities to further its mission, give me such a fascinating series of personal and professional experiences, and, today, for the honor of this café now named Gilmour.  I am forever grateful for this connection to mellow coffee and strong conversation.

That’s one thing that will not change!”

Below is a video and Dr. Peter Gilmour receiving the 2014 IPS Aggiornamento Award:

https://youtu.be/yVg1udU7acY

**Photos 1 and 3 borrowed from Loyola University Chicago University Libraries Facebook page.

4-13-2017 | Comments Off on Dedication of Gilmour Connections Cafe

Meet Grace Girardot

Grace Girardot is a current student in the MA in Social Justice program. When she is not busy working in Water Tower Campus Ministry as a Grad Assistant or doing her school work, you can find her doing yoga, cooking, being outside, attempting to play piano or guitar, knitting and trolling used book and record stores for hidden treasures. To learn more about Grace and her experience as a student, please continue to read below.

What is a little of your background?

I am a Chicago area native, hailing from the western suburbs. When I was 18, I was transplanted to South Bend, IN, where I attended the University of Notre Dame for my undergraduate years. Although I am a die-hard Fighting Irish fan, I got a lot more out my time in South Bend than simply the football seasons. I studied Spanish, Latino Studies and Poverty Studies. During this time I developed a deep love of Latin American Literature and music, which forced me to examine themes of marginality and otherness. Through service learning experiences abroad as well as in South Bend, I was able to deepen my interest in these topics, which has eventually led me to pursue the MA in Social Justice at IPS.

Why Loyola?

I chose to pursue the MA in Social Justice at Loyola due to the unique emphasis on faith as being the foundation upon which we understand the work of social justice. As an undergraduate leading service learning immersion seminars, I had relied on the tools and language that Catholic social teaching provided to help students (and myself) name the sensations that we were experiencing. Just as on an airplane you must secure your own oxygen mask before helping those around you, I wanted to continue to build up my own lens of CST, so that I would better be able to help others to identify their experiences through that same lens.

What have you learned by studying at IPS?

By studying at IPS, I have learned how to reimagine the world. I continue to learn about the complexity of the interconnectedness of our relationships with our environment, others, God and ourselves, and how these complexities relate to certain themes and events that we experience in the world today.

What is your favourite quote?

I am torn between two. Both are relatively short.
“Thou mayest.” –John Steinbeck, East of Eden
“The strength of a tree lies in its ability to bend.” –Zen Proverb

Tell us one fun fact about you.

I know how to hula dance.

What is the best compliment that someone has given you?

I think the best compliment that someone has given me is not necessarily something they have stated verbally but through their actions. I feel most humbled and flattered when friends, students, or family members show their trust in me by asking for help, advice, or coming to me to chat about their innermost ponderings.

9-23-2016 | Comments Off on Meet Grace Girardot

Meet Our New Business Manager

Staff Changes at St. Gertrude

We are sad to report that Mary Regula has left our parish. She joined the St. Gertrude staff last year, and quickly won everyone over with her hard work, keen organizational abilities, and terrific attitude.

She is moving with her family, her husband, Randy, and her sons—Andrew, a new graduate of St. Norbert College; Michael, a senior at Carthage College, and John, who just graduated from Mather High School.

Congratulations and best wishes to Mary, as she starts a new chapter of her life in Allouez, Wisconsin! She will be deeply missed by everyone at St. Gertrude!

Last week, Art Blumberg, came on board as Director of Parish Management and Facilities at St. Gertrude. This is actually his second time here. In the fall of 2013, he did his field work and internship for his Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies (MAPS) degree at the parish, working mostly with Fr. Dom and the Gym Mass.

For the past two years, he has served as Director of Parish Operations at St. Philip the Apostle in Northfield. Prior to that, he earned a MAPS degree at the Institute for Pastoral Studies at Loyola University Chicago, where he met and took classes with Abby Mikesell. He is currently pursuing a Master of Divinity at Loyola.

His family has long-standing ties to St. Gertrude. Art’s mother-in-law, Pat O’Callaghan, was a parishioner for many years and was often a lector at St. Gertrude East, and several of his nieces and nephews were baptized here.

