Many hands go up. “Nice!” says Brazinski. “No homework on Wednesday, other than to see the Pope.”

Brazinski is taking advantage of this class on the Monday morning before the papal visit to lecture on the Holy Father’s life and his teachings.

Outside his Caldwell Hall classroom is the Campus Ministry garden featuring a small statue of St. Francis of Assisi. Referring to that, Brazinski asks his students why Pope Francis took on the name of this saint when he began his papacy.

“St. Francis is the patron of animals and the environment and he dedicated himself to the poor,” says one student.

“Bingo!” responds Brazinski as he reminds students of the often-told story of the dramatic moment so many centuries ago when St. Francis renounced his inheritance and dedicated his life to the poor and the environment. “When Pope Francis chose his name that gave us the first idea that these would be the themes of his papacy,” he says.

Brazinski tells the students what it was like on campus on March 13, 2013, when it was announced that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected to be the 266th pope.

“Students chanted ‘Habemus Papam!’ and I can still remember the bells ringing across campus.”

The lecture focuses on Pope Francis’s early life as a boy, as a chemical technician (who also had a job as a nightclub bouncer), as a scholar, and as a young priest. Brazinski’s PowerPoint details important milestones in the Popes’s life. And the class ends with a lively discussion of Laudato Si’, the Pope’s encyclical on the environment. The students have read selected excerpts from the encyclical in which Pope Francis appeals to ‘‘every person living on this planet” to play a role in “caring for our common home.”

Pope Francis’s visit to Catholic University has provided a unique teaching moment for faculty and staff. In addition to the pope’s teachings being worked into curriculum in anticipation of the Holy Father’s visit, Catholic University’s Office of Campus Ministry initiated a series of events with the theme “Walking with Francis: Joy of the Gospel.”

CUA students, alumni, faculty, and staff have taken the pledge to walk in solidarity with the Holy Father through prayer, learning, and service. More than 500 members of the CUA community took part in the Serve with Francis Day on Sept. 13.There were special Masses in Spanish to help students learn the assembly responses for a Spanish Mass. Learning events included a screening of the Salt + Light documentary “The Francis Effect,” a pope trivia night, a panel discussion titled “Follow Francis’s Footsteps: The Pope’s Guide to Modern Life,” and a lecture on “Junipero Serra: An Apostle of California.

“I am so excited for the Mass. It will bring happiness to so many souls,” says Rory Martinez, a student in Brazinski’s course. “Spanish is my first language. My grandmother is from Mexico and she always told me about seeing Pope John Paul II. I got my faith from her. Celebrating the Mass in Spanish will feel like home. And after today’s class I will be going into the Mass with great knowledge,” says the theology major from New Mexico.

“Pope Francis’s visit to our campus provides a great opportunity for our students and community,” says Brazinski. “In the months leading to his adventus, he has inspired us to serve, pray, and learn. From our numerous service days to our Fitness for Francis at the Kane Fitness Center, CUA has been awaiting the Holy Father and has enhanced its programming to honor his mission. His visit has truly provided a unique and invigorating opportunity for our University.”

“The visit of Pope Francis will be one of the most memorable events in the lives of Catholic University students, who hopefully will remember not only the event, but also the Pope’s message: his invitation to ‘walk’ as a person of faith throughout the rest of their lives,” says Rev. John T. Ford, professor of theology and religious studies, who delivered the lecture on Blessed Junípero Serra. The soon-to-be saint will be canonized by Pope Francis during the papal Mass.

The Mass, which took place in the Great Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, is held annually at the opening of the school year. This year’s celebrant was Cardinal Donald Wuerl, archbishop of Washington and University chancellor, who asked God to invoke the gifts of the Holy Spirit on the University community to strengthen and guide students, faculty, and staff throughout the 2015-16 academic year.

In anticipation of Pope Francis’s upcoming visit to the Basilica and the University, Cardinal Wuerl encouraged students to prepare themselves spiritually by working to make a difference in their community.

Faculty members dressed in full academic regalia attend this year’s Mass of the Holy Spirit.

“Pope Francis challenges us to be ‘missionary disciples,’” he said. “We are not bystanders but rather participants in the great human endeavor to make of this world a better place.

