1

PFIC Bestows 26 Degrees at CommencementOn May 21, the PFIC held its 2010 Com-

mencement, and granted degrees to 18 students. As both religious and lay stu-dents received degrees, the PFIC looks with hope to the effect these students will have throughout the whole Church.

Among the gradutes were 3 lay stu-dents, 8 Dominican friars, 5 Josephites, 1 Marian of the Immaculate Conception and 1 Benedictine. The faculty awarded 6 Masters of Arts in Theology, 10 Masters of Divinity, 7 Bachelors of Sacred Theology, and 3 Licentiates of Sacred Theology. The degrees were given by the President of the Faculty, Very Rev. Steven Boguslawski, OP, with the aid of Vice President and Aca-demic Dean, Rev. Gabriel O’Donnell, OP.

The commencement address, given by Fr. Dominic Izzo, OP, marked his final year as Vice Chancellor of the Pontifical Faculty. Fr. Izzo spoke of the importance of using a PFIC education to engage a modern culture that does not accept Christ or the Christian life. He also impressed upon the graduates that to accomplish this task, it is not enough to possess a habit of theologi-cal knowledge. Rather, personal integrity

and a deep life of prayer truly enable one to impart the knowledge of Christ to others.

Following the graduation, Fr. Izzo and Fr. Giles Dimock, OP, blessed the newly renovated St. Thomas Chapel-Preaching Studio. The chapel will be used to train students for the ministries of the diaconate and priesthood. The chapel is dedicated to the memory of Mr. Al Maas, Sr., and the preaching studio is dedicated to Fr. Val LaFrance, OP. Its state-of-the-art technol-ogy will be used to increase the effective-ness of the three-semester sequence of preaching courses, a mandatory part of the curriculum for future clerics.

Graduate Br. Jerome Zeiler, OP, sum-marized well the significance of receiving an education from the PFIC: “It struck me more profoundly than ever before how indebted we students are to God for what we have received: a fully integrated and comprehensive study of sacred scripture, systematic and moral theology – true wisdom for which the world is truly starv-ing. I kept asking myself, why has Christ entrusted this to me? I cannot repay Him. I must share this with others.”

Class of 2010 with the PFIC Administration and Fr. Izzo

PFIC Students Ordained this Spring

In the Spring of this Year for Priests, 16 PFIC students were ordained to diaconal and priestly ministry. Our philosophical and theological formation of these men for their service of the Church comes to its fulfillment in their ordained ministry. As the PFIC’s mission concerns an integral formation in academics and pastoral min-istry, these ordinations present us with an opportunity for a thankful reflection on the blessings of God.

JosephitesAmong the students at the PFIC are the

Josephites (Society of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart). Three of them were ordained to the diaconate on April 24 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, a parish staffed by the Josephites in Washington, D.C. Most Rev. Hyacinth Egbebo, MSP, Bishop of Bomadi Vicariate, Nigeria, ordained Chris-topher Amadi, Jerome Cletus, and Michael Okechukwu. Rev. Mr. Michael Okechukwu said of the event, “My ordination as deacon was an awesome experience and the cer-emony, especially the litany of saints and the laying on of hands, made me acutely

Continued pg. 3

Newsletter of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of the Immaculate Conception Summer 2010

o r r e s p o n d e n tThe 487C

2

Faculty Undergoes Self-Evaluation as Part of Accreditation Process

The Pontifical Faculty of Theology of the Immaculate Conception has begun the process of self-evaluation required for its accreditation renewal. Accreditation is the primary means of assuring the quality of educational programs in the United States. The PFIC is accredited by both the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada. Currently, the PFIC is working with the Middle States Commission to renew its 10-year accredita-tion.

Fr. Gabriel O’Donnell, OP, Dean of the Pontifical Faculty, stated, “An accreditation visit is an important moment in the life of any academic institution. It requires us to ask if we have been faithful to our vision and mission. The Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception sees the coming accreditation visit as a help in achieving greater excellence in educating young men for the priesthood and preparing lay

theologians of high caliber for service to the Church.”

