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The Magazine of The Catholic Chapel & Center at Yale University Spring 2018 p 8 The Chapel's Stations of The Cross p 2 STM's Newly Commissioned Icons p 20 Engaging In Your Faith STMSTAY IN TOUCH WITH STM @stmyale @STMatYale Visit us on the web @ stm.yale.edu www.facebook.com/stm.yale.edu https://new.flocknote.com/stm Download from the iTunes App Store for iphones or the Google Play Store for android phones. STM App Editors: Robin McShane is the director of communications at STM. Sarah Woodford ' 10 M.Div. is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and STM’s library director. Assistant Editors: Jan Fournier ' 06 M.A.R. is a graduate of Yale Divinity School and a member of the STM community. Frank Greaney ' 68 M.P.H. is a graduate of the Yale School of Public Health and a member of the STM community. STM MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS Writers: Julia Borowski '18 is a senior at Yale College and a member of the STM chapter of Cathletes. Ibeabuchi Chukwuma GRD ' 18 is a student at Yale’s Jackson Institute for Global Affairs and is a member of STM’s graduate council. Anthony Domestico ' 12 Ph.D. is an assistant professor of literature at Purchase College, SUNY and the books columnist for Commonweal. His book, Poetry and Theology in the Modernist Period, was recently published by Johns Hopkins University Press Ella Henry ' 20 is a sophomore at Yale College and a member of STM's undergraduate council. Cory Hodson ' 17 M.A.R. is a graduate of Yale Divinity School. He is a campus minister and a theology faculty member at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, MA. Paul Kyumin Lee ' 18 is a senior at Yale College and a member of ESTEEM. Margaret Lukaszyk is the director of development at STM. Alex Parobek GRD ' 18 is a graduate student in chemistry and a former member of STM's graduate council. Catherine Oona Ring GRD ' 18 is a graduate student in the School of Nursing and a member of STM's 2018 Alternative Spring Break trip to Nicaragua. Design: Cadwell Art Direction Primary Photography: Robert A. Lisak About the Cover: Jesus Christ the Teacher glitters with gold and red from its place in the Prayer Alcove. Created by celebrated iconographer Marek Czarnecki, Christ blesses and begins to teach the onlooker with his right hand while holding an ornately decorated book in his left – the Gospels. Around his head are three Greek letters: omega, omicron and nu. They are the first three letters of the phrase, “I am who am.” Pictured: new photo Mission Statement Saint Thomas More Chapel & Center serves the Catholic community at Yale by: · Creating a vibrant and welcoming community through worship and service · Cultivating informed faith and spirituality · Engaging in reflective discourse on faith and culture · Advancing the Church’s mission of promoting social justice · Participating in the global Church’s life and witness Raquel Davis GRD '19 In This Issue 268 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06511-4714 Phone: 203-777-5537 Fax: 203-777-0144 stmchapel@yale.edu Follow us online: stm.yale.edu STM Chaplains Rev. Robert Beloin, Ph.D., Chaplain Sr. Jennifer Schaaf, O.P., M.A., Assistant Chaplain Rev. Karl Davis, O.M.I., M.A., Assistant Chaplain Carlene Demiany ' 12 M.Div., Assistant Chaplain Allan Esteron M.A., Assistant Chaplain STM Magazine is published twice a year for our alums, parents and friends. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the entire STM community. 1 SAINT THOMAS MORE CHAPEL MEMORIES 2 STM'S NEWLY COMMISSIONED ICONS 5 CATHLETES 7 A YEAR WITH ESTEEM 14 FAITH & FOSSILS 18 A REFLECTION ON NICARAGUA 20 ENGAGING IN YOUR FAITH Features STM MAGAZINE SPRING 2018 6 FAITH IN THE REAL WORLD 8 FROM THE ARCHIVES 11 DONOR SPOTLIGHT 13 POP CULTURE 16 THREE QUESTIONS 22 OPEN BOOK 23 SNAP SHOT Father Karl baptizes Nathan Gonzalez as his father Jacob '14 Ph.D. holds him. Father and son were baptized at Easter Vigil.FROM THE Chaplain’s Desk Dear Friends: As we move from the joyous Easter season into Ordinary Time, so does the University, with the excitement of Commencement moving into the quietness of summer. This is a time for planning, rest and preparation for a new group of students who will be arriving in August. This past semester has been anything but ordinary. In January, Father Bob Beloin, the Chaplain of STM, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He has undergone treatment and will continue to do so, which has limited his ability to be physically present at STM. He has certainly been in the hearts and minds of the STM community and holds all of us in his prayers, as we do for him. We hope that with rest and additional