Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., will lead discussions of this year’s ReadUP selection, The Leavers by Lisa Ko, on Tuesday, February 4; Wednesday, February 5; and Thursday, February 6 from noon to 1 p.m., in the Clark Library conference room. Light refreshments will be provided and all are welcome to bring their lunch, questions, and insights as we sink our teeth into Ko’s wonderful novel.
Ko will be speaking on February 10 as part of this year’s annual Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writers Series. The Leavers was a 2017 National Book Award Finalist and winner of the 2016 PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction.
For more information about this year’s ReadUP selection, including a reading guide and video highlighting compelling themes, visit up.edu/readup. For questions about discussion groups, contact the Garaventa Center at x7702 or garaventa@up.edu. These events are sponsored by the Schoenfeldt Distinguished Writers Series, the Office of the Provost, Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life & American Culture, Clark Library, Office of Residence Life, the Office of University Relations, and the Office of Marketing and Communications.
The following faculty members have been selected to participate in the June 2020 pilgrimage to the birthplace of Holy Cross in northern France:
Join Garaventa Center co-directors Karen Eifler and Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., as they team up with Shannon Mayer, physics, and Jim Baillie, philosophy, to unpack surprising themes of grace and transcendence in the movie “Arrival.” The screening is on Wednesday, February 21, at 7:15 p.m., in Shiley Hall room 319. Free and open to all; thematic movie snacks will be served.
The Garaventa Center has produced a CD containing all of Fr. Charlie Gordon’s Advent reflections for liturgical cycles A, B, and C, plus two bonus Christmas tracks, for a collection of 14 reflections in all, each 3-5 minutes long. The cover art is taken from K.A. Colorado’s Ice Core painting in the Clark Library, so it’s nice to look at as well as inspiring to listen to. These are available to any interested staff or faculty member who would like to focus on the peace and promise of the Advent season. Contact Karen Eifler (
Did you know about Fr. Charlie Gordon’s podcasts? Each week, Fr. Charlie posts a podcast wherein he opens up the Sunday scriptures through a 4-6 minute reflection. The Fractio Verbi podcast is downloadable from the 
Any senior faculty members intending to participate in the 2018 pilgrimage to the birthplace of Holy Cross in France are reminded that applications are due by Saturday, April 1, to Karen Eifler. The Garaventa Center is sponsoring the experience in partnership with the Office of the Provost. Details on the pilgrimage and the nature of the brief (1-2 page) 
Fr. Charlie Gordon, C.S.C., and Karen Eifler will present “Love and Mercy in the Maelstrom: Images of Family in Modern Cinema” on Tuesday, April 12, at 3 p.m., in Franz Hall Room 120. It would seem that “family” should be a reliable place for finding comfort in tumultuous times, but you’d never suspect that by looking at many of the families in popular movies today. Is there anything positive to glean from the moms, dads, and grandparents on the big screen? Fr. Gordon and Eifler will tackle that question as well as present images and clips from several recent films.