Art and his wife Madeline have been married for 31 years and are parishioners at St. Margaret Mary, where they are active in several ministries. They have one son, Nick, who is an Associate Producer for the program Chicago Tonight on WTTW.

We ask you extend a warm welcome to Art as he adjusts to his new position here!

9-14-2016 | Comments Off on Meet Our New Business Manager

Loyola’s First Martyrs Award Goes to an IPS Alumna’s Organization

Loyola’s new Martrys Award was created to honor the Salvadoran Martyrs. This year marks the 26th anniversary of their assassination.

In a recent letter to the Loyola community, Interim President John Pelissero wrote, “Loyola honors the Salvadoran martyrs each year because in their lives and deaths, they exemplify the Jesuit and Catholic ideals and values that we seek to emulate, such as solidarity with the poor, working for social justice, and courageously witnessing to the truth.”

Each year, the award will be presented to a faith-based organization or individual who, among other things, strives to fight social injustice, educates others, and creates awareness of issues affecting the oppressed. In addition, there is a $25,000 grant that comes with the award. This money is intended to promote the legacy of the Martyrs in El Salvador and support Loyola’s commitment to social justice.

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The first recipient of this annual award is The Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants (ICDI). ICDI’s Executive Director Sr. JoAnn Persch will be accepting the award on behalf of the organization. Persch gradated from IPS in 1971 with a degree in Religious Education.

Another IPS graduate, Chris Murphy, is Loyola’s current Director of Staff Mission Formation and Faculty Staff Chaplain. He said that the ICDI is “currently responding to migrants and refuges from El Salvador and Latin America. The suffering of these people is rooted in many of the same structural injustices to which the martyrs responded. The work of the Interfaith Committee reminds us of the way to which we are the direct heirs to, and responsible for, the ongoing mission of the martyrs. For the Interfaith Committee’s dedication to addressing injustice they will receive the Martyrs Award from Loyola University Chicago.”

When given the news of being the recipient of the Martyrs Award, Persch said, “As an alum of Loyola and as Director of ICDI it made me very proud. We are an ever growing program and this award will encourage our growth to be able to serve more people. To be selected as seeing our ministry in tune with the strong faith and courage of the martyrs is very touching.”

Sr. JoAnn Persch, RSM, a Loyola alumna, photographed at Sisters of Mercy in Chicago, on October 28, 2015. Sr. JoAnn is the recipient of the Martyr's Award for the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants. (photo by Natalie Battaglia)
Sr. JoAnn Persch, RSM, a Loyola alumna, photographed at Sisters of Mercy in Chicago, on October 28, 2015. Sr. JoAnn is the recipient of the Martyr’s Award for the Interfaith Committee for Detained Immigrants.
(photo by Natalie Battaglia)

 

Persch began her long and successful career at IPS where she said she was given the foundation needed to carry out programs ranging from child and adult education to parish ministry.

She recalls that at the time, the IPS Religious Education program was only offered during the summer.

“We had outstanding professors who would come from all over to teach in the program for the summer,” Persch said. “I really enjoyed the Scripture classes and also then Father John Gorman (now Bishop Gorman) who taught religious psychology. I have used what I learned many times.”

As the co-founder of ICDI, Persch has been able to see the growth of ICDI in the nine years of its existence.

“I see the hand of God working in every way. We have such a wonderful committed staff and amazing volunteers who really see our responsibility to our immigrant sisters and brothers. The fact that in nine years we are able to assist through all of our programs has to be the work of God.” Persch added, “We all receive so much more than we give through our relationships with our immigrant sisters and brothers.”

Though Persch is living in the present and fighting social injustice day by day, she is also preparing of the future.

“I want to share leadership so that when I can no longer serve in this capacity others are prepared and imbued with the vision and mission of ICDI… I would hope that we could continue raising funds that will not only keep us solvent, but keep having the ability to grow to meet the needs as they arise.”

This award is not only a great honor and opportunity for Persch and her organization, it is also somewhat of a homecoming for her.

“IPS has always held a very special place in my heart and I am so happy to be connecting again.”

 

**The award ceremony is taking place on November 16 at 3:30 pm in Damen Student Center Multipurpose Room South. There will also be a Memorial Mass at 5:15 pm in Madonna Della Strada, followed by a reception in McCormick Lounge.

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.