treatment, he will be able to resume his ministry at STM in the near future. Over the years, and especially the last two years as he planned for his retirement, Fr. Bob has worked to make STM a place that will flourish. We have benefitted from his vision and hard work. The articles in this issue are a further testament to his influence on STM’s mission. Allan Esteron, the newest Assistant Chaplain, talks about the development of STM's social justice programming and Catherine Oona Ring, a nursing student, reflects on her Alternative Spring Break trip to Nicaragua. Fossils and icons may seem like unlikely candidates for commonality, but they both are windows into wonder and the glory of God. We also hope you enjoy the newest addition to the STM Magazine, “Donor Spotlight,” featuring STM alum and Board Member, Will Edwards '02. I hope reading Will's story inspires you. This October, we will be celebrating the 80th Anniversary of the Chapel. The vision of Father Riggs has allowed for thousands of students, faculty, staff and friends to pray together as part of the Universal Church. Some of the most poignant moments have been celebrated in the Chapel — infant and adult baptisms, joyous weddings, fond farewells, Mass of the Holy Spirit, prayers for the academic year and the ongoing cycle of the Paschal Mystery celebrating the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Mark your calendars and save the dates of October 6th and 7th for a grand celebration. As we move into the summer, take time to enjoy the longer days. Consider how you might share in the mission of STM, celebrating the legacy Fr. Bob has provided. May you celebrate the end of the Easter season with joy and continue to celebrate the simple joys of ordinary life. “As we move into the summer, take time to enjoy the longer days. Consider how you might share in the mission of STM, celebrating the legacy Fr. Bob has provided. ” Sr. Jenn Schaaf, O.P., M.A. Assistant Chaplain The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord let his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord look upon you kindly and give you peace. Numbers 6:24-26 Congratulations Graduates! From all of us at STMSave the date! The weekend of October 6th and 7th, we will celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the STM Chapel. The vision of Father Riggs has allowed for thousands of students, faculty, staff and friends to pray together as part of the Universal Church. To celebrate the Chapel’s 80th anniversary, we are collecting favorite Chapel memories, anecdotes, photos and stories from members of the STM community. If you have an anecdote or photo you would like to share, please let us know! Some submissions may be posted on STM’s website or on social media. Follow the link to share a memory or upload a photo: stm.yale.edu/chapel-memories. Saint Thomas More Chapel Memories 1.2. STM’s Newly Commissioned Icons: Reflecting the Chapel’s Past, Present & Future Frank Greaney '68 M.P.H. with Sarah Woodford '10 M.Div. f you look behind you during Mass, you may notice the Prayer Alcove, a recessed wood-paneled space at the rear of the Chapel. And, if you are lucky, you may see the Jesus Christ the Teacher icon, glittering gold and red in either sun, or electric, light. Soon, and in honor of the Chapel's 80th Anniversary, this icon will be joined by more in the fall of 2018. In the latter part of 2017, the STM Leadership Team directed their focus on a special way to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the consecration of the STM Chapel. Father Bob wanted more icons to accompany the icon of Jesus Christ the Teacher in the Prayer Alcove, providing the STM community an array of beautiful sacred images, with a full pictorial range of time and place and gender and race and culture. The final outcome was to equally reflect the STM student body and community. Fr. Bob was eager to connect with the artist he had originally commissioned to execute Jesus Christ the Teacher. Assistant Chaplain Carlene Demiany '12 M.Div. was tasked with leadership of the project and her first accomplishment was the identification of Marek Czarnecki, the prominent iconographer who drew the original icon of Christ. Marek is a widely recognized iconographer of great renown; his studio is located in nearby Meriden, CT. Carlene identified sixteen iconographers from around the world. Most iconographers, she learned, are only able to commit to writing and completing four to eight icons within a year’s time. These specialized artists are known for their deep research and painstakingly detailed approach to their work. Her interviews with the artists clarified their ability to meet the deadline of fall 2018 and to meet other