In order to facilitate the goals set by the Faculty, subcommittees have been formed that include members of the faculty and administration as well as students. These subcommittees work on particular areas and brainstorm ways in which the fac-ulty can both maintain and improve high standards of quality. When the work of the subcommittees is completed, a steering committee will compile the information into an overall report and plan which will then be submitted to Middle States.

Br. Justin Marie Brophy, OP, a PFIC stu-dent and member of the Subcommittee on Institutional Integrity, said of the process, “It is wonderful to attend such an excel-lent institution, but it is edifying to see the immense amount of effort being placed on improving our programs. Despite our current success, the Faculty is interested in continuing to raise the bar.”

2010 Annual AppealThe future of the Church depends on excellence in the formation

of our priests, religious, and lay students. Please help support the PFIC by sending your contribution to:

Very Rev. Joseph Fox, OPVice President for Advancement

487 Michigan Ave, N.E.Washington, DC 20017

2010 Theses Presented for Degrees

Licentiate in Sacred TheologyFr. Jonah Pollock, OP: “The Thomistic Doctrine of Practical Reason According to Martin Rhonheimer and His Critics”

Fr. Gregory Schnakenberg, OP: “To the Temple, Through the Cloister: The Do-minican Observance of the Feast of the Presentation”

Fr. Bruno M. Shah, OP: “The Unity of The-ology According to Marie-Michel Labour-dette, OP”

Master of ArtsFr. Francis Asomkase, SSJ: “Liturgy and Culture: A critical look at the Zairean Rite”

Seth G. Brotherton: “The Kenosis of the Son in Hans Urs von Balthasar and Saint Thomas Aquinas”

Dawn Eden: “Towards a ‘Culture of Chas-tity’: Bringing Catechesis on the Theology of the Body into the Hermeneutic of Con-tinuity”

William Goldin: “Supersessionism and the Saving Significance of Mosaic Cov-enant and Ritual: St. Thomas Aquinas and the Interpretation of Vatican II and the Post-Conciliar Magisterium”

Fr. Kenneth Keke, SSJ: “The Thomistic Analysis of Suicide Bombing in a Situation of Just War”

Sr. Therese Ngoc Bui, OP: “The Role of Mary in the Dominican Spirituality”

Fr. Kenneth Ugwu, SSJ: “Paul’s Doctrine on the Bodily Resurrection of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 15: Its Significance for Chris-tian Death”

3

OrdinationsContinued from Pg. 1aware of the presence of God, and my own limitations. But at the end I felt privileged and blessed. I thank God.”

A month later, the Josephites’ grati-tude continued as six of their men were ordained to the priesthood on May 29 at Holy Comforter-St. Cyprian Catholic Church. They were Godwin Akpan, Fran-cis Asomkase, Joseph Benjamin, Stanley Ihuoma, Kenneth Keke, and Kenneth Ugwu. A fellow Jospehite Bishop John H. Ricard, SSJ, ordained them.

DominicansOn May 28 two Dominicans were

ordained at St. Dominic’s Church in Washington D.C. by Most Rev. Augustine DiNoia, OP, the Vatican’s Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It was the first ordination he has celebrated since becoming a bishop last summer. The Brothers ordained were James Dominic Brent and John Chrysostom Kozlowski. Fr. John Chrysostom noted, “It is impossible for me to describe what happened to my soul at the moment I was ordained. At the same time, I knew that the power of the Most High came upon me and made me a priest of Jesus Christ forever, and that I would repeat Jesus’ offer of salvation at the sacrifice of the Mass and repeat his acts of forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.”

Marians of the Immaculate ConceptionLater this summer Deacon Jim McCor-

mack, MIC will be ordained to the priest-hood on July 10, 2010 at his home parish in Burlington, Connecticut. The ordaining bishop will be Most Rev. Elliott Thomas from the Virgin Islands. Looking forward to the occasion, Deacon Jim reflects, “As a deacon, I have experienced a deep love for God’s people in giving them Holy Communion. As my priestly ordination approaches, I am filled with joy and awe at the thought of being able to bring our Lord to His people through my hands and through the very words that our Lord spoke at the Last Supper: ‘This is my body which will be given up for you.’”

