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Cuba: Homeland and Life!

The Markets & Morality student organization at Hope College and the Saint Benedict Institute are co-hosting the presentation “Cuba: Homeland and Life!” on Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall. The public is invited. Admission is free. The presentation will also be livestreamed at hope.edu/live and via the Hope College YouTube channel.

The event will feature personal testimonies from Miguel Abrahantes of the Hope College engineering faculty and Holland resident Amaurys Rodriguez-Matos. The title is inspired by the hip-hop song “Patria y Vida” (“Homeland and Life”), which has served as an anthem for protesters against Cuba’s government. The title plays on the slogan “Homeland or Death” (“Patria o Muerte”) from the Cuban revolution of the 1950s. The song, which has garnered more than ten million views on YouTube since being released in February 2021, won the Latin Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Urban Song this past November.

Cuban-native Miguel Abrahantes is a professor of engineering and department chair at Hope College. He received his engineering doctorate in control systems from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina in 2000 and has been a teaching at Hope since 2003.

Amaurys Rodriguez-Matos, a university professor from Cuba, arrived in the United States in December 2016 with his wife and four children. The Rodriguez-Matos family came into the U.S. just in time to qualify under the Cuban Haitian Entry Program for refugees from these countries. The family was sponsored by St. Francis de Sales Church in Holland, received housing initially from Grace Episcopal Church, and has since been the recipient of a Habitat for Humanity home in Holland.

The Markets & Morality student organization aims to support and celebrate freedom of expression in the context of the liberal arts by hosting speakers and films on topics spanning the economic, political, and cultural aspects of human civilization, with a special concern for human flourishing as understood in Christian perspective.

Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar.

Immersion Trip 2022: Saint Meinrad Archabbey (Photos)

Fr. Nick and Carly took students on a trip to St. Meinrad's Archabbey over spring break. The students were immersed in the world of monastic religious life, centered around the ideas of prayer and manual labor. They joined the monks five times per day for prayer, worked on an outdoor project on the monastery grounds, and spent time with the monks.

Bishop of Grand Rapids Blesses the Saint Anne Oratory at Hope College (Photos and Video)

On March 11, the Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Grand Rapids, joined the Hope College Catholic community for a Mass of Blessing of the Saint Anne Oratory at the Carol C. Schaap Chapel in Graves Hall. This new sacred space was full of friends and benefactors of the Saint Benedict Institute, as well as Hope students and faculty.

"I am grateful for Bishop Walkowiak for offering a Mass of Blessing, for the Schaap family and our many other generous donors, for our very talented architects, for the team that built it, and for Hope College for being so ecumenically open to this endeavor," wrote Dr. Jared Ortiz, Hope College professor and co-founder and executive director of the Saint Benedict Institute.

Early in the liturgy, Bishop Walkowiak sprinkled the walls of the oratory with holy water to set it apart for the proclamation of the Word of God, the celebration of the Sacraments, and the reservation of the Eucharist. During his homily, Bishop Walkowiak thanked all those who made the recent renovation of the oratory possible, urging everyone to continue their support of the Saint Benedict Institute and its missionary activity. Hope students and faculty prepared the altar prior to the liturgy of the Eucharist. In his concluding remarks, Bishop Walkowiak joked that he had no idea what he was going to find when he came to the new oratory, but that he appreciated the beauty and thoughtfulness of its design. He assured the Hope College Catholic community of his prayers.

The Reverend Nicholas Monco, O.P., chaplain of the Saint Benedict Institute, and the Reverend Charles Brown, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Holland, concelebrated the Mass of Blessing with Bishop Walkowiak. They were assisted by Deacon Brian Piecuch, the Development Director and Program Coordinator of the Saint Benedict Institute. Students led the congregational singing and chanting in both English and Latin.

The Saint Anne Oratory at the Carol C. Schaap Chapel, located at the heart of campus on the ground level of Graves Hall, was renovated in 2021-22 to serve the needs of Catholics on Hope’s campus. The space previously hosted the Schoon Meditation Chapel, which was completed in 1962.  The Hope College TRIO Upward Bound and Children’s After School Achievement (CASA) programs are on the same floor of the three-floor building, which also houses classrooms, Winants Auditorium, and the President’s Room conference room featuring portraits of Hope’s presidents.

Paul and Carol Schaap are the principal donors. Paul is a 1967 Hope graduate. Paul and Carol’s longstanding philanthropic leadership at the college has been transformational and includes a leadership gift on behalf of the A. Paul Schaap Science Center, which opened in 2003, and major funding to provide research fellowships for members of the chemistry faculty; research and innovation opportunities for undergraduates in chemistry; and a major gift in support of the Jim and Martie Bultman Student Center.