requirements of the STM commissions. A total of seventeen icons were to be commissioned: one permanent icon and sixteen icons that would rotate with the liturgical season. Consensus then developed on three finalists: Grace Zazzaro of Mystic, CT; Marek Czarnecki of Meriden, CT; and Sister Anne Sekul, R.S.M., of Silverton, OR. Careful consideration was applied to identify saints, venerable figures and gospel scenes that best reflected the cultural heritage, the legacy and the prominent charisms of the STM community. During Advent, the STM community would encounter icons of Joseph, Mary, John the Baptist, and Elizabeth and Zachariah—all members of Jesus's earthly family. This collection of icons would be the most traditional of the commis- sions, and the leadership team hoped that students, who may be missing their families during holiday preparations, would gain solace through praying with Jesus's family. For Lent, eight Doctors of the Church, paired in four icons, would be displayed to give students inspiration for research and highlight one of STM's charisms: study. St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux; St. Catherine of Siena and St. Hildegard of Bingen; St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Robert Bellarmine; and St. John of the Cross and St. Jerome all embody STM's guiding principles of “Study Act Pray.” I Pictured above, top to bottom: Sister Anne Sekul’s working drawing for the Hemorrhaging Woman icon. Marek Czarnecki applies gold leaf to an icon outline. Marek Czarnecki's cabinet of paint tints.3. (continued on page 4) During Ordinary Time, gospel scenes of the Good Samaritan and the Hemorrhaging Woman would remind the community of STM’s charisms of mercy, compassion and hospitality to both New Haven and Yale University. The scenes would also be accompanied by the Venerable Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy, as well as an icon including St. Patrick and St. Bridget. The former would honor the role of women religious in the STM community and the latter would honor the Irish heritage of many of the STM community members. The current artwork in the Chapel— including the etched glass windows— focuses on European saints; but, the current STM community and students come from all over the world. Many of STM’s students also belong to Yale’s Cultural Centers. It was important for their involvement in both the life of STM and the life of the centers to also be recognized and represented. In an effort to represent the universal Catholic Church through the commissioned icons, saints that represent the various Yale Cultural Centers would also be displayed during Ordinary Time: the Korean Martyrs (Asian American Cultural Center), St. Martin de Porres (La Casa Cultural), St. Kateri Tekakwitha (Native American Cultural Center) and St. Josephine Bakhita (Afro-American Cultural Center). One icon, that of STM’s patron saint, St. Thomas More, would be permanently housed in the Chapel, truly making him “the man for all seasons.” In discussions of icons and iconography in Christianity we encounter a rich trove of history, art, worship — and yes, even battle. Simply put, an icon is defined as an image of the holy, an image that is used for veneration. Ancient Christian tradition holds that some early icons were credited to divine agency. These were known as acheiropoieta (not made by human hands). An early icon, the Madylion, was a white cloth imprinted with the face of Christ by Christ and cited as a miracle icon. In the twelfth century, an icon Marek Czarnecki works on the icon of St. Thomas More. Inset above: Jesus Christ the Teacher.4. Sister Anne Sekul, R.S.M. Mt. Angel, OR Sr. Anne Sekul, R.S.M., a Sister of Mercy, is a graduate of the Iconographic Arts Institute located at Queen of Angels Benedictine Women’s Monastery. Her greatest joy, she reports, is in writing icons. She has spent seventeen years writing commissioned icons. She has worked for years under the tutelage of Kathy Sievers, one of the founding teachers of the Iconographic Arts Institute. Ordinary Time: Korean Martyrs, St. Martin DePorres, St. Josephine Bakhita and St. Kateri Tekakwitha. Advent: Joseph, Mary, (Elizabeth and Zachariah) and John the Baptist. Lent: (St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Lisieux), (St. Catherine of Siena and St. Hildegard of Bingen), (St. Bernard of Clairvaux and St. Robert Bellarmine) and (St. John of the Cross and St. Jerome). Permanent Icon: St. Thomas More Ordinary Time: Good Samaritan, Hemorrhaging Woman, Catherine McAuley and (St. Patrick and St. Bridget). Grace Zazzaro Mystic, CT Working from her Athella Icon Studio on Enders Island, Grace Zazzaro will write a number of icons for STM. Grace studied at