“There is a sense in which each one of us has to make that call and anointing in the Holy Spirit our own,” Cardinal Wuerl said. “This is what Pope Francis asks us to do. We are challenged to take the love and mercy of God and share it with others.”

The cardinal encouraged students to use this upcoming academic year to continue spiritual formation and to ask God’s help in living their faith.

“Here at this university, in addition to preparing for a job and a means to a paycheck, we should also accept that we have a deeper calling — to do our part to help make the world just a little better,” he said. “We come together to ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit because we dare to believe we really can make a difference. We are capable of renewing the face of the earth, or at least trying — at least, doing our part with the help of God.”

Following the homily, Cardinal Wuerl conferred the Canonical Mission — the authorization to teach in the name of the Church — to William Daniel of the School of Canon Law.

In his remarks after Mass, University President John Garvey advised students to live the virtue of constancy in their academic, spiritual, and personal lives.

Members of the University community, including Jeanne Garvey, bring up the gifts during the Mass of the Holy Spirit.

“When the alarm goes off at 6 a.m., constancy is the virtue that gets you out of bed in time for Mass, because you are a Christian striving to grow in holiness,” President Garvey said. “It’s the virtue that keeps you in the library when your friends call it a night because you are a scholar determined to excel in your field. It is the virtue that gives you the conviction to opt-out of the hookup culture, because you are a child of God made for love far greater than that.”

Garvey encouraged students to follow Pope Francis’s example of constancy by taking small, concrete steps to follow Christ. Garvey encouraged students to participate in the Archdiocese of Washington’s #WalkwithFrancis initiative by making concrete commitments to pray, serve, and act. Garvey also pledged to participate in the initiative and said he would serve at the Little Sisters of the Poor in Brookland.

“If we call ourselves Christians, we must affirm that fact in our actions,” Garvey said. “This is constancy.”

Following Mass, all students who pledged to participate in the initiative received blue wristbands marked #WalkwithFrancis. In his closing remarks, Cardinal Wuerl noted that if everyone wears the bracelets during the papal Mass on Sept. 23, it will be a visual reminder of the University’s commitment to service and prayer.

President Garvey Pledges to Walk with Francis at Mass of the Holy Spirit from CUA Video on Vimeo.

• Thursday, Sept. 3, 6:30 p.m.
  William Mattison, associate professor of moral theology at The Catholic University of America
  Introducing Moral Theology
• Tuesday, Sept. 8, 6:30 p.m.
  Christina Cox, founder of the National Museum of Catholic Art and Library
  Catholics in Washington
• Wednesday, Sept. 9, 6:30 p.m.
  Andreas Widmer, director of entrepreneurship at The Catholic University of America
  The Pope & The CEO
• Wednesday, Sept. 16, 6:30 p.m.
  David Flynn, author
  Search for the Alien God
• Thursday, Sept. 17, 6:30 p.m.
  Patricia Daly-Lipe, author
  Patriot Priest
• Tuesday, Sept. 22, 6:00 p.m.
  Paul Dykewicz, author and writer
  Holy Smokes! Golden Guidance from Notre Dame’s Championship Chaplain

For more information check out the CUA B&N Facebook page under Events: https://www.facebook.com/BNatCUA/events?key=events.

In his address following communion, University President John Garvey will encourage students to participate in the Archdiocese of Washington’s #WalkwithFrancis campaign. #WalkwithFrancis bracelets will be distributed to all Mass attendees, along with information about the campaign, which calls local Catholics to pray, serve, and act in preparation for Pope Francis’s visit.

Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, archbishop of Washington and chancellor of the University, will serve as the main celebrant and homilist for the Mass. As many as 50 priests from the University community will concelebrate the Mass.

The Mass — which draws heavy attendance by students, faculty, and staff — marks the official start of the academic year at Catholic University, a practice that goes back to the universities of medieval Europe. It will be televised live by Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN).

University classes will be cancelled from noon to 3:30 p.m. so that students, faculty, and staff may attend.

“Pope Francis in his message at the World Day of Peace this year called human trafficking an open wound upon the body of Christ,” said CUA President John Garvey, who welcomed attendees to the University’s campus on July 9 at the start of the two-day conference titled “Answering Pope Francis’s Call: An American Catholic Response to Modern-Day Slavery.”

