(IPS would like to thank Professor Emeritus Peter Gilmour for penning the following commemoration.)
Rachel “Randy” Gibbons died of cancer in mid-October. During her thirty year career at IPS, Randy served with five directors in several positions. She started as Receptionist and quickly moved to Administrative Assistant. During the last several years of her tenure at IPS, she served as Assistant Director. During Randy’s time at Loyola, IPS developed several new degree programs and relocated to the Water Tower Campus. For several years, she administered the scholarship program, and was the behind-the-scenes person who not only kept track of an amazing amount of detail but also organized a myriad of IPS special events, Leavetakings and Graduations among them.
One faculty member summed up Randy’s unique approach to her work: “Randy’s emphasis was pastoral. No job was beneath her, no rank was above her, and she found ways and means to support so many students who might otherwise have fallen through the cracks.” Randy’s long and loving service to IPS was honored several years ago when an endowed scholarship was established and named in her honor.
Randy was a 1968 graduate of Mundelein College, and shortly before she died, was delighted to celebrate her 50th anniversary with her roommates from college. While working here at IPS, Randy enrolled in the Master of Pastoral Studies degree program and received her Master’s degree from IPS in 1988.
During her retirement years, Randy continued her lifelong love of reading. She was quick to recommend engaging books she had read. She also enjoyed going out to dinner with her many friends. But, first and foremost, was her family. Her four children and eight grandchildren lovingly engaged much of her time and attention. Her husband Bill who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, died less than a year ago.
*** Above photos were shared by Randy’s daughter, Tracey Gibbons. ***
IPS Dean Schmisek noted, “Many attendees engaged in a meaningful way with the panelists, who offered insightful analysis and thought-provoking comments. One of the participants said it felt as though the panelists were offering ‘ministry’ to those in the audience.”
The evening was a culmination of a joint effort from IPS, Dr. Murphy and the Hank Center, and Jocelyn Cheng from Alumni Relations. Rebecca Weller was also on hand as a resource and advocate.
Welcome to Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. My name is Dr. Brian Schmisek, Dean of the Institute of Pastoral Studies here. On behalf of our Institute and Dr. Michael Murphy, Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, tonight’s co-sponsor of the event with us, I thank you for being here.
Welcome to Loyola University Chicago’s Water Tower Campus. My name is Dr. Brian Schmisek, Dean of the Institute of Pastoral Studies here. On behalf of our Institute and Dr. Michael Murphy, Director of the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, tonight’s co-sponsor of the event with us, I thank you for being here.
We have assembled a distinguished panel to discuss the topic “Integrity and Accountability in the Catholic Church.” With more and more revelations forthcoming in the news, we consider it part of our mission and duty as a Jesuit Catholic University to provide this forum in an academic setting.
Let me say at the outset that we will be discussing some sensitive topics. With statistics telling us that one in three women and one in six men will have experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetime, it is likely that there are some here tonight who have had this happen to them. This is a tragedy and our sympathies go out to you.
We also have with us tonight Rebecca Weller, an advocate who can provide support and resources for anyone that feels upset or triggered by the subject matter. Rebecca also has literature and other handouts available.
I should also mention that this event is being live-cast and recorded. If you have a comment or question for our panel, but are not comfortable being on camera you can wait until after we conclude at 8:30 to come up and ask your question or make your comment.
So with that, let me introduce our panel. Each will speak for about 10-15 minutes from their own perspective. After each has spoken, I’ll moderate the discussion, and Dr. Murphy will have a roving microphone. We will conclude at 8:30.
Justice Anne Burke has served on the Illinois Supreme Court since 2006. Before that, she served as a Justice on the Illinois Court of Appeals since 1995. She is a founder of the Special Olympics in 1968. She also was one of the first members appointed to the National Review Board for the Protection of Children and Young People and served on that board from 2002 – 2004.
Dr. Rick Gaillardetz is The Joseph Professor of Catholic Systematic Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology at Boston College. He served as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America in 2013-14, the largest professional association of Catholic theologians in the world with over 1400 members. He is a noted expert on ecclesiology and his books include a revised and expanded edition of By What Authority? Foundations for Understanding Authority in the Church, published by Liturgical Press this year.
Dr. Jennifer Haselberger holds a Ph.D. from the University of London in England, and a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium. She served as the Chancellor for Canonical Affairs in the Archdiocese of Saint Paul until April of 2013, when she resigned in protest of the Archdiocese’s handling of sexual misconduct by clergy. That same year she was selected as the Person of the Year, by the National Catholic Reporter. The following year she received the Michael J. Ehrlichmann Public Service Award from the Minnesota Association of Justice and the Trivison Award for demonstrating visionary leadership in the Catholic Church.