The PFIC joins with these communities in giving thanks to God for the work he has begun and is bringing to completion in these men.

Fr. Steven Boguslawski presents Fr. Dominic Izzo with an image of St. Dominic at the 2010 Commencement

Letter from the President

Dear Friends, Alumni & Benefactors:

As a Dominican priest I have often measured the state of my own spiritual life by my awareness to be grateful; to express gratitude for another day, gratitude for my vocation, gratitude for my ministry, gratitude for the accomplishments of my brothers and sisters in religion. Gratitude for our benefactors and friends. The lack of gratitude, for me, usually signals that I have become too self-concerned and in-wardly focused—perhaps too fixed upon injuries real or perceived, or anxieties that show a lack of trust in God. Perhaps you are like me in this regard: it is all too easy to become besieged by the challenges of life and forget that we are privileged to be called Children of God, for that is what we are. Loved and redeemed, men and women with a future in God Himself.

As we close our 2009-2010 Academic Year, I find the Pontifical Faculty has much to be grateful for. This year’s eighteen graduates are remarkable young men and women who will continue in their service of the Church. The class is diverse: three lay students, the Dominican student brothers and priests, plus seminarians from the Josephites, Marians of the Immaculate Conception, and Benedictines. We’ve listed their thesis titles on the opposite page—evidence of all their hard work.

And we ought not neglect to express gratitude for our Prior Provincial, Fr. Domi-nic Izzo, whose term ends June 10th. Without Fr. Izzo’s vision, hard work, and unfail-ing support, the PFIC would not have built the new Academic Center and Theologi-cal Library, or seen the many other successes of the past three years. The students, faculty, staff, and administration are tremendously grateful.

Looking forward to the 2010-2011 Academic Year, I call upon all of you, our friends, alumni and benefactors, to keep the PFIC in your prayers as we continue to fulfill our mission to educate the rising generation of leaders of the Church.

Sincerely yours, in the Lord,Very Rev. Steven C. BoguslawskiPresident, PFIC

The Pontif ical Faculty of Theology of the Immaculate Conception President: Very Rev. Steven C. Boguslawski, OP

Vice President and Academic Dean: Rev. Gabriel O’Donnell, OPVice President for Advancement: Very Rev. Joseph Fox, OP

Librarian: Rev. Bernard Mulcahy, OPDirector of Facilities: Br. Gerard Thayer, OP

4

When St. Dominic founded his Order in 1216, he envisioned a band of preachers that relied on the generosity of others for their sustenance so that they might be free to preach and teach the Gospel. In 2010, we still rely on the generosity of others to further our mission of preaching Jesus Christ. For our benefactors, we offer our prayers and call upon the intercession of great Dominican saints, especially the pa-trons of our Honor Circles, for their needs

and requests.

We would like to express our sincere thanks to those who have generously

contributed to the PFIC between July 2007 and May 2010.

St. Albert the GreAt

(1206-1280) Bishop of Regensburg, theologian, philosopher, and scientist.

Universal Doctor. Canonized 1931. Feast November 15.

($50,000 —$99,999)

Mr. Sean Fieler

St. CAtherine of SienA

(1347-1380) Virgin, mystic, ascetic, and stigmatist. Doctor of the Church.

Canonized 1461. Feast April 29.($20,000 —$49,999)

Anonymous (2) Mr. Sean BradyMrs. Dorothy Cunningham

St. VinCent ferrer

(1350-1419) Itinerant preacher, worker of miracles, and ascetic.

Canonized 1455. Memorial May 5.($10,000—$19,999)

Mr. & Mrs. Frederick CrallMr. & Mrs. William HanrahanMr. & Mrs. Michael HaseldenMr. & Mrs. Paul J. Hill Mr. Josef Neusser & Dr. Susan TimoneyMs. Florence O’BrienMr. & Mrs. Daniel ReisenauerMr. & Mrs. Stephen RotiMr. & Mrs. Aluinanto SandjojoMr. & Mrs. Raymond WeingartzMr. Harold Ziegler

St. Peter MArtyr of VeronA

(1206-1252) Priest and proto-martyr of the Order of Preachers.

