The office of Mission and Ministry offers the opportunity for faculty members to participate in a Mission Academy every year.  The Mission Academy is an ongoing formation experience that consists of three face-to-face meetings with a facilitator throughout the year.  However, participants are expected to meet regularly and to share readings, insights, and community with one another.  The overarching goal is to promote both community and ongoing formation. 

 This year’s presenter is Dr. Joshua R. McManaway, Ph. D., University of Notre Dame.  This year’s topic is prayer and iconography.  The wider context would be the Jubilee Year and the call of Pope Francis to focus our attention on prayer. 

_

Session 1: October 18, 2024: Prayer in Action:  prayer in the Holy Scriptures as an act of promotion of unity and goodness, especially in favor of the poor.   

Session 2: January 17, 2025:  Prayer and Beauty:  exploring the beauty and power of Eastern Orthodox Iconography and its influence in Wester Iconography. 

 Session 3: April 11, 2025: Prayer and Teaching: integrating prayer and visual media (both ancient and new) into the university’s curricula and the classroom.