Learn
Dialogue
Serve
Catholic Identity permeates and inspires the Loras College community in vivid and diverse ways. As one of a select number of diocesan Catholic colleges who are rooted in a particular region of the country cultivated by pastors and persons of faith, Loras’ heritage extends more than 175 years in its providential locale along the Upper Mississippi River Valley. French emigrant Bishop Mathias Loras initiated the educational mission that continues to integrate faith and reason into our study and scholarship, our professional and social interactions, and our service to communities of varying size and composition. Our commitment to the Catholic intellectual tradition informs our inquiry and enfolds all the “dwelling places” of reasoned investigation, science, artistry, and reflection that touch on the universe and our part in it. The wideranging canopy of this living tradition, in which all things human become familiar to us, spans the complementary and sometimes competing points of view and voices that stir dialogue and spur us on our pilgrim way to understand truth on a comprehensive scale. We highlight aspects of Loras’ Catholic identity by situating them against a panorama of unfolding moments in which our Catholic culture and commitment are manifested. Some moments are more transparently evident while others are more subtle; all are inextricably linked to our Catholic faith tradition. Please enjoy our elevated tour of campus as we spotlight a few “moments of grace.”
Celebration
Reverence
community
challenge
Catholic Identity Statement Loras College is a Catholic, diocesan college explicitly oriented to promote service of both church and world through encouraging all members of the community in development of their diverse professional, social, and religious roles. The college strives to be a community demonstrating the highest standards of the Catholic intellectual tradition and welcoming all people into a dialogue to promote core values of truth, respect, responsibility, excellence, and service. Recognizing that Christ summons us to continual reformation as we go our pilgrim way, we assert the following principles:
We promote an open atmosphere of critical inquiry and academic conversation that includes varied voices, past and present, across Catholic and other traditions. The Catholic intellectual tradition upholds the impartial search for truth. We encourage the ongoing conversation between faith and reason based on the confident hope that there is in human life a truth founded on reality. We endorse academic freedom which makes open discussion and inquiry about truth possible. We reverence the spirituality of each person. From the Catholic perspective, spirituality is a response to the grace God gives to all to share the divine life and friendship. Because each person is created in God‘s image, we are responsible to one another and called to respect God‘s creation in all its forms. Catholic tradition has stressed both the dignity of the individual and communal participation in the formation of personal conscience. The human spirit must be cultivated in such a way that there results a growth in its ability to wonder, to understand, to contemplate, to make personal judgments, and to develop a religious, moral, and social sense. We recognize the importance of personal and communal worship. A vital dimension of a Catholic college is prayer and worship, which increases our sense of responsibility for the world. From the Catholic sacramental tradition, we affirm the idea of a God who acts in history on our behalf, a God who sent Jesus, who lived among us, who taught, who died for us, who rose from the dead and is present in the Eucharist and alive and at work in the world today. We value the integration of the material and spiritual, through creative rituals for prayer and celebration. We seek a vision that calls for awe and reverence, sends us forth to serve, and compels hope that peace would be possible as the result of a more perfect justice among people. We welcome the responsibility to serve. The Catholic social tradition affirms a solidarity built according to justice, enlivened and integrated by charity, and put into practice in freedom. Called to build up the reign of God, we must meet our responsibilities to protect human dignity. Aware that the world is an imperfect place, we challenge ourselves to embrace the joy and hope, the grief and anguish of the men and women of our time, especially those who are poor or afflicted in any way. We advocate respect for diversity. As a Catholic college, we are called upon to be particularly attentive to the rich variety among the people of the world. We seek to foster dialogues that will promote understanding, cooperation and respect. We value ecumenism and collaboration among all people. In every dimension of what diversity entails, human dignity must always be maintained. We invite all members of the community to enter serious conversations and ask hard questions that together we might promote the core values of Loras College. [i] Loras College Mission Statement [ii] Cf., Unitatis Redintegratio, the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism, #6. [iii] Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Apostolic Constitution of Pope John Paul II on Catholic Universities, #7, emphasis in the original. [iv] Cf., Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1996. [v] Gaudium et Spes, the Second Vatican Council’s Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World, 59. [vi] Ecclesia de Eucharistia, Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paul II, On the Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church, #20. [vii] Sollicitudo Rei Socialis, Encyclical Letter of Pope John Paull II, On Social Concern, #10. [viii] Cf., Pacem in Terris, Encyclical Letter of Pope John XXIII, On Establishing Universal Peace in Truth, Justice, Charity, and Liberty, #167. [ix] Gaudium et Spes, #1. [x] Cf., Ex Corde Ecclesiae, #45.
