Faculty Happenings, Summer 2023

Recently, Linda Cerabona Director of Music/Organist) was privileged to attend the Ordination Liturgy of Alan Soto-Hopkins and Jesus Gomez of the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona from June 1-June 5. During her visit, she was invited to consult with the Bishop, the rector, and the cathedral music director on their current pipe organ project in St. Augustine Cathedral, a prominent Spanish Colonial cathedral. She was delighted by their invitation and was edified to see the Catholic church in the southwest is alive and well!

The American Guild of Organists (AGO)North Shore Chapter hosted the Great Lakes Regional Convention on June 25-28, 2023. The North Shore Chapter has a rich history and was founded in 1958. This chapter spans numerous northern suburbs and showcased the many fine instruments found on the North Shore. Linda Cerabona, Director of Music and Organist, served on the Hospitality Committee and was headquartered in Evanston, IL.

The 65th Annual American Theater Organists Convention was held on July 2-7, 2023 in Lisle, IL and was hosted by the Chicago Area Theatre Organ Enthusiasts (CATOE).The convention featured our historic and magnificent 4-manual, 21 rank Howell-Wurlitzer theater organ. Our Auditorium was chosen for three concerts where over 400 audience members delighted to hear three nationally known theater organists perform. Linda Cerabona, Director of Music and Organist gave the welcome before each concert. We are grateful to CATOE for volunteering to take such good care of our instrument since 1973. In 2014, CATOE began the restoration of the 1921 instrument its original splendor. Because of their good efforts, this instrument was chosen to be featured. We are grateful to CATOE and our University Guest Services for welcoming our international guests for each concert!

Dr. Linda Couri, Associate Professor, will serve on the ATS committee for Reaffirmation of Accreditation to Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity. The four-day evaluation will take place in Minnesota 10/23/2023 to 10/26/2023. 

Fr. Emery deGaal, Professor, gave an academic lecture:“Dantes Mariologie – manifest in der Divina Commedia,“ May 28th, 2023, Kloster Weltenburg, Bavaria, für German-speaking Dogmaticians. He also published: “Joseph Ratzinger: Glaube und Vernunft. Die Geschichte zweier Texte: eine Predigt und ein unterdrückter Vortrag,“ in Forum katholische Theologie, 2023 (1), pp. 1-11.

“’Exaltation in the Second Adam,’ Heavenly Mindedness in the Young Joseph Ratzinger’s 1950’s Contributions to Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche,” in Engaging Catholic Doctrine. Essays in Honor of Matthew Levering, Festschrift, Robert Barron, Scott W. Hahn, James R. A. Merrick, editors (Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Academic, 2023), pp. 489-508. Also gave two academic television lectures in Dogmatic theology that were broadcast in July on German Catholic television.

Rev. Emery deGaal, Professor, had an article published “Ratzinger versus Kierkegaard on Desecularization,” Culture and Evangelization, June 26, 2023. Fr. deGaal also gave a talk “Pope Benedict XVI‘s Theology of the Priesthood – not Function but Relationship,” delivered for a day of recollection for Chicago Priests, Chicago, August 28, 2023.

Dr. Melanie Barrett, Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Moral Theology, gave two presentations at the Parliament of the World’s Religions:  (1) “Building Relationships Between Catholics and Jews” on the American Culture and Jewish-Christian Relations panel; and (2) “Foundations in Catholic Social Thought for the Global Ethic” on the Economic Justice and the Global Ethic Document panel.

She also presented a talk at Holy Name Cathedral for their Young Adult Theology on Tap series.  It was entitled, “Sex, Marriage, and Celibacy:  Making Sense of Catholic Teaching After the Sexual Revolution.”  

Dr. Brian Schmisek, Provost and VP of Development and Marketing, recently had a book he wrote translated and published in Spanish.

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