Canonized 1253. Memorial June 4.($5,000—$9,999)

Mr. & Mrs. William BrownMs. Therese ErrigoVery Rev. Joseph Fox, OP Mr. & Mrs. C. W. GillulyMr. & Mrs. Dana GioiaMs. Theresa MorrisonMr. Patrick NolanMr. & Mrs. Albert SchallerMost Rev. Thomas Joseph Tobin

St. rAyMond PeñAfort

(1175-1275) Priest, canon lawyer, and third Master of the Order. Canonized

1601. Memorial January 7. ($2,500—$4,999)

Mr. & Mrs. Peter ConnellMs. Rose FolsomMr. & Mrs. Peter C. KrauseMs. Bernadette LaneMs. Caitlin Long

St. hyACinth

(1187-1257) Priest, missionary to the Slavic people, and first Polish friar.Canonized 1594. Memorial August 17.

($1,000—$2,499)

The Joy Amisano Memorial TrustAnonymous (1)Mr. & Mrs. Gregory BevelockMost. Rev. Leonard P. BlairMs. Barbara Anne BlockMr. Anthony BosnickDr. & Mrs. John BrownMr. & Mrs. Mario BrunettaCouncil for the Theological Formation

of Dominican NunsMr. Gregory CurtinMr. & Mrs. Michael DemcsakRev. Adrian Dionne, OPMr. & Mrs. James EdwardsMr. & Mrs. John EdwardsMr. & Mrs. Patrick GallagherMr. & Mrs. Robert GarveyMr. & Mrs. Albert GiambroneDr. Eugene GianniniMr. & Mrs. James HoferMr. & Mrs. Michael Kirchner

Dr. & Mrs. William KlepczynskiMr. Vincent W. KyleMr. & Mrs. Paul LawlessMr. John J. MahoneyMr. John MarellaMr. J. H. Maxwell-ScottRev. Frederick MillerMr. Colin MoranDr. Mary E. MoranMr. John OgdenDr. Christopher Rapcewicz Ms. Susan A. ReevesMr. & Mrs. Richard SchallerMr. & Mrs. Randal SchmidtMr. & Mrs. D. Edward SchweitzerMr. Robert Joseph SchwenkRev. Peter StravinskasDr. and Mrs. Francis Yao

St. AntoninuS

(1389-1459) Archbishop of Florence, moral theologian, and reformer.

Canonized 1523. Memorial May 10.($500—$999)

Dr. Joan AdamsAnonymous (1)Mr. & Mrs. Dennis BolandMr. & Mrs. Robert BrentMr. & Mrs. Thomas BriskenMr. Craig BruneyMr. & Mrs. Anthony ContiCapt. & Mrs. Robert DiPalmaMr. & Mrs. Charles DoughertyRev. Msgr. John J. EnzlerMr. & Mrs. Gregory FordRt. Rev. Caedmon Holmes, O.S.B.Keany ProduceRev. Paul Keller, O.P.Mr. & Mrs. Mark MachugaMr. & Mrs. Paul MaharMr. & Mrs. Ralph McDonoughMr. Edward MiseyMr. William Morris, Jr.Ms. Dorothy MurphyMs. Gloria RadosevichMr. & Mrs. Gus RussoMr. & Mrs. Bryan TarantinaMr. & Mrs. John Weisgerber

St. MArtin de PorreS

(1579-1639) Cooperator Brother, worker of miracles, and servant to the poor in Lima. Canonized 1962.

Feast November 3.($250—$499)

Honor Circles of Donors to the PFIC (Cumulative Gifts from June 2007 to May 2010)

5

Most Rev. Michael BransfieldMs. Rosemary BurnsRev. Stephen CoxRev. John Crossin, O.S.F.S.Mr. & Mrs. Peter DenkerMr. & Mrs. Stephen DevineMr. & Mrs. William EshelmanMr. David GiandomenicoMs. Grenevere HoffmanRev. John J. HurleyMs. Kathleen Jarboe Mr. & Mrs. Mark JorgensenMr. Jeffrey D. LudwigMs. Zena MartinMr. John McCannRev. Msgr. Godfrey MosleyDeacon Andrew & Lorraine Nosacek, OPMr. & Mrs. William RaathsMr. & Mrs. Robert RoyalMr. & Mrs. Jerry SandsMr. & Mrs. Chetan SanghviMr. & Mrs. John SchnakenbergMs. Karen ServideaRev. Tam Xuan TranMr. & Mrs. Curtis Winters

St. roSe of liMA

(1586-1617) Virgin, mystic, ascetic, and first canonized saint born in the Americas. Canonized 1671.