the Chicago Art Institute. Her iconography mentoring was under the tutelage of Iconography Masters in Moscow, Belarus and Greece. Her current mentor is George Kordis of Athens. Marek Czarnecki Meriden, CT Marek Czarnecki will be writing STM-commissioned icons from his studio, Sephardic Restorations. He is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts in New York City. Marek continues to work under the tutelage of Russian Orthodox iconographer Ksenia Pokrovsky, foundress of the Izograph School in Moscow. image of the Virgin Hodegetria was believed the handiwork of St. Luke, prompted by “divine agency.” In that icon, Mary cradles the Christ Child in her left arm as her right arm points to the infant. Hence, the tradition of St. Luke as the original iconographer of Christ. While we usually consider icons as paintings, they can take many forms: coins, ivory, marble, precious metal, enamel, textile, mosaic and fresco. Icons can portray an individual, a place, a group or an event. Icons carry with them an implied expectation that the viewer will approach it with deep devotion, will venerate the icon (often by kissing) and proceed to contemplate and meditate—and even emulate—the subject of the work. However, icons were also often mounted on poles and carried into battle, hardly a meditative experience. Yet, unlike those icons carried into battle, STM’s new icons will be a meditative experience, providing inspiration and opportunity for the spiritual advancement of STM students and community members. Truly, the new icons will take their place and become a part of an eighty-year-old Chapel, guiding those who encounter them in the practice of devotion, veneration, emulation and belonging for decades to come. The Iconographers & Their Icons Works Referenced: Nouwen, Henri. Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons. Revised Edition. Notre Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2007. Visel, Jeana. Icons in the Western Church: Toward a More Sacramental Encounter. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2016. Many thanks to Assistant Chaplain Carlene Demiany '12 M.Div. and Fr. Bob for their insight, work and wisdom in both spear-heading this project and shaping this article. Pictured at left: a collection of completed icons in Marek Czarnecki's studio.5. Every Wednesday night, a crew of student athletes—easily spotted on campus with our team backpacks—makes its way into the student lounge at STM. Often sore from the day’s workout, or the seemingly never-ending midterm season, we gather in community and prayer as Cathletes. Brought together by our shared faith and experiences as both Catholics and athletes, we congregate to take stock of our spiritual lives and to track our individual faith journeys, applying our collective penchant for training routines and athletic goal-setting to our lives as Catholics. Revived from a previous group at STM, we began coming together last semester. Led by Tim Ritchie, a professional long distance runner and volunteer assistant coach with the Yale Track and Field team, Cathletes has become an inviting outlet for us to foster friendship across teams while engaging in theological dialogue. Tim serves as a mentor to us all, bringing his rich background in the Catholic intellectual tradition and his experiences as an exceptional athlete to our discussions—Tim holds a masters in theology from Boston College and is the 2017 USA Track & Field national champion in the marathon. Together, we have sought to better incorporate prayer and meditation into our daily lives as we learn to see the beauty of God’s works in the small moments that are too often drowned out by the demands of grueling athletic and academic schedules. With these moments of joy also comes the practice of realizing our shortcomings and honestly assessing where we need to grow as Catholics and as athletes. Deriving inspiration from Tim Muldoon’s The Ignation Workout, we apply our athletic experience to the exercise of our spiritual lives through a guided “training” regiment, one drawn from the life and writings of St. Ignatius. Just as we do with our teammates in our respective sports, our weekly meetings keep us accountable to our faith development and provide support and comfort as we pursue common goals. For me, Cathletes is a bright spot in my week, allowing me to pause for a moment among track workouts and laboratory experiments to shape my spiritual life. While I won’t be racing in a Yale uniform for much longer, I will carry with me the support of this STM community for many miles to come. Cathletes: Praying & Training for Miles to Come Julia Borowski '18 L to R: Emma Osborne '21, Chloe Jensen '21 and Tristan Furnary '20Next >