The introduction of Roman classical design in the renovated space suits the new oratory’s Catholic mission while complementing the historic character of Graves Hall. Increased seating, improved pew layout, enhanced ventilation capability, and provisions for wheelchair accessibility allow for the Saint Anne Oratory to capably host daily Mass and frequent adoration of the Eucharist. The oratory is also available to students and other members of the campus community for private prayer.

Photo credit: Steven Herppich and Hanniah Kring

Extraterrestrial Life and Catholic Theology (Video and Photos)

On February 3, 2022, SBI hosted Prof. Chris Baglow, the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, for a talk titled “Extraterrestrial Life and Catholic Theology.” Prof. Baglow’s fascinating talk drew upon the thought of classical and modern theologians to propose some possibilities for what Christians might expect to discover if the universe is inhabited by other species who, like Homo sapiens, are created in the divine image. He tentatively proposed that if there are other rational species in the universe, the Son of God will become incarnate as one of them in a way that is similar to how he became incarnate in the man Jesus Christ. The talk was followed by a lively question and answer session. Watch the full talk below and see photos from the event.

Sung Vespers: Lecture, Discussion, and Vespers Service "San Zeno"

Part of the Harvard Catholic Forum Sacred Music Series (In-Person and Livestreamed)

Presented by the Harvard Catholic Forum and St. Paul’s Choir School

Co-Sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute

Sunday March 6; Lecture at 2:30 PM, Service at 3:30 PM EST

Livestream on HCF YouTube Channel

In Person Registration

 St. Paul’s Parish, Upper Church, Harvard Square

The Saint Paul’s Choir of men and Boys performs a polyphonic setting of psalms, hymns, and readings within a Sunday Vespers service. Music from North Italy, including Monteverdi’s renowned Dixit Dominus, evokes Verona’s Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, an important inspiration for our setting in St. Paul’s Church, which will soon celebrate its hundredth anniversary.

In the lecture and discussion before the Vespers service, Professor Thomas Kelly, along with James Kennerly, FRCO, examines the history, context, and structure of vespers within the Church’s cycle of prayer, the use and importance of musical settings in a vespers service, the historical and ecclesial context of the music chosen, and the place of sung vespers in contemporary Catholic worship.   

The St. Paul’s Choir of Men and Boys is associated with the St. Paul’s Choir School, founded in 1963 by Dr. Theodore Marier, the only Catholic boys’ choir school in the United States. The Boys’ Choir sings during term time at daily and Sunday Masses, and at a weekly Choral Vespers. The Choir has toured and performed throughout North America and Europe and made numerous recordings.

James Kennerly is Director of Music at the St. Paul’s Choir School and at St. Paul’s Harvard Square. Rooted in the English choir school tradition, he is an internationally known organist, vocalist, and director. Educated at Cambridge University, Mr. Kennerly was Organ Scholar at Jesus College and later at St. Paul’s Cathedral London. He has frequently given solo organ concerts throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Thomas Forrest Kelly is Morton B. Knafel Research Professor of Music at Harvard, where he was named a Harvard College Professor in recognition of his teaching and served as Chair of the Music Department.  An internationally recognized authority on medieval and early modern music, and on the performance of music in historical settings, he has lectured widely throughout the U.S. and Europe. Among numerous books and articles for both scholarly and general audiences: Capturing Music. The Story of Notation (Norton,2014); The Practice of Medieval Music (Ashgate Variorum, 2010); and First Nights: Five Musical Premieres, (Yale, 2000). Professor Kelly received his PhD from Harvard, as well as diplomas from the Schola Cantorum in Paris and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Recovering Biblical Love from Emotionalism and Eroticism

The Daniel Harrington S.J. Memorial Lecture (In-Person and on Zoom)

Professor Jon D. Levenson, Harvard Divinity School

Presented by: The Harvard Catholic Forum

Co-Sponsored by: The Saint Benedict Institute, St. Peter’s Parish, Catholic Parishes of Arlington, and the Lumen Christi Institute

Wednesday, March 9, 7:30 PM EDT

Register for Zoom 

Register in Person

DiGiovanni Hall, St. Paul's Harvard Square Campus
29 Mt. Auburn St., Cambridge MA 

One of the best known but least understood obligations in the Hebrew Bible is the commandment to love God. Among the misconceptions that prevent a good understanding of it are the tendency to think of the sexual as the highest form of love and the related assumption that love is primarily an affect. This lecture will seek to place the commandment in its ancient Near Eastern context and briefly to illuminate its complications and ramifications in the Hebrew Bible, with the aid of instructive examples from rabbinic tradition and human relations more generally. The goal will be to recover a concept that relates humankind’s love of God to God’s own love and that moves beyond such simplistic dichotomies as love versus law, affection versus action, and universalism versus particularism.