Memorial August 23.(Gifts up to $249)

Ms. Lydia AstorgaMr. Howard Bathon, Jr.Ms. Jane Anne BeachnerMr. William BeckerMr. Donal BerensMr. P. Bracy BersnakMr. & Mrs. David BirtwistleMr. & Mrs. Joseph BissmeyerMs. Patricia BonnerMr. & Mrs. David BorchersMr. & Mrs. Roger BorchersMr. & Mrs. Robert BorkMr. & Mrs. Anthony BosnickMr. James BrislinMs. Dorothy BrockiMr. & Mrs. Christopher BrunettaRev. Joseph CalipareMr. & Mrs. Jerry CollinsMr. Daniel CollinsMr. Richard CoyleMr. & Mrs. David CrenshawMs. Kathleen CurranMr. & Mrs. Ralph DaleyMr. & Mrs. Thomas D’Amico

Ms. Deirdre DessingueMr. & Mrs. Donald DevineMr. & Mrs. Melvin DoddMs. Minh Huong DuongMr. Arthur DuranMr. & Mrs. Nicholas EberstadtMr. & Mrs. Carl EwaldMr. & Mrs. Vagn FausingMr. John FergusonMs. Danielle & Ms. Pauline FerrisMr. & Mrs. Edwin FeulnerFranciscan Friars of the AtonementMr. & Mrs. Harry GieskeMs. Irene GiffordMr. Harry GildenhornMr. Bruce HackerMr. Lawrence HayesMr. & Mrs. Julian Heron, Jr.Mrs. Margaret Anne HilburnMr. Joe HinnebuschMr. Shenkuang HuangMr. & Mrs. Aniello IaconoMr. & Mrs. Walter JaneroMs. Mary Catherine JenningsMs. Ruth JinMr. & Mrs. James JordanMr. & Mrs. Raymond KaneMr. Navid KarimeddinyMost Rev. William Cardinal KeelerMr. Joseph M. KempfMr. & Mrs. David KeppelMr. & Mrs. Michael KerriganRev. Michael KingMr. & Mrs. Paul KirkhamMr. & Mrs. William KlepczynskiMr. & Mrs. Alpine KnapikMr. & Mrs. Donald KocarekMr. Daniel KovachMr. James KruggelMs. A. KuchukianMs. Lauren F. LiebrechtMr. Martin LeopoldMr. & Mrs. Joe LoehrMr. Guy LombardoMr. & Mrs. Willis LoweryMr. & Mrs. Matthew NarduzziMr. & Mrs. David MastersonMr. & Mrs. Peter MartinMr. Carl B. McCarthyMr. & Mrs. Paul McCormackMr. & Mrs. Charles McKigneyMs. Margaret McManusDr. & Mrs. Michel MennessonMs. Renee MerolliMs. Patricia MetzgerMr. & Mrs. Jerald MittelbachMr. Robert Maas MorenoRev. Thomas Morrow

Ms. Mary Ann NovakMr. & Mrs. J. P. O’ConnorMr. John O’GormanRev. James OlsonMr. & Mrs. James O’ReillyMr. & Mrs. Romualdo PelleMs. Joan PendergraphMr. & Mrs. Lawrence PendergraphMr. & Mrs. James PollockMr. & Mrs. William PeerenboomMr. James ReidMr. & Mrs. Donald RossMr. & Mrs. Raymond RossiMs. Jocelyn RoweMr. & Mrs. Russell ShawMr. Mark ShepardMs. Prudence SimeonMs. Lois SimmsMs. Carol Lynn SmithMr. & Mrs. Richard StewartMs. Marah C. StithMr. & Mrs. Robert StovenourMr. & Mrs. James StroudMr. & Mrs. James SullivanMs. Armelle TallecMr. & Mrs. Joseph TancrellMr. & Mrs. Matthew TapieMr. & Mrs. John TierneyMr. Natale TorchiaMr. & Mrs. John TracyMs. Juanita VacarroMr. & Mrs. Frederick Van DorenMr. & Mrs. LaMonte WalkerMs. Meredith K. WardMs. Maureen C. WilkinMr. David WinshipMs. Mary WittMr. & Mrs. Robert Woods