11-09-2015 | Comments Off on Loyola’s First Martyrs Award Goes to an IPS Alumna’s Organization

IPS Alumnus Authors “The Self Aware Lover”

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Stephen Dynako graduated from Loyola IPS with a M.A. in Pastoral Counseling. Dynako has diverse experiences that range from being a hospital and lay chaplain to holding various management positions in media, technology and finance industries. In addition, Dynako most recently authored a book, The Self Aware Lover.

The book is about moving beyond the distractions of daily life and discovering the true nature of love. It explores how your relationship with yourself, others and the community can benefit from putting love first.

“The Self Aware Lover grew out of journaling about my meditations on love. I had desired for quite some time to write a book on the topic of love, though I wasn’t sure what direction it would take,” said Dynako.

Dynako began writing without a strict plan of action and through this liberal and unguarded process, he was able to think freely and even found the title for the book.

“All I really planned for certain was to follow my inspiration. I didn’t commit to an outline of the content. Rather, I practiced a free association method of writing down what came to me whenever it came to me. In the Shalom Heartland community in which I participate, we would say simply to ‘trust the process.'”

Dynako continued, “During the course of my journaling, I noticed that I began referring frequently to the idea of a ‘self aware lover’ as someone who works to become in touch with one’s own and others’ loving nature. That’s how the title came to be.”

51KTGBl26DLThere have been many books written about the various aspects of love: what it means, how it affects us, et cetera. For readers of The Self Aware Lover, Dynako hopes that a particular message about loving perfectly resonates with them:

“One of the key ideas in the book is the paradox that loving perfectly is not about being a perfectionist. Self awareness in our loving frees us from the anxiety of thinking that we or others must be perfect. My experience of trying to be impossibly perfect for so many years finally brought me to a place where I realized my self love had been sabotaged. This happens to so many of us in today’s culture, so I hope to impart the message that love for all truly begins with a healthy and humble love for self.”

Continuing, Dynako reflects on his time at IPS and how his education through the pastoral counseling program contributed to his career journey and success as an author.

“I write in the book that I was grateful for my cohort and professors in IPS, because they co-created such a deeply nourishing and nurturing environment. Of course, this experience strengthened me as a pastoral counselor, but it was also foundational to my self awareness, which was a major inspiration for the book.”

Dynako said the entire IPS program was “excellent” and some of his favorite and most useful courses included: Human Relations Skills, Human Development, Multicultural Counseling, and Ethics for Pastoral Counselors.

He also added that his most memorable and moving moments at IPS were “times spent in conversation, reflection, or just relaxation with my classmates and teachers. Ours was a powerfully supportive and loving community. I learned just as much outside of class as I did in class.”

For current and future IPS students, Dynako shares some advice:

“Boldly be open to the process of your own unfolding during the course of your studies, but more importantly in your community making. Your experience in IPS will be all the richer for going beyond the academic – important as that is – to connect with your loving nature and the loving nature of your peers and teachers.”

 

Buy The Self Aware Lover in print and/or e-book format on Amazon. (If you purchase the print version from Amazon, you can acquire the Kindle version for free through Amazon’s MatchBook option.)

 

**Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.

10-12-2015 | Comments Off on IPS Alumnus Authors “The Self Aware Lover”

Revel in the Revolution with 8th Day

The 8th Day Center for Justice held its annual Revel in the Revolution event this past weekend. This year’s theme, “give light and people will find the way,” came from civil rights activist Ella Baker.

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The keynote speaker was Reverend Doctor Otis Moss III, the current Senior Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ. He is also an accomplished author, speaker and activist. His speech for the event was truly enlightening and motivating. He told stories of those who came before us that helped pave the way for us, such as Vernon Johns and Martin Luther King, Jr. “There’s always somebody making a track to the river’s edge. We didn’t show up brand new like nobody’s ever done justice work before.” Among the other themes in his words, he said ministry needs to be about prophets and not profits. His powerful witness and engaging voice led to a standing ovation.

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Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III

During this annual event, 8th Day Center for Justice also honors worthy recipients with the Mary Elsbernd, OSF Award. The award recognizes those who embody passion for inclusive love and justice, build relationships of nonviolence and cooperation, and use imagination to create new ways to bring systemic change.