Moments to Learn
Emily Nelson (’15) listens to APUFRAM students practice reading on the Honduras Service Trip.
Members of the Breitbach Catholic Thinkers and Leaders Class of 2015 gather outside the Vatican on their J-Term study trip to Rome.
“Each individual who I have met at the Brother David Darst Center in Chicago, where I’m fulfilling my Valder Social Justice award, has shared a part of their story with me. Often I find that this story is dramatically different from the stories the media tells—not to mention, it has forced me to look at my own biases, prejudices, and tendencies to stereotype others. Ultimately, I have learned that in order to make any lasting change, any systemic change, I cannot just know about a person—I have to know them.” Hannah Way (’15 ) Rockford, Illinois
“The dignity of education lies in fostering the true perfection and happiness of those to be educated... Once their passion for the fullness and unity of truth has been awakened, young people will surely relish the discovery that the question of what they can know opens up the vast adventure of what they ought to do. Here they will experience ‘in what’ and ‘in whom’ it is possible to hope, and be inspired to contribute to society in a way that engenders hope in others.” (Pope Benedict meeting with Catholic educators, Washington, D.C., April 17, 2008)
St. John Paul II described reason and faith as the “two wings” by which we ascend to truth. Members of the Loras community consistently bring the resources of reason and faith to bear on aspects of our world and on ultimate questions concerning God and human destiny. Critical inquiry is joined to a sense of wonder, all the while believing, as Charlene Becicka poetically instructs, that no single thing is “created without reason,” for even a moth is “made to grace the night.” We are not afraid to go wherever evidence leads us, since ultimately, “truth cannot contradict truth.” •
The Breitbach Catholic Thinkers and Leaders program selects 15 first year students each year who commit themselves to studying the Catholic intellectual tradition on human dignity and human rights, character, vocation, leadership, conversion and social responsibility. Students in this program apply their studies by developing service and spiritual initiatives within the Loras and wider communities, and they enjoy a study abroad opportunity in their junior year.
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Catholic Studies explores Catholicism as an intellectual, social, and cultural phenomenon. The Catholic Studies minor enables students to explore manifestations of Catholicism in theology, philosophy, history, politics, economics, literature, science, and the arts.
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The Peace and Justice minor also draws from various academic disciplines. It includes such courses as Ethical Considerations in Criminal Justice; Social Inequality; Race & Ethnicity; Issues in Environmental Biology; The Working Poor; Arab-Israeli Conflict/Peace in Israel & Palestine; Conflict Resolution; Cross-Cultural Psychology; Sociology of Education; Asset Mapping Iowa Latinos; The Sustainable Community; Modern Brazilian History; Literature of Oppression and Resistance; and Issues in Christian Ethics.
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Over 15 courses have been designed to incorporate Catholic social teaching as a core component in the course. Thus students encounter Catholic social teaching across the curriculum in courses in English, math, history, criminal justice, computing and information technology, social work, education, and sociology.
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Students can choose from an evolving cycle of January term and semester-long study abroad opportunities, such as Martyrs, Mendicants and Masterpieces, and Philosophy the Rise of Christianity in Italy; The Way of St. James pilgrimage in Spain; and Celtic and Roman Christianity in the British Isles. Study away travel opportunities include The March for Life in Washington, D.C.; La Frontera: The Latino Experience at the U.S.-Mexican border; Teaching for Social Justice in Chicago; and Gandhi the Interfaith Peace-builder in India.
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The Alpha Chapter of Delta Epsilon Sigma (ΔE∑), the National Catholic Honor Society, was founded by a Loras College faculty member, Father E.A. Fitzgerald, in 1939. There are now over 100 chapters in the U.S. With the Loras English program, the Loras chapter of DES co-sponsors The Limestone Review, an annual publication of student literary and scholarly work.