Combined Federal Campaign: $8,870

We especially acknowledge those honored or memorialized by gifts to the PFIC. Please keep these individuals in your prayers.

in MeMoriAMMs. Joy AmisanoRev. Pierre Conway, OPRev. Frs. Mark, Thomas & Walter Heath, OPBr. Pascal Kelly, OSFMr. Paul T. Kirkham

honorinGBr. Justin Marie Brophy, OPRev. Br. Hyacinth Marie Cordell, OPVery Rev. Joseph Fox, OPRev. Andrew Hofer, OPRev. Br. Ignatius John Schweitzer, OP

Honor Circles of Donors to the PFIC (Cumulative Gifts from June 2007 to May 2010)

6

Pontifications: Why Study Islam?

Fr. Joseph Alobaidi, OPProfessor of Sacred Scripture

You may question the necessity of teach-ing Islam to Catholic seminarians. If you do so, chances are that you belong to another planet, dropped on earth by mistake. If you fit such a description you may join those who deem Islam foreign to our culture and consequently, think that studying the Quran or the life of Muhammad is a waste of time. Others may differ with you and find merit to such study. But they temper the ardent desire of an old professor like me by thinking that a class about Islam should at the most be optional, offered to students looking to fill a hole in their cur-riculum or to impress a dean or a bishop. Yet, the truth is of another nature: it is imperative that those destined to guide their Christian community learn about a religion present in their field of pastoral ministry.

The religion of Muhammad, the second largest after Christianity, is expanding. No one thinks of it any longer as a belief born in the Arabian Peninsula that, with the exception of few countries (Turkey, Bosnia and Albania), remains external to the European and North American mental-ity. This belies the social fact you and I are experiencing daily. Islam, for many rea-sons, is more and more local. In many cases it is the religion of our next door neighbor. If a seminarian’s age ranges from 20-35, it is possible that at his grammar school, high school, or college, he has met and befriended a Muslim boy or girl. You may take any layer of our society: childhood, youth and adulthood, professional life or leisure time: Islam is there.

These different stages are at the same time fields of ministry where priests, religious, and engaged lay Christians are active in caring for their brothers and sis-

ters. Interactions with representatives of other religions and cultures are common facts of our life and the misunderstand-ing active in caring for their brothers and sisters. Interactions with representatives of other religions and cultures are common facts of our life and the misunderstanding of our particularities is an occasion for all kinds of problems at any moment.

The most difficult of these problems undoubtedly are the ones pertaining to interfaith marriages and the religious future of the result-ing families. Often, moments like these are full of anxiety, and the faithful who address their priests are entitled to knowledgeable and appeasing answers. Questions should be treated competently when Christian ministers are asked, for example, about a woman’s status in the Islamic family (as well as the status of the husband, the children, the relationship with non-Muslims, etc.). To widen the per-spective, they must also answer questions about Islam in our society and Islam and politics. These are a few of the many issues requiring learned disposition as well as avoidance of clichés and simplistic impres-sions.

There is another factor that sup-ports the urgency to study Islam: the Quran and Muham-mad in his sayings have abundantly mentioned Abra-ham, Moses, Jesus, Mary and many other biblical fig-ures. In fact, Islam has a precise idea of Christianity and Juda-ism; an idea in total opposition to what we think of our religion and what the Jews think of their religion.

Let us take an example: Jesus Christ. For the Quran, Jesus is the son of the Virgin Mary (Q 3:45-47), who started preaching from the moment he left his mother’s womb (Q 19:30-34), who was taught the Torah and the Gospel by God himself (Q

“There is another factor that supports

the urgency to study Islam: The

Quran and Muhammad in his

sayings have abundantly mentioned

Abraham, Moses, Jesus, Mary, and

other biblical figures.”