We are so pleased to have these distinguished panelists here to share their thoughts.
Over the last two years, Loyola University Chicago’s Institute of Pastoral Studies (IPS) has awarded close to 40 merit-based scholarships to various students in an effort to continue its mission to facilitate the integrated ministerial development of diverse and dynamic leaders for creative, compassionate, and courageous service to church and society.
“Due to the generosity of many benefactors, we can provide these scholarships to our students so upon graduation they can make a meaningful difference unencumbered by high levels of debt. We believe the world needs our students,” said Brian Schmisek, director of Loyola’s Institute of Pastoral Studies. “These scholarships reflect the hope and promise we see in them and their bright futures.”
Every year, IPS administers a limited set of scholarship and grant funds. IPS awards merit scholarships and ministry grants on the basis of academic achievement, leadership, embodiment of the IPS mission, and commitment to social justice. Merit awards cover a portion of for-credit tuition for the duration of the academic year in a degree program at the institute. Some of the scholarships offered include:
Deacon WP Worden Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Richard C. and Rosemary K. Leach Endowed Scholarship
Blanche Marie Gallagher B. V. M. Endowed Scholarship
Joan G. & Leonard D. Richman Family Foundation Scholarship
Ginny Lynch Memorial Scholarship
Rachel (Randy) Gibbons Endowed Scholarship
Robert O’Gorman Endowed Scholarship
Richard Daly is in his 3rd year at IPS pursuing the M.A. in Pastoral Counseling. When asked about how receiving an IPS scholarship has impacted his life, Richard, an ordained Episcopalian priest, says:
“This is my third year at IPS. I have taken 30 credit hours so far. The IPS scholarships and grants have greatly and tremendously impacted my life in that I do not have to work as much in my side jobs. I am helping my daughters with their loans and paying my tuition, too. Additionally, I also have more free time to volunteer in the community or serve at a parish. Without that aid, my time would be spent trying to rustle up tuition money through side jobs.”
“Next year, when I retire, the scholarships will help me even more. Though I am in a dialogue with my Bishop’s office about returning to parochial ministry, my studies at the IPS are of high priority to me. If I could not meet my financial obligations to the IPS, I know that without a doubt I would readily and easily give up on this program because I am going to be even further stretched financially in 2019.”
The Institute of Pastoral Studies is proud to announce that IPS faculty members: Heidi Russell, Associate Professor, Michael Canaris, Assistant Professor, and Brian Schmisek, Dean and Professor, were recently awarded with the following publishing awards:
Heidi Russell received second place in the category of “Faith and Science” from the Catholic Press Association’s Book Awards for her book “The Source of All Love.”
The Source of All Love is a “fresh approach to an age-old doctrine, brings together theology and science to reveal an active, conscious, omnipresent power of Love that never began, never will end, and guides the universe and everything in it. The key to spiritual evolution is awareness and participation.”
Heidi Russell was also announced a co-winner of the first place award for “Best Regular Column: Spiritual Life” by the Catholic Press Association’s Press Awards 2018 for her article “Love Revealed in Brokenness.”
Michael Canaris received third place in the same category for his article “Science & Catholicism” in the publication Catholic Star Herald.
Speaking on receiving his award, Canaris said “I have written a weekly column for the Catholic Star Herald newspaper for almost a decade now, which included stops in Boston, New York, Connecticut, Durham (UK), Rome, and Chicago. It is honestly among one of my favorite professional activities each week. I think needing to prepare a regular column affects the way one views the world, as he or she is always then looking for an interesting angle to describe what could be a very mundane experience. The practice also undoubtedly makes one a better writer; to come to better appreciate words as tools designed for particular jobs and to distill sometimes deep or arcane theological realities into more digestible bites. I am thankful for the mutually informing roles my ecclesiological study and journalistic tendencies play upon one another, and I’m humbled to have some modicum of recognition for these efforts in serving the People of God as efficiently as my limited capabilities allow me.”
The Living Liturgy: Spirituality, Celebration, and Catechesis for Sundays and Solemnities Year B is a comprehensive guide for the preparation of Sunday liturgy– integrating daily living, prayer, and study into one simple resource for connecting liturgy and leadership.
Congratulations IPS Faculty!
7-02-2018|Comments Off on Three IPS Faculty Members Recipients of Publishing Awards
Photos from 2018 Graduate School & Institute of Pastoral Studies Commencement
Loyola University Chicago’s Graduate School and Institute of Pastoral Studies Commencement ceremonies were held together at the Gentile Arena on May 8, 2018.