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The Cardinal O’Connor Endowed Chair for Catholic Thought is awarded annually to a faculty member to pursue a special project engaging the Catholic tradition. Awards have resulted in the publication of books and monographs, the organization of symposia, and a musical production of the Gospel of Mark.
“Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.” Proverb 4:13
Moments of Dialogue
Stacia McDermott (’03) (Peace & Justice Coordinator), Casey Flack (’17), Laura Bohorquez Duque (’17), Kyle Marugg (’16), Sara Alfayoumi (’16), Emily Nelson (’15), Anna Speltz (’16) pose with Dr. Eboo Patel (third from right) after his Common Time lecture.
Students present at the Inaugural Loras Legacy Symposium, 2014.
“In my years teaching at Loras I have been struck by how the College’s Catholic identity sustains a culture that welcomes not only diverse persons but ideas as well. The Catholic intellectual tradition embraces both faith and reason, believing that the search for truth cannot fragment knowledge or ignore fundamental dimensions of existence. At some colleges or universities questions of faith, meaning, spirituality or morality can become marginalized, but the intellectual life of Loras embraces such questions as central. Ideas that may be overlooked elsewhere are welcomed here in an atmosphere of open, civil and challenging dialogue.” Dave Cochran, Ph.D., Professor of Politics.
“The profound changes that have led to the ever spreading multicultural societies requires those who work in schools and universities to become involved in the educational programs of exchange and dialogue, with a bold and innovative fidelity able to bring together the Catholic identity to meet the different ‘souls’ existing in a multicultural society.” (Pope Francis, Address to Congregation for Catholic Education, February 13, 2014)
The “canopy” of Catholicism extending over Loras campus culture engenders dialogue. Members of the campus community explore and celebrate distinct expressions of human identity and striving, and affirm what persons hold in common. Cardinal Walter Kasper observes, “Dialogue is not only an academic and intellectual exercise,” but seeks “common ideals and values, for freedom and justice, for peace and reconciliation, for family values, preservation of creation, and above all for the sanctity of life.” Dialogue, ultimately, is a means to friendship. •
In order to foster dialogues that will promote understanding, cooperation, and respect, the College sponsors Catholic Identity Hospitality Dinners drawing together scores of students, staff, and faculty in an ambiance of food, discussion and reflection. Topics range from ecumenical perspectives on “Who is God?” to conscience and political participation, the business of sport and the portrayal of women, the sexual abuse crisis and response in the Church, literary depictions of the human body’s sacramentality, Data Poverty, and a panel discussion on Pope Francis’ papacy.
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Building on relationships formed in the Qur’an study group at Loras, the “Children of Abraham” monthly series hosted by Loras history professor John Eby, Ph.D., and local Islamic, Jewish, and Christian leaders sustains monthly interfaith dialogue on themes such as peace, race and discrimination, inspiration, creation, human sexuality, and civil disobedience.
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The Fr. Ray Herman Center for Peace and Justice at Loras College generates programs devoted to dialogue around social justice issues including immigration and refugees, nonviolent resistance, Fair Trade concerns, poverty, and the environment and sustainability. Fr. Herman was a Dubuque priest whose life was taken in 1975 while tending to the poor and vulnerable of Bolivia.
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Students live in intentional residential communities that include rich conversations about faith and prayer in common; these communities include the Koinonia House sponsored by Campus Ministry, and the male Sons of Joseph and female FIAT groups.
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Staff-Faculty “Mini-Retreats” integrating meditation and prayer are sponsored quarterly by the Spiritual Life Division. Loras employees and invited guests present reflections on work as vocation, selflessness and centeredness in Eastern spiritual traditions, how to disconnect from overly electronically-connected lives and adapt to change, going “all in” for Lent, and Celtic spirituality.
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Inspired by Interfaith Youth Corps (IFYC) founder Dr. Eboo Patel, Modes of Inquiry consecutive classes of first year students together read Patel’s “Acts of Faith,” relating personal stories with interfaith awareness and attitudes. Several Loras students and campus ministry staff have undergone IFYC-sponsored leadership training.
