By Margaret Hogan
In the fall of 2004, University President the Rev. E. William Beauchamp, C.S.C., announced the inception of the Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture. At its beginning the President said, "The University of Portland and the Garaventa Family together have formed a remarkable creative force ... that can and will transform lives, transform American culture, and carry the extraordinary message of Christ deep into the heart of our society. That message ... is the conviction that every life is holy, every life a gift, every moment a miracle." As the Garaventa Center approaches the completion of its fifth year in existence, it is time to look back, with joy and gratitude, and to look forward with hope and excitement.The Garaventa Center is the gift of the Garaventa Family of Concord, California. Mary and Silvio Garaventa have long been benefactors of the University of Portland. Three of their children - Silvio, Jr., Marie, and Joe - attended the University of Portland.
Looking Backward - joy and gratitude
Since its beginning the Center has hosted conferences, lectures, symposia, art exhibits, and concerts, and is, at this moment, preparing the fourth book to come from the Center. The inaugural and dedicatory conference was "Teaching, Faith, and Service: the Foundation of Freedom." The conference brought an international set of scholars to the campus. The keynote address was given by Judge John T. Noonan - a federal judge in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. His lecture "Transparency in Theology" provoked interesting discussion both at the conference and long after. The second conference - "The American Experiment: Religious Freedom" - examined the tension in the religion propositions of the first amendment. A distinguished group of American scholars, as well as students from the University of Portland, contributed to the conference. Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Antonin Scalia presented the keynote address, "Realism and the Religion Clauses." The Garaventa Center hosted several lecture series. The series "Voices of Faith; Voices of Women" brought presentations on Catholic, Jewish, Lutheran, and Islamic traditions in the voices of women who practice and rejoice in those traditions. The series "Evolution, Intelligent Design, and God" brought the participants to that debate onto our campus for several weekends of study and conversation. The Red Mass returned to campus in the fall of 2008. The Red Mass - a tradition of the legal community - was celebrated by Archbishop John Vlazny; the homilist was Fr. Beauchamp; and the Garaventa Lecture was presented by Robert Bennett - distinguished D.C. attorney. A series on sacred music brought both song and word to the campus to explore the service of music ministry to liturgical practice. The exhibit on sacred iconography - both writing icons and words about the function of the icon - scheduled for Feb. 23-26, 2009 - was preceded by an exhibit of the work of Fr. John Domin and the calligraphy of Chuck Lehman. The Center has hosted an annual lecture in Black History Month by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers and an annual lecture by Fr. Charles Gordon, C.S.C., on Catholic literary figures. In the spring of 2009, the Center will host the symposium "Let Faith Serve the City." The symposium will study the many ways that the faith community serves the polity and explore areas of potential constitutional roadblocks. The keynote address for the symposium will be given by John DiIulio who holds the Frederick Fox Chair in Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania. DiIulio, author of "The Godly Republic," held the first cabinet position on faith-based initiatives. He will be joined by Mother Alcena, Boozer Brother Bob Smith, and Brother Dave Andrews. Mother Alcena's career in Portland Public Schools as a teacher, counselor, and administrator spanned 26 years. Mother Alcena, an Episcopal priest, is the rector of St. Philip the Deacon Episcopal Church in Portland. She continues her role as social advocate at the intersection of faith and education; Brother Bob Smith is a member of the Order of Friars Minor-Capuchin and serves as President of Messmer Catholic School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a K-12 with over 1000 students included in the city's school voucher system. A champion of giving under-served families a choice in education, Br. Bob is a strong advocate of allowing publicly funded school vouchers to be used for religious schools. Brother Dave Andrews is senior representative for Food and Water Watch and advisor to the President of the United Nations on food and water. Br. Andrews was the executive director of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference. NCRLC is the lead voice for the Catholic Church in the United States on food, farm, farm-worker and environmental concerns.
Looking Forward - hope and excitement
In June 2009, the Rev. James Lies, C.S.C., will take over the reins of the Center. Fr. Lies is a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross and a member of the faculty at the University of Portland. He has a doctorate in psychology with a special interest in moral development theory. He has a master's degree in divinity. He completed post doctoral studies at Stanford before Fr. Tyson, C.S.C., Provincial of the Holy Cross Community, appointed him to the University of Portland. Fr. Lies is committed to continuing the work and special projects of the Center and will take it in new and exciting directions. And he will have the continuing help of Ms. Jamie Powell without whose remarkable dedication none of the work of the Center would move forward.
Words of Thanks
As I complete these words of summary and planning, it is time to take my farewell with words of gratitude. I would like to acknowledge that none of this work could have been accomplished without the support of the entire University. I have had, throughout my tenure here, the unwavering support of the President and the Provost. Because we are a Catholic University the celebration of Mass has been central in all of our activities. Campus Ministry provided exquisite liturgical celebrations fashioned to the needs of each event. The members of the Congregation of Holy Cross have graced the events of the Garaventa Center with their presence and in this have provided visible witness of their support for its work as their work. My colleagues - the holders of the endowed chairs at the University - served in dual roles of advisor and foil in planning the work of the Center. The marketing staff contributed their creativity and expertise to fashion beautiful flyers, programs, ads, and books to invite the community - both town and gown; close and distant - into the activities of the Garaventa Center. The events staff and the staff of the physical plant used their remarkable powers that can only be described as magical, to transform the commons, the Chiles Center, and Buckley Center auditorium into appropriate venues. The staff of Bon Appetit served marvelous meals with white glove graciousness that sent participants home reciting encomiums to their hospitality. Many members of the faculty made the work of the Center part of their work as they saw in the Garaventa Center a place to advance the work of "Oregon's Catholic University." I have been privileged to have an advisory board to guide the work of the Garaventa Center; their expertise and generosity served to enhance its work. I am grateful to the Garaventa Family without whose dedication and generosity there would be no Garaventa Center. I remain forever in debt. Other words of gratitude are too deep to be spoken or written. They remain cor ad cor loquitur.