For a number of years, IPS students have requested the opportunity to live in “Intentional Communities”. There already exist several options for participating in intentional communities in Chicago (e.g., Amate House) but we want to make available as a pilot project the opportunity for students to self-select an “Intentional community” as a LUC residential life option.
For the upcoming year (2018-19) we have two suites (three bedrooms each) that are available for this purpose. We anticipate three men will be in one suite and three women in the other suite. To be clear, there is no programming specifically developed for this community but it does provide an opportunity for those who want to experience communal life with others and who wish to be intentional about this process. Sometimes “intentional community” is defined as a community of those seeking a high degree of social cohesion. Exactly what shape this particular intentional community forms will be up to the individuals who participate in this option.
Students will be assigned to a triple room apartment style suite at Baumhart Hall (26 E Pearson) along with two other IPS students. Each student will receive their own bedroom with shared common living spaces. These apartments come furnished with one bed, one desk and chair, and one dresser in each bedroom. The common area is furnished with two kitchen stools, one sofa, and two side tables. The annual room rate (fall semester, winter break, and spring semester) is $12,180-$14,470 USD per student. Students are also required to submit a $500 USD deposit that will be later put toward the annual room rate. Summer rates for 2019 have not yet been released but would be subject to an additional charge. Meal plans are optional for an additional charge.
The deadline to apply for this opportunity expires May 15. Students may submit a housing application through LOCUS by selecting the Residence Life link on the left hand side. Interested students are encouraged to contact Kristin Butnik at kbutnik@luc.edu in IPS or Clair McDonald, Assistant Director for Housing in the Office of Residence Life at CMcDonald5@luc.edu.
Dr. Luca Badetti has just joined the IPScommunity as an Adjunct Assistant Professor. He will be part of the Pastoral Counseling program and will teach two Fall 2018 classes: “Research Methods” and “Foundations of Pastoral Care”.
Dr. Badetti was born in Rome, did middle school in Milan, and then moved to the United States. He obtained a master’s in Clinical Psychology from the Institute for the Psychological Sciences at Divine Mercy University and a doctorate in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), writing his dissertation on “Self-Determination and Community Life in Persons with Intellectual Disabilities”.
VoyageChicago recently published a detailed profile on Dr. Badetti, highlighting among other things his current work as the Community Life Director at L’Arche Chicago, “a multi-cultural faith community on the west side comprised of three homes in which people with and without intellectual disabilities live together ordinary life (sharing meals, going on outings, praying together, etc.).” In this role, Luca supports community life across its different layers: hiring and training assistants/staff, leading team meetings, events and retreats, accompanying, listening and walking with people as they grow through their community journey.”
We would like to share below Dr. Badetti’s responses to a few questions we recently posed to him:
Why IPS? What drew you to this program?
I have come to believe that life reveals itself to us as we journey along – it can surprise us and lead us, sometimes in very unexpected ways. This is true across its different domains, even the academic and professional one.
I didn’t plan to find Loyola University’s Institute for Pastoral Studies but I found it, and it found me.
To give a bit of background, during my undergraduate studies I wanted to study the human person in a holistic way, and one discipline was not enough to do so! I therefore double majored and double minored, seeking to bring together theology, philosophy and psychology.
I obtained a master’s in clinical psychology from a graduate institute of the psychological sciences (its abbreviated name was IPS too!), which sought to combine psychology with theology.
I then continued my own reflection on integration, which continues to this day. This reflection also informs and has been informed by my community leadership and pastoral experience in L’Arche, a movement of faith communities in which people with and without intellectual disabilities share life together in a spirit of belonging. I currently am the Director of Community Life in our Chicago community, which I became a part of once I moved to the city about eight years ago for my doctorate in Disability Studies.
I was already interested in IPS when I found out about it years ago, having known some of its students but also one of its founders. Considering my background, here it was…an institute that sought to combine psychological and theological insights for the accompaniment of people! How could I not be interested?
IPS then found me, inviting me to teach as one of its adjunct professors.
How do you feel about joining IPS?
I am honored and pleased.
I just mentioned a bit about my academic/community background…I find so many connections between it and the focus of IPS. I am glad to now be part of the IPS team.
Coming originally from Rome and currently living in Chicago, I also find quite exciting that IPS has a presence in both Chicago and Rome. Yet another connection!
What are your expectations about being part of the IPS family?
I am ready to be surprised!
Expectations, on the other hand, can be tricky, precisely because of what I was mentioning before about life revealing itself. Expectations can be like little boxes in our heads, while life is so much bigger than them. But, yes, I am open to being surprised.