In connection with IPS, Mary Elsbernd, OSF was the visionary behind the Master of Arts in Social Justice that began at IPS nearly 10 years ago.

This year The People’s Law Office (PLO) was the recipient of the 5th Annual Mary Elsbernd, OSF Award. The PLO has been fighting for civil rights for over 40 years, representing groups like the Black panthers, political prisoners, LGBTQ activists, members of the Palestinian community and many more. Most recently, the PLO won a Reparations Ordinance in Chicago for victims of police torture. The PLO also brought the audience to its feet, applauding the great work it does.

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The People’s Law Office

One of the coordinators for the event, Scott Donovan, is an IPS alumnus. He received his MA in Social Justice and Community Development (SJCD) in 2013. Originally from New Jersey, he decided to stay in Chicago after graduation since he was able to find work that aligned with his knowledge, interests and passions. “It felt like a natural extension of my career arc, both professionally and personally to stay here,” said Scott.

Scott began his role as the Development Coordinator for 8th Day this past January. He leads fundraising, grant writing and resource initiatives at the center.

“I had known about 8th day since Chris Eagan (another IPS alumnus) did his Magis internship program at 8th day… Then when I saw they had posted the development position, I thought that those specific skills were something I wanted to develop within myself, so I went for it and here I am.”

Scott Donovan, 8th Day Development Coordinator
Scott Donovan, 8th Day Development Coordinator

It seems that Scott has found a job that is never boring and allows him fulfill his passions and career goals.

“Each day is very different,” noted Scott. “I like the consensus model we operate on. Structurally we are a flat model, so we have no hierarchy, no supervisor or boss. We make decisions as a group which affords each of us a lot of independence and flexibility to pursue our passions and interests and see how those specific interests can support the center.”

The skills he learned at IPS have helped him succeed in his career by building a strong foundation to build upon.

“There were a few classes that I took at IPS that certainly guided me towards this specific development position. I took fundraising and grant writing, which I very much enjoyed and learned a lot there. The classes and professors that stood out most to me were the ones that got us on the street level,” Scott added. “[They] took the theory or the literature that we were reading and demonstrated to us those ideas in the real world.”

Scott went on to mention community organizing and development classes and former IPS professor Susan Rans “who was very instrumental in bringing forth the true mission of SJCD to [him], and from there [he] was able to find like values between 8th day and the values [students] learned at IPS.”

Looking back on his time at IPS, Scott recalls attending a research conference in San Diego where he and his classmates presented their research project that they had been working on all semester long.

“That was an incredible experience and a great opportunity to travel there,” commented Scott. “When I think of studying at IPS, I think of the times when I got out of the classroom and was able to visit different community centers and meet different folks out in the neighborhoods.”

Scott emphasized that he appreciated and took advantage of any and all opportunities to leave the classroom and learn from the city itself.

Scott definitely uses the various skills he learned at IPS at his new job, especially grant writing, but he also learned something else that is quite valuable:

“I think the overall mindset of open-mindedness, patience and trying to connect with another person as deeply as possible and glean from them what their true desires are for themselves, for their neighborhood, for their country… I try to keep that with me each day, both professionally and personally.”

Scott concluded with giving some advice for current and future IPS students:

“Just apply yourself. Make the most of your time there. Make the most of your colleagues and classmates,” said Scott. “Another high point of my time was being able to meet my classmates and hearing about the work they’re doing and be able to connect to that work through them. So I would say for folks at IPS now, just to call upon your classmates.”

 
From everyone at IPS, thank you 8th Day for all the work you do for social justice!

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Loyola IPS faculty, graduate assistant and students at 8th Days’s Revel in the Revolution


**Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.

9-21-2015 | Comments Off on Revel in the Revolution with 8th Day

Alumni Feature: Patricia P. Underwood

Patricia P. Underwood is a recent graduate of IPS and has big plans for the future! Patricia completed her degree later in life than expected, but she isn’t letting that slow her down. In fact, she is more dedicated and passionate than ever to join forces with like minded people and make lasting, positive changes in the world.

Get to know more about her passion and spirit below and feel free to contact her to continue the conversation.

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What were your studies focused on at IPS?
I started out in Pastoral Studies and switched to Contemporary Spirituality.