3:48), and who has refuted the belief in the Holy Trinity (Q 5:116-117). By the way, the Holy Trinity, according to the Quran is God, Mary and Jesus, (Q 5:116) whose mission is to prepare the coming of Muhammad (Q 61:6). Jesus did not die on the cross (Q 4:157). His disciples (the Apostles) had already confessed that they are Muslims (Q 5:111), but their successors (Chris-tian and Jews alike) have deformed the

Scripture in order to erase the testimony to Muhammad (Q 5:15,18).

The above exam-ple is a sample of how the same name, Jesus Christ, men-tioned by the Quran and the New Testa-ment, covers two different personali-ties. When Muslims express veneration to Jesus, it is surely

not to the historical Jesus that we Chris-tians venerate, but the heterodox “Jesus” of sectarian groups in southern Arabia, the only groups Muhammad knew.

In short, if you are a Christian adult look-ing to assist other Christians in their quest for holiness in one of the capacities the Church offers you, hasten to study Islam. In so doing, you will both help them efficient-ly and spare yourself the embarrassment

of being someone who is destined to serve, but who is ignorant when it comes to one of the most acute issues of his time.

Fr. Joseph Alo-baidi is a professor of Sacred Scripture at the PFIC. Educat-ed at the University

of Baghdad, the University of Fribourgh, and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, he is also the editor of the “Bible in History” books from Peter Lang.

“Pontifications” is the faculty column of The 487 Correspondent. Each issue of our newsletter will feature an insight from one of our professors.

“The religion of Muhammad, the

second largest after Christianity,

is expanding. No one thinks of it

any longer as a belief born in the

Arabian Peninsula that...remains

external to the European and

North American mentality.”

7

Distinctions: News from our AlumniArina O. Grossu ‘08Master of Arts in Theology, Magna cum Laude Upon graduating from the PFIC, Arina Grossu started interning as a Production Assistant for Raymond Arroyo’s The World Over on EWTN. She also transcribed for Mr. Arroyo Mother Angelica’s private spiritual writings in the New York Times bestseller The Prayers and Personal Devotions of Mother Angelica published in March 2010 by Double-day. From August 2008 to May 2010, she worked full-time for the conservative PR firm, CRC Public Relations in Alexandria, VA serving mainly on pro-life accounts. She is cur-rently working as the Executive Director for Fr. Francis Martin Ministries, a non-profit organization whose goal is to make the power of Scripture present to the Church and to aid priests in their preaching ministry. When she is not attending to her official duties, she is working on her entrepre-neurial apostolate. In January 2009 she incorporated her own company, Catholicdom, Inc. (catholicdom.com), which is a Catholic social networking site aimed at connect-ing Catholics to one another and providing them with resources to help them live a fuller Catholic experience. Some of the resources included are Catholic housing and job classifieds; a reviewable yellow pages directory of Catholic parishes, schools and businesses; an online store; a news aggregate; and an online library of Catholic books and works of sacred art.

Since February 2009 she serves on the Board of Directors for Project Sycamore (projectsycamore.com), a non-profit organization which seeks to preserve the Catholic identity of her alma mater, the University of Notre Dame.

Br. Michael E. Gaitley, MIC ‘08, STL: Consoling the Heart of Jesus: A Do-It-Yourself Retreat, Marian Press, 2010 .

Fr. Gabriel O’Donnell, OP ‘69 STB: Book review of Thomas McDermott, OP’s Catherine of Siena: Spiritual Devel-opment in Her Life and Teaching in The Thomist, January 2010.

Fr. Thomas Petri, OP ‘06, STL: Book review of Luis Cortest’s The Disfig-ured Face: Traditional Natural Law and its Encounter with Modernity, in The Thomist, October 2009.

Fr. Thomas Joseph White, OP ‘08, STL: Wisdom in the Face of Modernity: A Study in Thomistic Natural Theology, Sapientia Press of Ave Maria Univer-sity, 2009.