Jon D. Levenson is List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School. His scholarship concentrates on the interpretation of the Jewish Bible over the centuries, on philosophical and theological issues in biblical studies, and on the relationship of Judaism and Christianity, both in antiquity and in modern times. Amonghis numerous books and dozens of articles are The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism (Princeton, 2016); Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Princeton, 2012); and Resurrection: The Power of God for Jews and Christians (with Kevin J. Madigan) (Yale, 2008). He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Harvard, where he has taught since 1988.

Reflections from the Encounter Conference

In late December 2021, several SBI students attended the Encounter Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan. This three-day event was organized by Encounter Ministries, a charismatic Catholic ministry. It featured praise and worship, Mass, speakers, breakout sessions, Eucharistic Adoration, a healing service, fellowship, and more. Afterward, two students agreed to share some of their reflections on their experience at Encounter.

Describe your overall experience at Encounter.

Student 1: I had an amazing experience! All the speakers did amazing and I loved how they each had their own message and subject. I thought the three days was a perfect amount of time and I loved every single part of this conference.

Student 2: I realized how personally Christ loves me.

What did you enjoy about the conference?

Student 1: I enjoyed the speakers, the different options for the breakout sessions, and the prayer groups that were on the side.

Student 2: I enjoyed how they touched so many different areas of the faith through the Mass, prayer, talks, etc.

Was there any speaker that was particularly helpful or enjoyable? What will you take away from their talk?

Student 1: I really enjoyed Fr. Boniface Hicks's talk on learning to be little. He was discussing how sometimes we as humans want to take the thorns out of our lives. Fr. Boniface reminded us that God's grace is sufficient for all of us and he wants to love us with our thorns. This talk reminded me that I am loved by God no matter what my condition is and it's okay to go to God when we are in pain.

What was it like to be prayed over at the conference?

Student 1: I loved being prayed over because sometimes I find myself praying for the same things over and over for myself, so to receive prayer from someone who is just led by the Holy Spirit and not biased was extremely fruitful.

Student 2: Peaceful and beautiful. I'm comfortable with being prayed over from experiences in my past and most recently at Hope in Ignis meetings, so it wasn't uncomfortable to me, but I know it can be if it's new to people.

How did God reach you during this conference?

Student 1: In the last healing session when the prayer groups were on the side, I decided to go up again for a third time. I wasn't really expecting anything to happen. When it was my turn to go up and be prayed over, the two people who were going to pray told me to "just receive what God is giving you and don't try to pray with us or over us." That statement really helped me because in the past, I would usually overthink the prayer that was being said over me and I never actually "received" what was being prayed. In those moments, I fully felt like God came to me through the Holy Spirit and I felt this amazing sense of joy and peace. It wasn't words that I heard but it was this tangible internal feeling that God was holding me, everything was okay, and nothing else mattered.

Student 2: He reminded me of his unique and personal love for me, and that I can count on that always.

What will stick with you or what will change in your life after attending Encounter?

Student 1: As mentioned above, I truly felt like I was touched/baptized by the Holy Spirit in the last ten minutes of this conference. I want to live my life for God and for his Church. In whatever I am being called to after college, I know that it will include Christ and his Church.

Student 2: I do not need to be afraid as a baptized daughter of God, and I should use the boldness I have been given.

Why should others think about attending Encounter?

Student 1: No matter where you are in life, whether you are very confident in your faith or if you are a little lost right now, Encounter can be a blessing to anyone. It may plant a seed in you that you are unaware of until down the road. I would recommend it even if you are questioning the conference.

Student 2: It's a chance to tap into the gifts given to them in Baptism and hear the truth of the faith.

Saint Benedict Seminar: Courtship, Marriage, and Sex

In today's society, there is very little instruction about how to navigate the world of love and romance. Saint Benedict Institute co-founders Jack Mulder and Jared Ortiz invite current Hope College students to join them February 18 and 25, 2022, for a two-week Saint Benedict Seminar: “Courtship, Marriage, and Sex.” Jared Ortiz (Religion) and his wife Rhonda Ortiz (author) will lead the first seminar on courtship.  Jack Mulder (Philosophy) and his wife Melissa Mulder (Spanish) will lead the second seminar on marriage and sex.

This seminar is open to current Hope College students only. Registration is required. Please use the links below to sign up for each lecture.

Week 1 (February 18): “What Is Courtship?” with Jared and Rhonda Ortiz

Week 2 (February 25): “Sex and Theology of the Body” with Jack and Melissa Mulder

Immersion Trip: Saint Meinrad Archabbey

March 18-27, 2022

The life of the monks at Saint Meinrad Archabbey revolves around prayer and work for the love of God and neighbor. Located in the hills of rural southern Indiana, the monastery offers visitors a chance to experience a rhythm of life very different from our own. This immersion trip, sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute, allows Hope students to enter into the rhythms of monastic life for a week, beginning with vigil prayers at 5:30 AM in the abbey church. The prayer is beautiful, the setting is tranquil, and the people are joyful. Please pray for the students who will attend this trip!