What was your favorite class and why?
Truthfully, I cannot say that I had a favorite class because all of my classes were very interesting. However, I will say that my World Religions class with Dr. Heidi Russell was very informative as it gave me a look at the five world religions which I had briefly studied at Ohio Dominican for my Bachelors degree in Theology. The difference was that in Dr. Russell’s class we had to visit and interview someone from the different religions. This is where I interviewed a man from Africa who practices the Islamic religion. That interview was very enlightening as he shed some light on a lot of misconceptions about the Muslim religion that the Media tends to exploit and in turn creates fear against a very peaceful religion.

What was your greatest accomplishment while at IPS?
Graduating! Seriously! After working for many years I decided at the age of 52 to return to school and finish my bachelors degree that I started in 1972. I began at Ohio Dominican University, where I got my Associate Degree in Theology, returned to ODU and went on to get my Bachelors degree in Theology, and then decided to go for the Masters of Arts at Loyola and now graduating at the age of 60. So I have been in school a total of eight years straight. Whew! So graduating with a pretty darn good grade point average has been a great accomplishment for me at this point in my life.

What was your greatest challenge at IPS and how did you overcome it?
I would say that my greatest challenge was not academic, but more of a spiritual challenge. Staying true to my personal spiritual beliefs and being open to learning new religions and spiritualities. Before returning to college I was very active in the Native American spiritual traditions which included a strong belief in God and the Bible.

My undergraduate school was Catholic and Loyola is Jesuit and these two denominations were different from my spirituality at the time of my return to education. However, I was very familiar with both the Catholic and Jesuit traditions. My parents raised us in an Episcopal church and I attended a Catholic church with one grandmother and the A.M.E. Church (African Methodist Episcopal) with the other grandmother, so I have always had a variety of religions in which to observe.

The challenge as I said before was to open heartily engage in listening and learning the Catholic and Jesuit traditions in more depth than attendance of a Sunday morning service.

What are you doing post graduation?
Currently, I have been accepted into the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics. I will be pursuing another Masters of Arts in Bioethics and Health Policy. Also, I would like to teach online at LUC or any other college in the field of religion, theology, or humanities classes. I would also like to pursue some writing projects, which would include my masters thesis topic of Black American Female Spirituality. I quickly learned during the research for my paper that not a lot of books or articles exists on this topic for academic purposes.

My thesis paper addresses some of the issues that Black Americans, male and female, possess about fair treatment within many areas in America, and due to the mistreatment of their ancestors many Black Americans are despondent and afraid that they will not get quality healthcare or medical treatment.

The ugly history of the Institution of American Slavery, the Tuskegee Experiment and the present day welfare system are some of the instances that has left some deeply rooted scaring on many Blacks in America that needs to be remedied and soothed. This is why I want to pursue the Bioethics degree to help change the myths and unlearned thinking of many Blacks and help them to better trust medical doctors and hospitals to give the fair treatment and medical care that they deserve.

How has your education from IPS prepared you for your new role/projects?
Wow! The IPS department at LUC has prepared me to be more confident in my conversations about God, the Church, and religion. All of my classes, the ones in my direct curriculum and including the ones out of my direct curriculum such as human development, psychology, and community development, were so essential to understanding the role of a pastor as well as a lay person and the purpose of the Church.

The IPS department has some great professors who encourage out of the box thinking and teaching that allows students to get the pertinent information, process that information and use the information as needed in a mannor that can be used on a daily basis to help individuals understand the ever changing world we live in today and how to stay rooted in the words of God and HIS covenant with humankind that never goes out of style.

What are your future goals and how do you see yourself going to “set the world on fire?”
My first thought to this question is the world is already on fire enough. What we need to do now is put out a few of these fires that are beginning to burn out of control. There are literally fires burning peoples homes and causing mental and emotional strife, and there are racial and gender fires burning  that need to be extinguished. There is hunger and disease in the United States and world wide that needs to be addressed. The food supply in the United States is under attack as well and it is attacking our bodies, our health, and the health of our children. So you see we as Christians and as followers of Jesus Christ need to focus on helping to put out some of these fires.

I will be on fire searching for people who feel as I do, who are looking for more positive media coverage of those people who are already working to solve these burning issues. We are constantly  being bombarded with the negative in the world but there are many of us who are working hourly and daily to help in all of these situations and I hope to become more active as well.