Recent Publications of PFIC Alumni:

The 487 Correspondent loves to hear from all our alumni! Please send your updates, news and recent publications to:

Margaret E. Perry, Alumni and Friends Director at advance@dhs.edu or (202) 495-3828

Fr. James Dominic Brent , OP ‘09Bachelor of Sacred Theology and Master of Divinity Summa cum Laude

Fr. James was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 2010 with classmate Fr. John Chrysostom Kozlowski, ‘09 (ordination story on cover page). Fr. James was recently named Assistant Professor in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America. Upon completion of his summer assignment, he will begin to teach logic and other classes in philosophy. Fr. James has also written an essay, “God’s Knowledge and Will”, which will be published in the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Thomas Aquinas, published by Oxford University Press.

Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, OP ‘05, MDiv & STL: “In Defense of the Loss of Bodily Integrity as a Criterion for Death: A Re-sponse to the Radical Capacity Argu-ment” in The Thomist, October 2009.

Fr. Donald H. Calloway, MIC ‘02, MDiv & STB.: No Turning Back: A Witness to Mercy, Marian Press, 2010.

Fr. Romanus Cessario, OP ‘72, STB & STL: “Aquinas on the Priest” and “Hu-man Action and the Foundations of Natural Law” in Nova et Vetera, Winter 2010. Fr. John Corbett, OP, ‘81 STB & STL and Fr. Romanus Cessario, OP ‘72 STB & STL: Renouveler toutes choses en Christ: Vers un renouveau thomiste de la théologie morale, Academic Press Fribourg, 2009.

8

A Word from our StudentsCamille Bissmeyer, MA 2011

Growing up, I was something of your typical “type A” student with at least the next five years of my life meticulously planned out. What I hadn’t planned, however, was that in high school I would discover God’s individual love for me through his protection amidst a serious car accident. After this experience, I laid aside my sketches of how I would become a Fortune 100 CEO and asked God how I might spend my life giving Him glory, rather than seeking my own. Leaving dreams of Stanford behind, I pursued my new dream to study theology and philosophy at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

As I felt God calling me to use my abilities in academia, I was attracted to graduate studies at the PFIC. I had received a fantastic foundation at Franciscan University, but I wanted to go deeper into the disciplines I had been exposed to. Desperate to teach the faith that was so enriching for me as it increasingly permeated my life, I sought orthodoxy as the top priority in a graduate program. I decided that my formation would need to be vivified by those who not only possessed the best of intentions but also

a love for the wisdom of Tradition and the great gift of the Church’s Teaching Office. Being led through the comprehensive and systematic contributions of St. Thomas, I could also be prepared to become the well-rounded theologian I desired to be, the only kind I could see myself as. Attending classes met my high expectations. In awed appreciation of the new things I was learning, I remember frequently thinking to myself, “How could I have lived without knowing this? What if I had never known?”

While studying at the PFIC, I have been blessed to have served actively in the evangelical mission of the Church as well. I have assisted in the work of the Archdiocese in its Marriage and Family and Young Adult offices, the USCCB, and an organization which helps parishes minister to inactive and returning Catholics. The education I’ve received at the PFIC certainly assists my formal evangelization efforts, but the brilliance of St. Thomas has also blessed me daily. His anthropology has irreversibly altered my worldview. I am now free to look upon my fellow human beings not only as precious children of God but as constant seekers of truth, goodness, and love. This

enables me to listen sympathetically to expressions contrary to the Church’s teachings and to identify distortions of what is truly being sought. In sum, I have come away from the PFIC with a clear intellectual habitus of dividing and conquering the lies which saturate the culture.

This institution provides a beautiful service to the Church as it prepares the next generation of clerical preachers and teachers as well as lay faithful who are called to sanctify this world by restoring it to its proper order in the day-to-day. The seminarians and lay students share a love for God, the Truth He revealed, and a loving compassion for those suffering from spiritual hunger in this world. Ecstatic to see my fellow classmates ordained some day, I know that as a young married woman I have a mission to bring Christ’s love and truth to corners of the earth which are particularly accessible to me. I pray to use the many gifts I have received through my formation at the Dominican House to faithfully fulfill this mission, and I encourage all to pray for the continued success of the Pontifical Faculty of Theology of the Immaculate Conception.