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President's Message
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Father Terence Henry, TOR Dear Friends, When most people hear the word “renaissance” they think of great artists like Michaelangelo, scientists like Copernicus, and poets like Spenser. For me, however, a different person comes to mind: St. Francis of Assisi. In his biography of the saint, G.K. Chesterton wrote: “While it was yet twilight a figure appeared silently and suddenly on a little hill above the city, dark against the fading darkness. For it was the end of a long and stern night, a night of vigil, not unvisited by stars. He stood with his hands lifted, as in so many statues and pictures. About him was a burst of birds singing and behind him was the break of day.” That image captures the essence of the little man from Assisi who helped usher in a new springtime for the Church. Born nearly 300 years before the best-known figures of the Renaissance, Franciscan University’s patron saint anticipated and helped create the great revival of faith, culture, and learning that began in Europe during the High Middle Ages. |
Francis was a simple man, who never wrote great books or taught in a university. But he saw the world as God wanted men to see it. He knew that nothing in creation was ordinary because everything bore the mark of its Creator. Francis’ band of followers went on to reshape the way the world thought about man, nature, and God. Not confined to the cloister, they went into cities and villages proclaiming Francis’ vision of creation. They also founded great universities and helped men see that the end of all knowledge is not power, but God.
Today, some 800 years later, the mission of Francis’ first followers is still the mission of Franciscan University. Through our classic liberal arts curriculum, rich spiritual life, and total fidelity to the Catholic Church, Franciscan University is leading the renaissance in Catholic higher education. And, following in the footsteps of St. Francis, our graduates are bringing the light of Christ’s truth into the world.
Since becoming president of Franciscan University in 2000, I have met thousands of our alumni. Spread throughout the country and around the world, they are stockbrokers, doctors, and lawyers; missionaries, teachers, and small business owners; congressmen, bishops, and writers; mothers, fathers, and priests. They are remarkable not only for their accomplishments, but also for the Christ-centered passion they bring to everything they do. They truly are living as salt and light, transforming the Church and the world.
In the pages that follow, you’ll meet some of the students and alumni who have inspired me with their stories of faith and courage. You’ll also meet other members of our Franciscan family—faculty, parents, and friends—who help make us the University we are today.
Honoring our commitments to them, honoring our commitments to the next generation, and honoring our commitments to our Franciscan heritage are at the heart of Franciscan University’s current capital campaign. I hope and pray that you will join me in this important endeavor.
In Christ,
Father Terence Henry, TOR
President