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The Archbishop Kucera Center for Catholic Studies sponsors faculty-staff reading and discussion groups each semester, engaging themes such as the Catholic imagination, Catholic Social Teaching, the collected writings of Dorothy Day, Augustine’s Confessions, and the aesthetic dimensions of Catholic thought and practice.
“Peter proceeded to speak and said, ‘In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him’.” Acts 10:34-35
“[In the First Letter of John] the unbreakable bond between love of God and love of neighbor is emphasized. One is so closely connected to the other that to say that we love God becomes a lie if we are closed to our neighbor or hate him altogether.” (Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est, n. 16).
Motivated by the rich heritage of Catholic social teaching, we recognize and embrace the call to serve. Our attitude of service on campus overflows into service to the local, national, and international communities. As a diocesan college, we value our service to the Archdiocese of Dubuque. •
In conjunction with the Better Together/President’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, for which Loras was the 2014 President’s Top National Award Winner, campus constituents gain understanding of the Catholic Church’s teaching encouraging interfaith and ecumenical engagement, foster student appreciation for faith-based motivations for performing service, and enable Duhawk students seeking to find just solutions for poverty to serve existing local Dubuque organizations.
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As part of their first days on campus for Launch into Loras, all new students participate in a service project in the Dubuque area with faculty, staff, and upper-class student leaders.
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Loras athletic teams likewise commit themselves to perform area service projects with coaches and staffs collaborating to foster team spirit and unity with those in need.
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Every academic break, service trip teams of Loras students accompanied by staff and faculty travel to places such as New Orleans, Chicago, Mississippi, Kentucky, North Carolina, and Honduras to assist with housing renovation, tutor children in school-related programs, feed the homeless, engage the elderly, and critically reflect upon the culture and structure of organizations with the ongoing commitment to serve disadvantaged persons in these locales.
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Loras students organize campus members every Christmas season to donate needed and desired items to over 300 children through a local social service agency; education majors sponsor “respite nights” of parents with disabled children and actively incorporate Catholic social teaching in the January term course where they serve in the Chicago Pilsen neighborhood.
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For almost three decades, the Valder Social Justice Award inserts students into projects pursuing systemic social change. Examples include: Interfaith Worker Justice, NETWORK Catholic Social Justice Lobby, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Catholic Charities and Brother David Darst Center.
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Loras faculty teach classes and serve as spiritual directors for the Archdiocese of Dubuque’s IMPACT program, Diaconate Formation Program and the St. Pius X Seminary program at Loras.
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The Archbishop Kucera Center for Catholic Studies sponsors offerings in the Catholic intellectual tradition and applied ministry, including the annual International Day of Peace lecture, faculty-staff book clubs, publications by Loras College Press, and collaborations with the Archdiocese of Dubuque to provide pastoral leadership study days.
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Center for Experiential Learning (CEL) coordinates faculty-delivered courses and other community partnerships that integrate service learning in Chicago, Dubuque, and other areas.
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The personalist spirit of the Catholic Worker movement advanced by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin lives on in the solidarity of Loras students and staff with the Dubuque Hope House and New Hope Catholic Worker Farm, realized in shared meals, prayer, talks, labor and other forms of witness.
“The way we came to know love was the way he laid down his life for us; so we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” First Letter of John 3:16
Moments to Serve “Our service trip to McKee, Kentucky, involved serving this poverty-stricken community Thanksgiving dinner and singing Christmas songs to the local nursing home residents. The smiles and happiness from the people gave me a feeling of gratitude beyond words. As a group we bonded together, we lived together, we served together, we played together, and we prayed together. The one thing that will always be in my heart are the reflections that we all shared at night before going to bed.� Mick Urbain, Campus Safety Officer, Faculty/Staff Accompanying Adult – McKee & Honduras service trips
Launch into Loras students serving the community.
Loras student assists community member in learning new technology.