The conference was cosponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB); Catholic Charities, D.C.; Catholic Charities, USA; and Catholic University’s National Catholic School of Social Service (NCSSS).

“Human beings made in the image and likeness of God are reduced to objects because there is a demand for it,” said Garvey, who noted that forced slavery is a multi-billion-dollar industry.

“The scourge of modern-day slavery is closer to us than we might want to admit. Unlike slavery of the 19th Century, the modern-day culture of enslavement ignores slaves all together.” The Church, Garvey said, is uniquely equipped to bring this problem to light and to address it.

Bishop Eusebio Elizondo (right) chats with conference participants.

In an opening address, Most Rev. Eusebio L. Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Seattle, also quoted from the Pope’s World Peace Day message. He said the Holy Father is making an urgent appeal to anyone who witnesses human slavery “not to become accomplices to this evil, not to turn away from the suffering of our brothers and sisters, our fellow human beings, who are deprived of their freedom and dignity.”

The bishop noted efforts under way to combat modern-day slavery, such as current legislation in Congress; the Amistad movement, a national education campaign launched by USCCB’s Migration and Refugee Services; and USCCB’s SHEPHERD program, which provides a toolkit for Catholic parishes to identify situations of human trafficking.

Bishop Elizondo also offered particular gratitude to women religious who he says have been committed to the struggle against slavery long before the problem began to make news. “Their long-standing efforts to provide love and support to survivors of human trafficking and a commitment to advocate on behalf of its victims are an example that brings glory to the Church and should be one that we all strive to imitate.”

Many women religious were in attendance, as well as Catholic Charities staff, other Catholic social service agencies, and community members from parishes across the nation. A large number of attendees were social workers, including many NCSSS alumni. Also represented were nurses, lawyers, and community activists.

Nearly 20 more speakers — scholars, law and policy experts, social workers, and leaders of social service agencies — addressed a wide range of topics including identifying potential victims, navigating social services, understanding the legal framework, building a toolkit for a parish community, and exploring current trends.

Two keynote speakers shared their personal stories of survival and advocacy.

Tina Frundt told her story of being trafficked from the age of 9 until her 20s. It started with foster families selling her. “When you are raped and abused for so long and no one believes you, you become angry. Abuse was my normal, it’s all I knew,” she said.

Even after she was adopted at age 12, she was always waiting for “the other shoe to drop.” That’s how, a few years later, a trafficker sensed her vulnerability, gained her trust, and eventually kidnapped her and forced her into prostitution.

A Catholic service agency in Washington, D.C., helped Frundt escape. “They didn’t judge ever, not one time, and told me I would do amazing things. The impact of not being judged is pretty spectacular,” said Frundt.

Today, she trains organizations and law enforcement officials on the issue of human trafficking. In 2008, she founded Courtney’s House, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that assists victims and survivors of sex trafficking and sexual exploitation, and has helped more than 500 victims escape trafficking and start a new life. Through Courtney’s House, Fundt works with local parishes to identify those at risk in their congregations.

Starting at age 11, Gerardo Reyes-Chávez, the second speaker, worked as a peasant farmer in Zacatecas, Mexico, and later in the fields of Florida picking oranges, tomatoes, and watermelons. He told attendees of inhumane and sometimes violent working conditions hidden in the swamps of Imokalee, Fla.

Today, he is a leader in the Coalition of Immokalee Workers in Florida. He has investigated several modern-day slavery operations by going undercover to work on tomato farms and interview workers who have escaped brutal operations, such as being locked in the back of trucks overnight. He has mobilized the Immokalee community around national actions for the Campaign for Fair Food, and he has negotiated with major food chains.

“This was a conference that was all about rolling up our sleeves and addressing the problem,” said William Rainford, dean of NCSSS. “The attendees are people on the front lines in their communities who are effecting change. There was an amazing sharing of information and a profound commitment to answering the Holy Father’s call to eliminate the atrocity of human trafficking.

“The conference was just the beginning of a strong Catholic partnership aimed at advocacy, prevention, and rescue — with the goal of eradicating human trafficking in our lifetime.”

