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Take a Photo Tour of Founders Hall
Father Rudy Travels to Vatican to Explore Catholic Higher Ed
Senior Year in the Triumphant City – Scholarship helps future Foreign Service Officer focus on Arab language and culture
SABÉR Institute Studies San Antonio's Creative Industry, NAFTA
Business Leaders to Speak at Bill Greehey Business School Programs
Take a Photo Tour of Founders Hall
The rooms in Founders Hall allow students to loft the beds, providing more floor space.
Study lounges give students a great view of campus.
The exterior of Founders Hall
Students can hang out on balconies in the interior courtyard.
View of the first floor lobby from the second floor walkway.
Bamboo floors in the first floor lobby help keep the space green.
"Welcome to Founders Hall!"
Father Rudy Travels to Vatican to Explore Catholic Higher Ed
by Father Rudy Vela, S.M.
 Let me start by saying that initiating my first month of work as vice president for Mission and Identity at St. Mary's by participating in the Fifth Annual Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities' (ACCU*) Rome Seminar was indeed initiation by fire. The passion and dedication of seasoned men and women dedicated to unfolding the Catholic identity and particular charisms of their respective founders and foundressess was what I encountered.
The Rome Seminar was held June 21-26, 2009, and focused on "U.S. Catholic Higher Education in a Global Context." The program was designed to offer leaders of ACCU institutions a first-hand opportunity to explore the intellectual and spiritual legacy of the Catholic Church in order to strengthen and promote the mission of Catholic higher education in the United States.
The Rome Seminar is conducted and coordinated by ACCU senior staff, headed by Michael Galligan-Stierle, Ph.D., and the staff of the Lay Center at Foyer Unitas in Rome, Donna Orsuto, Ph.D., Director. The Seminar offers a unique inside look at the Vatican, an experience I found inspiring and insightful. We had the opportunity to explore the Eternal City's spiritual treasures and have in-depth conversations with key representatives from within the Holy See and Rome's Pontifical universities.
Seminar participants came from Canada and the United States, and among them were university presidents, vice presidents, deans and other officials. I had the distinct opportunity to learn, pray and network with these wonderful representatives of Catholic colleges and universities in North America.
Allow me to recount the seminar's ambitious schedule with you, and I think you'll agree that this was the right way to begin my new role as vice president for Mission and Identity at St. Mary's.
Day 1: We were welcomed by Galligan-Stierle and Orsuto. All of us shared our hopes and expectations of the seminar, followed by a celebration of the Eucharist with the Very Rev. James Puglisi, S.A., presiding After dinner Bishop Puglisi and Gerard O'Connell, journalist and Vatican affairs analyst who also is Rome's correspondent for UCA News (the main Catholic news agency in Asia), presented "The Issues that Matter to the Holy See: The Perspective of a Theologian and a Journalist." The evening set the dynamic and demanding pace the seminar would follow.
Day 2: After early morning mass at St. Peter's Basilica with His Eminence Jon Patrick Cardinal Foley, the Pro-Grand Master, Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem and President Emeritus, Pontifical Council for Social Communications presiding, we had a day filled with presentations in the Vatican, covering a variety of topics:
- "The Spiritual Principles of Catholic Higher Education and the Role of the Congregation for Catholic Education" by Most Rev. Jean-Louis Brugues, OP, Secretary for the Congregation for Catholic Education
- "The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Catholic Higher Education" by the Rev. J. Augustine DiNoia, OP, Undersecretary, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith
- A working lunch where the Rev. Jonathan DeFelice, OSB, presented "Mission, Identity and the Future of Catholic Higher Education"
- "John Henry Newman and the Vocation to Catholic Higher Education: Inspiration for the Twenty-First Century" by the Rector of the Pontifical Beda College, Rev. Msgr. Roderick Strange
Our sessions were followed with wonderful conversations throughout the Vatican. The leaders of Catholic higher education we heard were invigorating and engaging. We closed the day by touring and praying Vespers at St. Paul Outside the Walls where we also visited the tomb of St. Paul (in honor of the Pauline year). We concluded the evening with a social visit and reception at the Pontifical North American College.