“I can say that the most beautiful and natural expressions of joy which I have seen in my life were in poor people who had little to hold on to. I also think of the real joy shown by others who, even amid pressing professional obligations, were able to preserve, in detachment and simplicity, a heart full of faith. In their own way, all these instances of joy flow from the infinite love of God, who has revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 7)
Among the fruits of the Holy Spirit, occasions of joy that transcend human planning and performances affirm the presence of a God who does not remain far off, but forever with us. We value the integration of the material and the spiritual through creative rituals for prayer and celebration. Proclamation of God’s saving activity in Christ is joined with gratitude for the avenues opened at Loras to pursue life passions. We celebrate moments all along the way in order to bless one another and magnify our sense of solidarity and wonder for all God does for us and through us. •
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Large community gatherings honor student and faculty accomplishments: Student Awards and Recognition Luncheon; the Legacy Symposium; faculty and staff recognition receptions; and the “Last Lecture” event at the end of the year where a retiring faculty member is charged with sharing a “last lecture” reflection. Weddings of Loras alumni, faculty and staff are celebrated in Christ the King Chapel, and marriage preparation provides an additional sacramental ministry connection with the larger Loras community. As a visible expression of our faith community sending forth its members to serve the world, the service trip Commissioning Prayer takes place within the context of the Mass before each academic break as a sign that our faith is the root of our service to the world. The resounding “Chariots of Fire” theme fills the Rock Bowl stadium as the Sports Camp Olympic ceremonies open and close the celebration of the week’s accomplishments each summer session of Loras All-Sports Camp. The Liturgical Music Program and the Fr. Wilkie Liturgical Music Fund support and sponsor the worship experience at Loras and the development of trained liturgical ministers who upon graduation are capable of taking up active roles in the Archdiocese of Dubuque and beyond. The Dewey Awards Banquet for athletes happens in the spring of each year, in addition to specific team celebrations of accomplishments. “Man of Deeds” Bishop Loras biographical DVDs produced by Craig Schaefer (’89) and Loras College Productions, involved Mike Gibson at the Center for Dubuque History and professor Amy Lorenz, whose “grand opening” at Mindframe Theaters was attended by hundreds. Families and graduates of the Breitbach Catholic Thinkers and Leaders Program and the Honors Program gather for special receptions in conjunction with the graduation festivities to celebrate their formation and scholarship, adding to the larger Loras community’s joy, thanksgiving, and sense of new beginnings expressed in our Baccalaureate Mass and Commencement ceremony. Students from Nepal studying at Loras instituted a tradition of celebrating the Hindu festival of Dashain, an October celebration of goodness and light of great importance to families in Nepal. Their invitation to celebrate together initiated a greater interfaith awareness among members of the Loras community, which spurred further investigation of other important holidays and common celebrations among a variety of faith traditions. Loras celebrates graduates (including second-degree pre-theologians) as they are ordained priests for Dubuque and other dioceses. As part of the national Catholic Schools Week celebration, Loras College hosts an on-campus reception for teachers and staff from the local Holy Family Catholic School system. Transcending language and poverty barriers, and uniting in the joy of service, Loras students annually provide joyfilled Easter egg hunt experiences for children in the Honduras APUFRAM school communities, as well as the local Dubuque community, through a Holy Week Service Trip.
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior. The Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.” Luke 1:46-47
Moments of Celebration
Debbie Gross (Campus Minister), Sarah Link (’14), and Carol Anderson (’12) celebrate with prayer at the Annual Interfaith Festival of Lights.
Emily Steepleton (’14) and Madeline Schroeder (’14) joyfully express their Loras spirit at their Commencement ceremony.
“For faculty at Loras College, ‘vocation’is the call to teach and learn, and consequently, to serve. Tenure and promotions are awarded based on teaching, scholarship, and service. We announce and celebrate these milestones and other awards, frequently during Heritage Week, through public announcements, formal celebrations, and gifts. By honoring faculty accomplishments, we affirm both the vocation of teaching and learning and the rich intellectual tradition of the College’s Catholic Identity.” Cheryl Jacobsen, Ph.D., Provost & Academic Dean
Moments Of Reverence
Student adoring the Blessed Sacrament in St. Joseph’s Chapel.
Shelby Roach (’15) makes her First Communion at the Easter Season Initiation Mass in Christ the King Chapel.