Finally, can you share a personal spiritual practice that continues to restore and re-energize your mind, body, heart and spirit?
I believe there is a deep core to spirituality, beyond words, that is very intimate, mysterious and profound. Like other intimate realities, it should be protected and not exposed.
There is also a level in spirituality that is personal while also being communal and social, from which one can share with others using words and from which I am drawing my reply to your question.
Instead of using the concept of a practice I do, I’d like to speak of a reality I like to enter into – and also nurture: leisure.
What in Italy is called the “dolce far niente” (the sweet doing nothing) is a beautiful being present. Whether sharing coffee with a friend, listening to music, enjoying good food, sitting quietly, strolling around and so forth, leisure can be a delightfully human, and therefore profoundly spiritual, experience. That primacy of being over doing.
On April 5th, IPS and Loyola Alumni Relations co-sponsored a networking event that featured the following speakers who presented on the topic “Ministry in a Dynamic World: Finding Focus, Activating Energy, & Nurturing Gifts”.
Fr. Jason Malave, Cardinal’s Liaison for Renew My Church, Archdiocese of Chicago
Ann Ridge, IPS Alumna 2002, IPS Adjunct Instructor, and PhD candidate at The Chicago Theological Seminary
Keyalo Gray, MS Ed., Career Advisor, Loyola University Chicago
Close to 40 people participated in the event, including several who viewed our livestream via the IPS Facebook page. Many thanks to Associate Dean and Assistant Clinical Professor Peter Jones for managing the livestream, undertaken to enhance the overall IPS experience of our online/distance students. Finally, over 20 people supported the IPS Student Scholarship Fund.
We’d like to thank Deirdre, Fr. Jason, Ann, and Keyalo for sharing their time, talent and treasure with us that evening.
A Lenten reflection from IPS Assistant Professor, Michael Canaris:
Theologian Daniel Groody, CSC has reflected on strengthening our spiritual disciplines in various demonstrations of solidarity and renewal, some of which are particularly appropriate for Lent: focusing on prayer, simplicity and recollection in regular moments like the Sabbath. One of the most eye-opening of these practices he suggests is considering a “fast from technology.”
The average American checks their phone every 12 minutes or over 80 times per day. More than two-thirds of us get at least substantial portions of our news from social media sources, which are intentionally designed to offer stories based on previous inclinations and interests. Self-sorting “traditional” media outlets on television and radio provide much of the same. All of this results in an increase in tribalism and the silos of echo-chambers that characterize so much of our public discourse. Dialogue with one another becomes strained. And if we claim to love God who we cannot see while refusing to hear the cries of our neighbor who we do, then we are liars according to the Word of God.
We often have recourse to fall back somewhat easily on the (admirable) directives of the church when it comes to questions of what our fasts should look like during Lent. These regular calls to penitence help us raise our hearts and minds to God, to focus on our radical dependence and constant need for God’s presence, forgiveness and revitalization in our lives.
But it’s also important to remember that God does not somehow intrinsically prefer one half of our surf and turf predilections over the other on certain days of the week. Choosing lobster over filet on Friday merely out of a rigorist interpretation of the law offers negligible impact on one’s spiritual life, and even less on the nature of God’s unbegotten and eternal beatitude and beneficence. (That said, I have eaten meatballs after midnight on early Saturday morning raids to the refrigerator more times in my life than I would like to confess in public.)
But to recalibrate the grounding of our self-mortifications consistently, it is essential to return often to the words of the prophet Isaiah, among my favorite in all of Scripture:
“Why do we fast, but You do not see?
Why humble ourselves, but You do not notice?”
“Look,” says the Lord, “you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers.
You fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist.
Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high.
Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself?
Is it to bow down your head like a reed, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes?
And you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?
Is not this rather the fast that I desire: to loosen the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and to bring the foreigner into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wounds shall be healed quickly.”
Our use of technology, which has given us countless blessings, is also increasingly enabling us to practice all too habitually the last of these divine condemnations. When our phones and computers hinder real connections and instead allow us sufficient cover “to hide our humanity from our own kin,” we know that we have not only a cultural but a theological problem.
Fasting from food is not the same thing as forced starvation. So too, a willingness to examine our practices regarding technological communication is not a compulsory abandonment of those realities that are necessary for the betterment of our professional and personal lives. But an honest scrutiny will likely reveal addictive or detestable practices for which a day of fasting may now be appropriate or necessary.
This may be the year when assessing and addressing these tendencies could help us grow closer both to our human neighbor and to God.
This reflection first appeared in Catholic Star Herald. Michael Canaris, PhD is an Assistant Professor at IPS. You can reach him at mcanaris@luc.edu.
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