Day 3: Our day of retreat found us traveling to the picturesque original Abbey of St. Benedict, Subiaco. A tour was replete with exquisite and detailed historical background, and the recounting of the Benedictine charism that spread throughout the world from this Monastery of the Sacro Speco. We ended our morning retreat with a moving celebration of the Eucharist inside the original chapel of St. Benedict. In the afternoon, back at the Vatican, we met with His Eminence Renato Cardinal Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, to discuss the three guiding principles that contribute to the building of the Human Family: human dignity, the common good, and solidarity. The Cardinal initiated conversation with his presentation "Implementing the Principles of the Compendium of the Social Teachings of the Catholic Church in Catholic Higher Education."
Day 4: We were able to participate in the General Audience with Pope Benedict XVI at St. Peter's Square. With reserved seating for dignitaries, we were positioned next to the altar where the Holy Father sat to extend his greetings and blessings. The afternoon offered a visit to the Redemptoris Mater Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, and in the evening, we celebrated the Eucharist at the Church of the Gesu in the private rooms of St. Ignatius, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).
Day 5: We visited with the Secretary for the Pontifical Council for the Care of Migrant and Itinerant Peoples, the Most Rev. Agostino Marchetto, who spoke about the "International Students in North America and Pastoral Care." A roundtable discussion with international experts in the field of ecumenical and interreligious dialogue focused on "Hopes and Challenges for Catholic Higher Education in an Ecumenical and Interreligious Context." Our concluding presentation was given at the Lay Centre where the Rev. Friedrich Bechina, FSO, from the Congregation for Catholic Education, facilitated our closing conversation. Bechina also presided at our closing Eucharistic Celebration.
This Rome Seminar was an excellent opportunity to listen, learn, interact and network with Catholic leaders and scholars. In the midst of all the international challenges that Catholic higher education is facing, we still had the time to address issues that we face on a daily basis.
*The Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU), founded in 1899, is the collective voice of Catholic higher education in the United States and abroad. Through seminars, such as this one, as well as conferences, publications, research and consultation, ACCU helps to foster a vibrant international Catholic identity at member institutions and supports cooperation among them for the greater good of society and the Church. St. Mary's University has been a proud and active member of the ACCU for many years.
Senior Year in the Triumphant City
Scholarship helps future Foreign Service Officer focus on Arab language and culture
 A St. Mary's senior is spending his fall semester in far-off Cairo immersed in the Arabic language. Henry Juvera, an international relations major and history minor, is attending the Arabic Language Institute at American University in Cairo, Egypt, to prepare for his dream of serving in the Department of State. Juvera is a recipient of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship for $8,000—the maximum award given by the program—a scholarship that helps undergraduate Pell Grant recipients participate in worldwide study abroad programs.
"This intensive program is different from other study abroad experiences, because I'm concentrating only on Arabic classes, nothing else," Juvera says. Through the help of the Gilman scholarship, he will research obstacles that people overcome when studying a new language. "This experience will help me better serve as a Foreign Service officer," he says, "one who has experienced different cultures but is also prepared to represent the United States in critical areas of the world such as the Middle East."
Studying abroad is old hat to the San Antonio native. He's already traveled to London through St. Mary's London Semester Program, but nothing could have prepared him for the cultural contrast he found in Egypt. "Cairo is really different from Western metropolitan cities as well as from Middle Eastern cities in general," he says. "You can see both strict and liberal customs here. The mix of past and present is something you would never imagine would occur in the Middle East."
Only a few months into his adventure, Juvera can already feel the impact this experience will have on his life. "It has opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of the Arab and Muslim way of life. You cannot really understand it unless you visit a place like Egypt." Whether he's differentiating new dialects or tapping into modes of communication unique to a culture, this aspiring Foreign Service officer is gaining new insight into the ever-changing world of linguistics.
SABÉR Institute Studies San Antonio's Creative Industry, NAFTA
St. Mary's Professor Steve Nivin, Ph.D., chief economist of the SABÉR Research Institute and director of Neighborhood Revitalization, recently conducted an economic study for the City of San Antonio on the economic impact of the city's creative industry. The impact report was presented at a luncheon in August that St. Mary's University and the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce helped sponsor.
In addition, SABÉR conducted a study to determine the economic impact of the North American Free Trade Alliance (NAFTA) that was released in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the alliance recognition event hosted by the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce last month.