“The Mass of the Holy Spirit, which was held at our beautiful grotto, was a perfect way to start the year remembering what is most important. I truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit among our community celebrating together around the Eucharistic table. The sincerity of the prayers and the fellowship expressed at this Mass demonstrate the way in which the Loras community is sustained and nourished by our shared Catholic faith.” Rachel Fitzgibbon (‘15) Des Moines, Iowa
“To believe that the Son of God assumed our human flesh means that each human person has been taken up into the very heart of God. To believe that Jesus shed his blood for us removes any doubt about the boundless love which ennobles each human being. . . To believe that the Holy Spirit is at work in everyone means realizing that he seeks to penetrate every human situation and all social bonds.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 181).
God creates and sustains us with abundant, life-giving love. Through the incarnation of Jesus, the Word-madeflesh, God impresses divine presence in sacrament and sign and stirs our sense of mystery. Wonder is transformed into desire poetically expressed by Loras student Peter Benson, who prays to God to “hurl” him “into a snowflake,” “into a quiet field,” “into steel springs and ebony,” for “the places of peace I find, have you within them.” We are especially attuned to the dignity and spirituality of each person in whom the image of God uniquely dwells. •
Eucharist is central in the sacramental life of the Loras community, with daily and dynamic Sunday night liturgies. Other festive celebrations include the Mass of the Holy Spirit, St. Joseph Heritage Day Mass, and the Initiation Mass in Christ the King Chapel on Divine Mercy Sunday, when prepared Loras students and staff receive Easter sacraments.
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Weekday Eucharistic adoration takes place in St. Joseph’s Chapel, and Holy Hours are dedicated to student-athletes, priests’ jubilees, and prayer for vocations.
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The Grotto devoted to Mary located on central campus inspires prayer and petition (not only before tests!), and is the fair weather site for Wednesday night Mass. Other devotional sites include the Peace Pole, the Rosary Garden created by the student Daughters of Isabella organization, athletic areas, and campus residences where students gather for communal prayer.
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Among sacred music concerts, Mysteries of Christmas is a crowning event produced by Loras Choirs, Wind Ensemble, and the Spiritual Life division. Mysteries unites Loras and community members (including television audiences) through music, readings, and common prayer and draws them into Advent anticipating the birth of Christ.
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The Breaking the Silence student organization heightens awareness and advocacy for persons afflicted with mental illness, and for those who are victims of ostracism, violence, and bullying. Through education, outreach, and sponsorship of prayer vigils on central campus, the dignity of all persons is affirmed.
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Christ the King Chapel, which was dedicated in 1947 to all military chaplains and service personnel, houses a special plaque and religious articles remembering the ultimate sacrifice made by Father Aloysius Schmitt, who was the first chaplain to perish in World War II in the attack on the U.S.S. Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor.
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Stewardship of environmental resources is promoted by the Loras Sustainability Green Team. The team tracks energy and resource efficiency in campus buildings; they also advocate Fair Trade practices and purchasing within the College to foster what recent popes have identified as a genuinely “human ecology.”
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Interfaith dialogue, worship, and service takes place at various moments, including weekly reflection upon the Qur’an, the Festival of Lights, and the Children of Abraham series among tri-state area Jews, Muslims, and Christians.
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Students “come away for a while” on Antioch, Journey, and Spiritual Impact retreats, during Lenten reflection days and missions, and during the St. Pius X Seminary fall and spring retreats.
“It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praise to your name, Most High, to proclaim your love at daybreak, your faithfulness in the night, With the ten-stringed harp, With melody upon the lyre. For you make me jubilant, Lord, by your deeds; At the works of your hands I shout for joy.” Psalm 92:1-5
Moments of Community
Theresa Gwardys (’14) and Samantha Eckrich (’16), as members of the Daughters of Isabella chapter, volunteer at a Breast Cancer Awareness information table for the “Think Pink Night” Loras College volleyball game.
Ben Berning (’14), Melissa Wachuta (’16), Elizabeth Horihan (’14), and Jeffry Breitbach (’14) gather in the kitchen on the Glenmary Service Trip.
