UPbeat

News for and about University of Portland faculty and staff.

Campus Ministry

Lenten Visio Divina, March 28

Campus Ministry and the Garaventa Center invite you to join with others from the UP community for Lenten Visio Divina during Holy Week on Wednesday, March 28, at 12:35 p.m., following noon Mass. Visio Divina is an ancient form of Christian prayer in which we allow our hearts and imaginations to enter into a sacred image, in silence, to see what God might have to say to us. Our meditation will focus on an illumination from The Saint John’s Bible. All are welcome. For ADA accommodations or more information: garaventa@up.edu or x7702.

Holy Week, Easter Triduum

Campus Ministry will offer a number of services in celebration and observance of Holy Week, known as the Easter Triduum, all in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher:

  • Triduum morning prayers: Thursday, Friday, Saturday, March 29, 30, 31, at 9 a.m.
  • Holy Thursday, Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 4:30 p.m., March 29
  • Good Friday Liturgy: 3 p.m., March 30
  • Easter Vigil Mass: 8:30 p.m., March 31
  • Easter Sunday Mass: 10:30 a.m., April 1.
  • No 4:30p.m. Mass will be offered on Easter Sunday.

For more information contact Campus Ministry at 7131 or ministry@up.edu.

Palanca for Encounter with Christ Students, Please

Over the weekend of March 23-25, a group of 37 students and 22 student leaders will be on the Encounter with Christ (EWC) Retreat. All faculty and staff are asked to consider writing a note (palanca) to students they may know on the attendance list. This is an opportunity to encourage students and express appreciation for them outside the classroom. Each retreatant will receive an envelope of surprise palanca. Please do not discuss this concept with students, which will help to keep it a surprise.

A list of those going on the retreat, along with their majors, can be found at this link. Please submit your palanca to the Campus Ministry office in St. Mary’s. Mark your envelope with “EWC Retreat—(student’s name)” and bring it by Thursday, March 22.

Please send any questions to Annie Boyle at boylea@up.edu or x7889.

Nominations Welcome for Oddo Scholarship

Shortly after his untimely death in 1989, University president Rev. Thomas Oddo, C.S.C., was memorialized by faculty, staff, students, and friends with the establishment of an endowed scholarship fund named after him. Every year the University awards scholarship funds in Fr. Oddo’s name to one or more students who meet a set of criteria which includes demonstrated commitment to service and to service learning. Criteria for the Father Thomas C. Oddo, C.S.C. Memorial Scholarship are:

  • Minimum 3.0 G.P.A.
  • Demonstrated financial need
  • Junior or senior student standing in the 2018-19 school year
  • Demonstrated commitment to service and service learning
  • Open to any academic major.

A nomination form is available at this link and is due to Theresa McCreary, Campus Ministry, by 4 p.m. on Friday, March 31. For more information contact McCreary at x7131 or mccreary@up.edu.

Crucifixes in Our Classrooms at UP: Did You Know?

As part of being a Catholic, Holy Cross university, classrooms at UP each contain a crucifix displayed in a prominent place at the front. Crucifixes are distinct from plain crosses in that they have an image of the crucified Jesus (called a corpus) on the cross. Crucifixes are visceral and even sometimes uncomfortable reminders of the brutal death endured by the historical Jesus. Being reminded of that infinite sacrifice in no way diminishes the Catholic, Christian conviction that Christ fully and for all time conquered death. We’re also reminded of the connection to the Congregation of Holy Cross, with its motto Ave Crux, Spes Unica: “Hail the Cross, our only hope.”

As UP students, faculty, and staff travel the world in immersions, studies, and other international experiences, they will now be bringing back crucifixes that reflect the global impact of Catholicism for use in classrooms of the new Dundon-Berchtold building.

For more information, contact Fr. James Gallagher, C.S.C., at gallaghe@up.edu or Karen Eifler, Garaventa Center, at eifler@up.edu.

“Women of the Book: A Concert with Words,” Feb. 22

All are invited to enjoy world premieres of sacred art songs inspired by the feisty, faithful women of the Bible on Thursday, February 22, at 7:30 p.m., in the Chapel of Christ the Teacher. “Women of the Book: A Concert with Words” is free and open to all; a reception with artists and composers will follow. The concert features artists Nicole Leupp Hanig, soprano, Cantor Ida Rae Cahana, soprano, Maureen Briare, soprano, Catherine Jacobs, soprano, and Susan McDaniel, piano, performing works by composers Cynthia Gerdes and Michael Connolly as well as traditional pieces and poetry inspired by The Saint John’s Bible.

The concert is hosted by the Garaventa Center and Department of Music. For ADA accommodations or further information, please contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu.

The Cross and Anchors: Did You Know?

The image of a cross interlocked with two anchors can be seen all around the UP campus – in the University Seal, etched in cornerstones, hanging around the necks of priests and brothers, and even on utility hole covers. For Blessed Basil Moreau, the founder of the Congregation of Holy Cross, the cross was something to look to as a sign of hope. It was through the cross that Jesus won his victory over sin and death. It is through the cross that we will come to know the fullness of life that Jesus has in store for us. Therefore, the motto of the Congregation became Ave Crux, Spes Unica – “Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope.” The cross and anchors are a symbol of this motto – the anchor being an ancient symbol of hope.  When used as the mark of Holy Cross, these crosses with anchors stand as continual reminders of our work of bringing hope into the world.

For more information contact Fr. James Gallagher, C.S.C., Campus Ministry, at gallaghe@up.edu.

The Lenten Season: Did You Know?

Sure, many people know that Lent is the period of time leading up to Easter, but why do we have it? Is it just about making things hard on ourselves before the celebration of Easter?
A period of preparation for the Easter celebration, which is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus, has been a part of the practice of Christians since the late second century. The length of this period varied early on but was proposed to be for forty days at the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) More than just a time to give something up, it is a time to renew one’s attentiveness to life as a disciple of Jesus. Fasting seeks to strip away distractions, almsgiving draws deeper attention to our relationship with our neighbors, and prayer looks toward a deepening relationship with Jesus. This renewal of life as a disciple of Jesus is meant to prepare Christians for the fullness of life that is promised by the resurrection.
Lent this year begins on Wednesday, February 14, and lasts up to the Holy Triduum–the three days leading into Easter on Sunday, April 1.
For more information contact Campus Ministry at 7131 or ministry@up.edu.

The Saint John’s Bible: Did You Know?

The Saint John’s Bible is a stunning resource and a too-hidden jewel at UP. To mark the new millennium, the Benedictine monks of St. John’s Abbey in Collegeville Minnesota commissioned this work—the first fully hand-calligraphed, illuminated Bible manuscript to be crafted since the invention of the printing press, which is why it’s called The Saint John’s Bible. It’s meant to be a universal and inclusive work, and to that end, features art from 16 different artists, all charged with the task of creating images in which all beholders have a chance to see themselves. A page is always on display in Clark Library, and the selection changes regularly. With the gift of all seven volumes came special training for docents at UP to learn twelve kajillion facts about them, so that classes in theology, history, the sciences and fine arts could tap the riches of this audacious work. Beth Barsotti and Karen Eifler are trained by the St. John’s community to share the volumes with anyone from the UP community, both in the classroom and as an inspiration for prayer. Contact either of those if you would like to learn more.

The “Did you know” series comes to you as an initiative of Campus Ministry and the Garventa Center, intended to broaden awareness of spiritual development opportunities on the University campus. If you are curious about anything under that broad umbrella and would like to see an answer published in UPBeat, please contact Karen Eifler (eifler@up.edu) or Fr. Jim Gallagher (gallaghe@up.edu).