In Persona Christi Servi

On Saturday, January 8, 2022, seven men were ordained to the permanent diaconate in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Among them was our very own Brian Piecuch! We asked Brian to share a little bit about becoming a deacon. See what the Diocese of Grand Rapids has shared here.

Brian Piecuch (middle row, far right) with the six other men ordained to the diaconate on Saturday, January 8, 2022.

What made you decide to pursue ordination to the permanent diaconate?

There was a time in my life before becoming Catholic when I sensed a calling from God and was discerning whether to be ordained a Protestant minister. That desire went dormant after getting married, working overseas, and converting to the Catholic faith. However, after having the opportunity to talk to a married Catholic friend who had recently been accepted into a diaconal formation program, the Holy Spirit kindled anew the desire to serve as an ordained minister.  At the time, we were living in a diocese that didn’t offer formation into the permanent diaconate, so it wasn’t until about five years after moving to Holland, when Bishop Walkowiak restored the diocesan formation program, that I was able to apply to join the program.

Brian and Bishop David Walkowiak during the Rite of Ordination

Describe how you were feeling at the ordination Mass. Did any part of the Rite of Ordination stand out to you? How was God present to you during this time? 

I was filled with joy throughout the whole Mass. There were a number of things that stood out to me: kneeling before the bishop, placing my hands between his, and promising my obedience to him; lying prostrate on the floor while the litany of the saints was sung; receiving the Book of the Gospels from the bishop with the words, “Receive the Gospel of Christ whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe, and practice what you teach”; and making numerous promises, including the promise to “conform your way of life always to the example of Christ, of whose Body and Blood you are a minister at the altar.” Even the final blessing at the end of the Mass was awesome! “May God, who has called you to the service of others in his Church, give you great zeal for all, especially the afflicted and the poor. May he who has entrusted you with preaching the Gospel of Christ, help you, as you live according to his word, to be its sincere and fervent witnesses. May he, who has appointed you stewards of his mysteries, make you imitators of his Son, Jesus Christ, and ministers of unity and peace in the world.”

In regards to God’s presence, the joy I felt was certainly a special grace of the Holy Spirit. During the litany of the saints, I found myself focusing on the promise to conform my life to the example of Christ. I petitioned God for even greater clarity of knowledge of his will for my life and the grace to focus my words and actions completely on fulfilling that purpose.

Tell us a bit about the ministry of a deacon. What will you be doing to serve the Church? 

Archbishop José Gomez of Los Angeles once wrote that “a Deacon is called to minister in persona Christi Servi – in the person of Christ the Servant. Ordination configures him to Jesus in his most humble form – as the Son of God who emptied himself to come among us in the form of a servant; as the Son of Man who came not to be served, but to serve.”

Brian Piecuch with his wife and children

Deacons are members of the clergy along with priests and bishops. A deacon’s ministry has three dimensions: liturgy, word, and service. At the liturgy, he assists the bishop and priests. At the Mass, the deacon proclaims the Gospel, may be invited to preach the homily, and assists at the altar. The deacon may also baptize, witness and bless marriages, preside at the Liturgy of the Hours, and preside at funeral liturgies, among many other duties. Living in the world, deacons are sent by the Church to be the presence of Christ to those in need.

Personally, I will continue my involvement in praying/live streaming Lauds every morning and helping with marriage preparation at the parish. I also will begin serving at different Masses each week and preaching roughly once a month. Other ministries will arise as the needs manifest themselves and time allows.

How are you most looking forward to serving as a deacon? 

I like to preach, although homilies take a lot of preparation time and prayer (at least for me!), so I’m thankful I will have at least a month to prepare every time before preaching. Baptisms are beautiful, joyful times and will be fun. However, I think it will be at funerals where I will feel most useful, because of the opportunity to bring Christ’s love into the lives of people who are in deep pain and who are often far from him.

Brian and his wife Carmen have lived in Holland for twelve years. They have five children: Armand, Sofia, Cristina, Lucia, and Austin. Brian has worked as the Development Director and Program Coordinator for the Saint Benedict Institute for the last seven years. Many people are surprised to learn that Brian has a twin brother and several parishioners had a chance to meet him for the first time at the ordination!

Extraterrestrial Life and Catholic Theology

Thursday, February 3, 7:00 P.M.

Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, 263 College Avenue, Holland, MI 49423

New methods in astronomy and new models in evolutionary biology have opened up new expectations that we humans may not be alone in the cosmos. How are Christian theologians to consider this in light of what God has revealed in the Incarnation of his Son in Christ? In this lecture, Prof. Chris Baglow, the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame, will draw upon the thought of classical and modern theologians to propose some possibilities for what Christians might expect to discover if the universe is inhabited by other species who, like Homo sapiens, are created in the divine image.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College departments of Religion, Philosophy, and Physics.

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