“The Legacy symposium is a day to gather as a community, to celebrate the work we do and the lives we touch through that work. The energy of the community can be seen in the conversations about research, service, and creativity—all vibrant and alive at Loras. The Symposium is a true celebration of the liberal arts, where we learn from each other and stand in awe of the great things we do as a College.” Erin VanLaningham, Ph.D., Associate Professor of English
“Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community, nor should the doors of the sacraments be closed for any reason... The Church is not a tollhouse; it is the house of the Father, where there is a place for everyone, with all their problems.” (Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 47)
Loras strives to create a climate of welcome and engagement where, in the spirit of Jesus, each person is cherished and recognized as no longer stranger, but friend. Blessed by a sense of genuine acceptance and inclusion, diverse members of the Loras community are encouraged to explore and express their core beliefs. A personal sense of life calling with the ability to enrich the Loras and global communities is awakened when we attend to one another with ears to hear, eyes to see, and hearts and minds open to each person who crosses our threshold. •
During Launch into Loras, the three-day orientation for first year students, 150 Loras students volunteer to serve as welcoming staff. They greet new students and families upon arrival and assist with moving into their residence space, creating a culture of hospitality and life. The Launch experience includes the initial Mass, opening Academic Convocation and Welcome Picnic, and half-day service projects conducted throughout the City of Dubuque and surrounding area.
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Loras annually celebrates the human spirit and athleticism of persons with disabilities and their families by hosting the Buddy Walk and Special Olympics events, and by cultivating relationships and communicating love and faith through the DuBuddies program.
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Hospitality is extended to students from Catholic University of the Vendée, our partner institution in France, as well as to students from Botswana, Brazil, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Kenya, Nepal, Netherlands, Peru, South Korea, United Kingdom, and Vietnam.
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Loras has an historical connection to Hope House, Dubuque’s Catholic Worker House of Hospitality. This ongoing connection enables students to interact and learn from guests and staff volunteers while preparing evening suppers, and engage in intentional reflection upon human dignity and hospitality in the Catholic personalist tradition.
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The Late Night Finals Breakfast provides comfort food to over 500 test-anxious Duhawks and is a joint venture by the Archbishop Kucera Center for Catholic Studies, Student Union, Student Life, and Spiritual Life divisions. Hospitality and food likewise converge at the International Dinner, year-opening day “Prayer and Pancakes” breakfast, and the Christmas staff and faculty gathering where items for Hope House Catholic Worker are collected for distribution.
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As a residential campus, Loras offers ample classroom opportunities to learn, and also cultivates a campus culture where more spontaneous, informal conversations occur in residence halls, the Alumni Campus Center, Athletic & Wellness Center, and in the Library where fair trade coffee (courtesy of the Fr. Ray Herman Peace and Justice Center) and conversation flows every Thursday morning.
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Loras connects ethics and responsibility with the Dubuque and surrounding communities through the annual Business Analytics Symposium and the Center for Business Analytics.
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In September of each year, Loras hosts the World Peace Day event with performances from the three area college/ university choirs and nationally-recognized speakers.
“Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.” Hebrews 13:2
“The development of individuals and peoples is likewise located on a height, if we consider the spiritual dimension that must be present if such development is to be authentic. It requires new eyes and a new heart, capable of rising above a materialistic vision of human events, capable of glimpsing in development the ‘beyond’ that technology cannot give. By following this path, it is possible to pursue the integral human development that takes its direction from the driving force of charity in truth” (Pope Benedict XVI, Caritas in Veritate, n. 77)
Loras College strives to connect the mysteries engaged by Catholic thought with the challenges of the world today. As a community we commit ourselves to stand up for the overlooked and powerless, regardless of their religion, and to use the arts and sciences to advance within the political sphere a message of social justice. “We invite all members of the community to enter serious conversations and ask hard questions that together we might promote the core values of Loras College.” • In the spirit of Catholic Social Teaching, students become part of the “working poor” in several January term experiential learning courses when they participate in a poverty simulation. This experience and the reflection discussion following strive to deepen students’ solidarity with the working poor. • Loras achieved status as a Fair Trade college in 2012 through an educational grant process with Catholic Relief Service. Results of this status have challenged the community to produce an educational video, provide fair trade coffee and tea, develop an awareness-raising interactive session with our intercollegiate athletics teams, and lead efforts to move the College into adopting a fair trade procurement policy. • In pursuit of the College’s core value of ethical decision-making, student teams have participated in mock trial, mediation, ethics bowl, and business case study competitions at the local and national levels. These competitions challenge students to research simulated and real-world cases and propose solutions based on Catholic Social Teaching. • Rooted in Catholic Social Teaching’s commitment to the family, each year hundreds of Loras volunteers raise over a hundred thousand dollars for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital and the Children’s Miracle Network through Dance Marathon. Planned and organized by student volunteers, year-round events celebrate children and their families served by the hospital and prepare for the crowning event—a dance marathon in their honor. • Students, faculty, staff and community members are connected to the City of Dubuque’s Bridges Out of Poverty/Circles initiative designed to offer a “circle of support” and mentoring to individuals and families working to move out of poverty and develop skills that help them achieve their goals. • Students, faculty and staff have been partnering with the Jonah House Faith and Resistance Community in Baltimore and the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker community in Washington, D.C., since 1985 for a Holy Week journey of service, urban immersion, and social advocacy and action. • Students are challenged to achieve a global perspective by studying away in such countries as Ireland, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Greece, South Africa, Argentina, New Zealand, Portugal, Costa Rica and China. • Loras’ MBA in Business Analytics is one of the few programs nationally that contains an Ethical & Social Responsibilities of Business component, which incorporates ethics elements into the decision-making process.
“Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:2
Moments of Challenge
Students promote Fair Trade in the Loras Pub.
Allyson Satterlee (’14) enjoys an afternoon with her DuBuddy.
“Living abroad in a place like South Africa truly tests a person’s ability to adapt to significant societal changes and his or her tenacity to make the best of given situations. I frequently experienced tests of my faith, and having received the foundation to respond to them accordingly, I found myself able to have a successful experience abroad. The wealth of resources given to me from Loras in the forms of knowledge and spiritual growth allowed me to be able to adapt to a variety of situations and thus gave me the best experience possible.” John Mitchell (’15)
Acknowledgements: This publication is the product of a year-long process of many interviews across all divisions on campus, prayers, reflections, and discussions of the Catholic Identity Committee: Ann Mauss, Associate Professor of Computing and Information Technology, Co-Chair; Colleen Kuhl, Director of Campus Ministry, Co-Chair; Rev. William Joensen, Dean of Campus Spiritual Life; David C. Cochran, Professor of Politics; Mary C. Dodson, student representative; Mike H. Doyle, Vice-President of Institutional Advancement; Janine M. Idziak, Professor of Philosophy; Colleen E. McKenna, PR and Social Media Manager; Matthew L. Rissler, Associate Professor of Mathematics; Nathan J. Roling, Assistant Coach, Baseball; John P. Sevcik, student representative; Arthur W. Sunleaf, Vice-President for Student Life; Helen H. Temeyer, student representative; Hannah E. Way, student representative Design consultation was provided by Isabella Irurita Piedrahita. Art direction was provided by the Loras College Marketing Department.
“A Prayer: After Bogdan Czaykowski” (Loras College Limestone Review, 2013, p. 48) Read and composed by: Peter Benson (’15) Psychology Major
“God Explains the Difference between the Sun and the Moon to the Moth” (Loras College Limestone Review 2011 (p. 68), Read and composed by: Charlene Becicka (’13)
Hurl me into a snowflake o creator
Are you jealous, moth, of your cousin Who seems far more beautiful than you? I gave her a radiant, yellow gown, While your frock is dusty and sallow.
But do not make me melt with the sun I want to remain suspended here Hurl me into the strawberries
I gave her the sun’s golden beauty. You think you seem plain in comparison And hide away in darkened corners. Do not be envious, dear little one.
But do not let me to be plucked from my bush The sweetness of the strawberry I would wish to retain Hurl me into a quiet field o creator
You were not created without reason. For, you I have made to grace the night. Though lacking day’s grandeur, you have been gifted too. Mystery and sensuality are your right.
And the skies I do not wish to be cloudy For the peacefulness of skies is retained in their blue Hurl me into a bicycle Ride past barns and quiet fields Hurl me into steel strings and ebony The vibrations and clouds of rosin emanate from the bridge
You, too, will have your chance to swoon. For love, albeit secret love, occurs beneath the moon.
The places of peace I find Have you within them Keep me in my place
BE MORE. BE LORAS.
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