Archive Posts
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In the News: John Boyle on Catholic Literature
In the NewsJohn Boyle, a professor of Catholic studies at the University of St. Thomas, was featured in the National Catholic Register as part of a story exploring renewed interest in Nobel Prize-winning author Sigrid Undset following the opening of her canonization cause. Boyle discussed why he teaches Kristin Lavransdatter alongside the Catechism of the Catholic Church, describing the novel as…
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Dr. Boyle Receives Papal Award
University NewsWhen the announcement was made on March 9 that Pope Leo XIV had bestowed papal honors upon Dr. John Boyle, phones in Sitzmann Hall started to ring, email inboxes were filled, and social media channels lit up. Reactions from students, colleagues and friends were overwhelmingly consistent: Boyle has made a significant impact on their lives.… -
Dr. Kidd Delivers Annual Thought & Culture Lecture
Faith and MissionIn April, Dr. Erika Kidd presented “Augustine the Teacher” for the annual Thought & Culture Lecture. Based on her recent book, Intimacy and Intelligibility: Word and Life in Augustine’s De magistro (University of Notre Dame Press, October 2025), Kidd shared that Saint Augustine has a lot to say about teaching. He writes memorably in his… -
Catholic Studies Alumni: A Habit of Being
Faith and MissionEditor Sally Fitzgerald once wrote that Flannery O’Connor not only developed what Jacques Maritain called a “habit of art” in her writing, but she developed a “habit of being” by “living in accordance with her formative beliefs.” With God’s help, Catholic Studies at the University of St. Thomas seeks to pass on more than a… -
From the Farm to Corporate Law: Alumnus Embraces Interdisciplinary Life
Faith and MissionSelf-proclaimed “farm kid,” Leah (Miller) Koch ’15, ’18 JD/MA has traveled a career path from law clerk to city attorney to in-house counsel at Land O’Lakes. Integrating Catholic Studies into her legal education as a JD/MA student and Murphy Scholar helped her reach her goals of being more human, more Christ-centered, and a better thinker.… -
Dante’s Tombs in Ravenna and Florence
Faith and MissionWe often think of cemeteries and graves in terms of finality – the grave is our domus ultima, our “final resting place.” But the etymology of the word “cemetery” shows it was originally meant to suggest a sleeping place, a “dormitory,” as Jesus says of Lazarus, “Our friend Lazarus is asleep, but I am going… -
Dr. Jacob Benda Performs at Organ Concert in Rome
Professional NotesDr. Jacob Benda, organ professor and Director of Sacred Music, Liturgy, and Sacred Arts at the University of St. Thomas, traveled to Italy to perform a concert at the College of Sant'Anselmo. The phrase "Alla Vittima Pasquale" (Hail the Paschal Victim) was the concert theme, as it was performed during the Easter season. It featured… -
Pope Leo XIV Honors Catholic Studies Professor John Boyle
Professional NotesJohn Boyle, a Catholic Studies professor at the University of St. Thomas, has been recognized by Pope Leo XIV for his service as a Catholic educator. Boyle will receive the Cross Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (“For the Church and the Pope”), a papal honor established in 1888 by Pope Leo XIII. The award recognizes Catholics… -
Silver Jubilee: CSMA 25th Anniversary
Faith and MissionThe Catholic Studies MA program (CSMA) is celebrating 25 years of amazing growth, both in terms of the program’s scope and number of students. Recent college graduates, mid-career folks, and retirees find their way to this transformative program through a variety of paths, but in the program they all find a new depth of integration of their learning with their faith and all of life. Under the leadership of Dr. Mary Reichardt, the first program director, CSMA… -
Silver Jubilee: Bernardi Campus Turns Twenty-Five
Faith and MissionCatholic Studies was still in its earliest years on the St. Paul campus when the first group of students spent a semester in Rome. But the accommodations were temporary and not conducive to community life. Thanks to a gift from the Bernardi family, St. Thomas purchased a 20,000-square-foot home from a group of Spanish nuns and renovated the interior. In 2000, Catholic Studies students moved into the Bernardi Campus,…