Any additional information:
I would like to add to my fellow older sisters and brothers who are considering and perhaps already working on furthering their education that the IPS department at LUC is a great place to get your graduate education.

The online degree is a great way to get your education, especially if you are working and have young children to take care of or if you are older, or if you have a medical condition or may be you are taking care of your elderly parents, or if you just don’t feel like doing the brick and mortar class room scene. You can relax at home and go to class in your pajamas if you feel like it. The classes are great! You still interact in live class discussions and even get to know your classmates to make lasting friendships and your professors are always available to meet with you and advise you and help you achieve you educational goals.

If you wish to connect to Patricia Underwood, you can email her at punderwood@luc.edu. 

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.

6-25-2015 | Comments Off on Alumni Feature: Patricia P. Underwood

Coming Home – The Journey from Heaven to Your Adopted Home

Catherine Conley is a graduate of IPS and has recently authored a book that explores the circumstances and questions that surround adoption, especially in regards to her own daughter. She is currently a Global Consultant on issues of organizational learning and development, but her journey as an author began at IPS.

“My writing career began during my graduate studies at Loyola University’s Institute of Pastoral Studies in Chicago. I was introduced to the Hebrew writing tradition ‘midrash’. The translation of midrash varies from ‘to investigate’, ‘to study’, ‘searching out’, and ‘a story’… The first midrash I wrote was about the story of Jesus in the desert; alone, hungry, thirsty, and tired. He was about to begin a ministry that would change the world like nothing else in human history. My midrash attempted to answer the question; Why would he choose to go to a desert, a place of suffering and death to prepare? As a young graduate student living on a vibrant, dynamic urban campus his choice mystified me.”

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Consultant Exec Transitions to Story Telling
Daughter’s Abandonment Inspires Story of Faith and Divinity

LAKE BLUFF, Ill. – It was late afternoon, September 18th, 2003. Catherine Conley was in her Chicago office on a conference call with her Beijing staff dealing with issues that were critical to her role running Asia operations for a global consulting firm. At the same time, the residents of Shaoyang City, China awoke to find a mysterious blue blanket on a nearby bridge. Wrapped inside was an abandoned baby girl, not even a day old. The convergence of these two events unfolded a year later, when Conley, her husband and son travelled to China and adopted this baby girl.

Engaging and thoughtful, Conley talks about how the adoption process was the beginning of a parallel career as an author. “’Where did I come from’ is a universal question that most children ask in their early years.” Conley says. “The answer to this question can be vastly more complex for adopted children”. “Coming Home: The Journey from Heaven to Your Adopted Home” (published by Balboa Press) addresses questions that Conley believes her daughter will someday ask about her birth circumstances.

Vividly illustrated by Claire Pandaleon, “Coming Home” tells the story of a journey from heaven to an adopted home. In a manner that is imaginative and profound, the book tells the story of why one child did not remain with her birth mother.

Circumspect in discussing the merging of careers – consulting executive and author – Conley says “for me, the answer to most of the challenging questions today – professionally and personally – are spiritual in nature. That means, ‘of our spirit’, ‘of our intuition’, ‘of inspiration’.  There are a surprising number of executives who are ready to engage in this conversation. And, of course, some who are not.  I can’t imagine it will be a conversation on CNBC’s ‘Squawk on the Street’ anytime soon.”

Laughing, Conley discloses her husband is in the latter group. “My husband is grounded in proof and reason. We have a 20 year plus conversation about the intersection of the world of Spirit and the physical world. Through her book, Conley connects spirituality and divinity with a story of abandonment and mystery.

It’s easy to see how Conley is able to bridge the cultural challenges one might typically face when running a business in Asia. Conley is articulate and gracious, easily inserting nuances of theology in stories of Board Room politics with Chinese executives. Throughout her book, Conley connects spirituality and divinity with a story of abandonment and mystery.

**The proceeds from “Coming Home” will be shared among three adoption charities; Gift of Adoption, The Adoption Center of Illinois at Family Resource Center and Half the Sky.