The creative economy is a vital component of the larger San Antonio economy and it has been identified by many in the private and public sectors as a priority. SABÉR's San Antonio Creative Economy Growth & Prosperity report, an update to an earlier report released in 2003, includes more complete data on the creative sector, including new data and comparisons on schools, the performing arts, design and advertising, printing and more.
Download a PDF of the San Antonio Creative Economy Growth & Prosperity report here.
Download a PDF of the Economic Impact of NAFTA report here.
Read the San Antonio Express-News article that covers the NAFTA anniversary event where the SABÉR report was referenced here.
Read the San Antonio Express-News editorial about NAFTA that highlights the SABÉR report here.
Business Leaders to Speak at Bill Greehey Business School Programs
Students hear from influential entrepreneurs and executives
Brother Paul Goelz, S.M., Ph.D., had a passion for education and entrepreneurship; in fact, he dedicated his life to teaching free enterprise at St. Mary’s and helping entrepreneurs succeed. In 1981, Goelz established the Algur H. Meadows Center for Entrepreneurial Studies with grant funding from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas, augmented later by a gift from the Gulf Oil Foundation.
Through the Meadows Center, Goelz built a strong relationship with South Texas business professionals who engaged in entrepreneurial activities. In 1986, he developed the Forum on Entrepreneurship Breakfast Series that, each year, hosts prominent entrepreneurs.
Members of the San Antonio business community, along with St. Mary’s Bill Greehey Business School faculty and students, will have the opportunity to gain insight from four leading entrepreneurs. The 2009-2010 Forum on Entrepreneurship Breakfast Series features:
- Sept. 17, 2009 – Dick Evans, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Cullen/Frost Bankers Inc.
- Oct. 27, 2009 – Charlie Amato, Chairman/Co-Founder, Southwest Business Corp.
- Feb. 16, 2010 – Marsha Shields, President, McCombs Foundation
- April 6, 2010 – John Zachry, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Zachry Holdings Inc.
Goelz's successor, Brooke R. Envick, Ph.D. was appointed director of the Meadows Center in 2002. Under her leadership, the Center continues to be successful in advancing the awareness of entrepreneurship. The academic programs in entrepreneurship at St. Mary’s University focus on the career preparation of students who plan to initiate and operate their own businesses rather than enter the corporate world of large companies in a line or staff position.
In fall 2006, the Center began to offer the Executive Speaker Series, which is part of a course entitled, “Exploring Entrepreneurship: Profiles of Successful Entrepreneurs and Senior Executives.” Students enrolled in this class have the rare opportunity to hear autobiographical speeches from nationally known entrepreneurs and senior level executives about their “road maps” to success. Students read biographies of well-known entrepreneurs, analyze prospective success patterns, and contribute to the class through verbal and written projects.
The Executive Speaker Series fall lineup includes:
- Aug. 25, 2009 – Ed Kelley (B.B.A. ’64), Retired President and CEO, Realco, USAA
- Sept. 1, 2009 – Janet Holliday, President and CEO, The CE Group Inc.
- Sept. 8, 2009 – Roy Terracina, CEO, Sunshine Ventures, Inc.
- Sept. 15, 2009 – John Kauth, CEO, Intercontinental Asset Management Group LTD
- Sept. 22, 2009 – Marty Wender, Co-founder and CEO, Wender & Hall LLC
- Sept. 29, 2009 – James “Fully” Clingman Jr., Retired President and CEO, H-E-B
- Oct. 6, 2009 – Joseph R. Krier, Counsel, Bracewell & Giuliani LLP (Past President/CEO, Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce)
- Oct. 20, 2009 – Bill Greehey (B.B.A. ’60), Chairman of the Board, NuStar Energy LP/NuStar GP Holdings LLC
- Oct. 27, 2009 – Jane Phipps, Founder/Director, The Masters Leadership Program
- Nov. 3, 2009 – Richard Perez, President and CEO, The Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
- Nov. 10, 2009 – Hope Andrade, Secretary of State, State of Texas
- Nov. 17, 2009 – The Honorable Nelson Wolff (B.B.A., J.D. ’66), Bexar County Judge
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