The Gorton Center in Lake Forest, IL will be the venue for a Book Launch and Signing Party on Thursday, July 16 @ 530pm

“Coming Home” By Catherine Conley Illustrated by Claire Pandaleon
Softcover | 8.5 x 11 in | 50 pages | ISBN 9781504327664
E-Book | 50 pages | ISBN 9781504327671

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn.

5-18-2015 | Comments Off on Coming Home – The Journey from Heaven to Your Adopted Home

IPS Alumna Leads Church in Giving $500 Checks to Parishioners

Rev. Laura Truax graduated from IPS with a Master’s of Arts in Pastoral Studies and a Master’s of Divinity. She is currently the senior pastor at LaSalle Street Church.

Spearheaded by Rev. Truax, LaSalle Street Church distributed checks to its parishioners in hopes that they use it to give back to the community over the Christmas season. The full story was featured in a Chicago Tribune article (below).

Loyola IPS is proud to call Rev. Truax an alumna and hope her work inspires others to think outside the box and do great things.

Read more about Rev. Truax and LaSalle Street Church here. 

Chicago Tribune article reads:

Church gives congregants $500 each to do good

“Christmas came early for people in the pews of LaSalle Street Church the first Sunday in September. That morning their pastor handed them $500 checks.

The Rev. Laura Truax, pastor of the evangelical church in Chicago’s Near North neighborhood, told worshippers that the money came with no strings attached, only encouragement to do good works and an early December deadline to either spend, cash or deposit the checks.

The money, totaling $160,000, came from a windfall of more than $1.6 million — proceeds from the sale of Atrium Village, a racially integrated housing development that was the collaboration of four neighborhood churches: Fourth Presbyterian, St. Matthew United Methodist, Holy Family Lutheran and LaSalle.

While each church has managed the income differently, LaSalle began by setting aside the traditional tithe — 10 percent of its share — for about 320 of its worshippers.”

To find out her inspiration behind the checks and what the parishioners did with the money continue reading on Chicago Tribune.

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn

1-13-2015 | Comments Off on IPS Alumna Leads Church in Giving $500 Checks to Parishioners

IPS Alumnus Authors “Busy and Blessed”

Loyola IPS Alumnus, Chuck Thompson, recently published Busy and Blessed: 10 Simple Steps for Parents Seeking Peace, a book that aims to help parents balance the craziness of raising children and the need for spiritual peace.

Between paying the bills, buying groceries, returning emails, getting the kids to their activities, working overtime and updating your Facebook status, who has time for prayer or a moment of meditation?

If you want a deeper relationship with God, and you know God wants a deeper relationship with you, Thompson’s book offers solutions.

Woven within a fictional tale about a deacon in Chicago and a mysterious visitor named Francis, the 10 steps are intended to transform the attitude of parents as spiritual seekers. The mission is for the readers to incorporate each of the steps into their daily lives, where they can find God’s message in every activity and disruption—and live a more peaceful life because of it.

Thompson graduated from IPS with a master’s degree in Religious Education. In addition to being an author, he has served the Archdiocese of Chicago as a deacon since 2011.

Thompson leads retreats, workshops and seminars on a variety of Catholic topics, as well as teaching at Saint Ignatius College Prep. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Amanda Thompson, and their three children.

His wife also aides in ministering to the community by hosting a half hour radio show on Relevant Radio 950AM, entitled Made for Life, which airs the second Thursday of the month from 9:30-10:00am. She interviews people doing good work with marriage and family around the Archdiocese of Chicago and beyond.

A look inside the book:

2014-10-22 11.44.32

Simple Steps for Busy Parents Seeking Peace

1. Burn a Boat or Two

2. Judge Not

3. Listen Up!

4. Love Your Imperfections

5. Face the Music and Dance

6. Think Water, Not Rocks

7. Be a Philosopher King

8. Always Click “Like”

9. Become a Bridge

10. Live Each Day As If You Are Going to Live Forever – Because You Are!

Thompson’s book is available on Amazon and BarnesandNoble.com in paperback, Kindle and Nook editions. A percentage of royalties from all book sales will be donated to the New Hope Food Pantry in Chicago.

 

Join the conversation by following @BrianSchmisek on Twitter and @LoyolaIPS on Instagram! Also, network with the Loyola Chicago IPS community on LinkedIn

1-08-2015 | Comments Off on IPS Alumnus Authors “Busy and Blessed”

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