John Garvey

Human trafficking, Pope Francis said in his message for the World Day of Peace this year, is “an open wound upon the body of Christ.”  It’s hard to disagree.  The sinfulness of suppressing another’s freedom and dignity seems obvious.

And yet, according to one recent estimate by the International Labor Organization, forced labor in the private economy generates $150.2 billion per year in profits.  The fact is that human beings, made in the image and likeness of God, are reduced to objects because there is significant demand for it.  This brings the scourge of modern-day slavery closer to us than we would have thought — or would like to admit.

Modern- day slavery is not, by and large, the chattel slavery of 19th century America.  It is women and children forced into a booming commercial sex and pornography industry.  It is migrant workers who are deprived of a living wage (or any wage) and endure inhuman condition working in fields, mines, and factories (or building soccer stadiums).  It is women in desperate situations who act as surrogates for fertility tourists in order to feed their own families.

This is slavery that can be easy to ignore.  As the Holy Father observed, “when considering the reality of human trafficking, illegal trafficking of migrants, and other acknowledged or unacknowledged forms of slavery, one has the impression that they occur within a context of general indifference.”  To put it another way, modern slavery occurs within a context of general self-interest.  Victims of modern slavery are crowded out of our consideration by other concerns like pleasure or profit or a better price.

Even our concern for victims of human trafficking can become part of this general indifference.  It takes little effort to tweet #bringbackourgirls.  It is harder to change buying and consumption habits that might support the exploitation of others.

To combat this general indifference, Pope Francis says, we must practice acts of fraternity.  This can mean supporting an anti-trafficking organization.  It can also mean not purchasing items produced through exploitation.  Combatting human trafficking requires more than restoring enslaved persons’ freedom.  It requires restoring our own understanding that enslaved persons are our brothers and sisters because they are children of the same heavenly Father.

– John Garvey is president of The Catholic University of America.

Catholic University students and faculty listen to presentations by Monsignor Martin Schlag and Andreas Widmer about economic justice.

In preparation for Pope Francis’s visit to Washington, D.C., and The Catholic University of America in September, the students and faculty have begun an important conversation about justice in our society. On Wednesday, May 13, two experts launched this discussion at an event titled, “Teaching Catholicism to Capitalists.”

Monsignor Martin Schlag, of the Santa Croce University in Rome and consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, shed light on Pope Francis’s “Evangelii Gaudium” from an Anglo-American perspective. His talk provided insights into the Pope’s understanding of capitalism from his experiences in South America where capitalism is marred by classism and cronyism.

Andreas Widmer, director of entrepreneurship at CUA’s School of Business and Economics, presented the newly released findings from a survey titled “Faithful Measure: Gauging Awareness of the Catholic Church’s Social Doctrine.” This new data shows that Catholics and non-Catholics alike misunderstand key tenets of Catholic social doctrine. Most Catholics think they understand terms such as social justice, solidarity, and property rights, but when they are asked to identify their definitions, they do little better than non-Catholics.

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The event was titled “Ending Extreme Poverty Now: Working Together with the Poor.” It included a welcome from Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships Melissa Rogers, and keynote addresses by Archbishop Bernardito Auza, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, and Alex Thier, assistant Administrator, Bureau for Policy, Planning and Learning, U.S. Agency for International Development. A musical reflection was performed by Sara Groves, singer/songwriter and recording artist nominated for 7 Dove Awards.

A panel discussion followed that included:

Anne St. Amant, IPR undergraduate fellow, The Catholic University of America;
Dr. Stephen Colecchi, director, Office of International Justice and Peace, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops;
Rev. Aniedi Okure, director, Africa Faith & Justice Network;
Kathy Brown, senior director for mission and Catholic identity, Catholic Charities USA; regional coordinator, Caritas North America, Caritas Internationalis;
Michele Broemmelsiek, vice president for overseas operations, Catholic Relief Services.
J. Mark Brinkmoeller, director of the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, U.S. Agency for International Development, gave the closing remarks.

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The discussion of Serra, Kino, and Marquette focused on their contributions to U.S. history and to the growth of the Church in the United States.

Speakers included:

Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, a proponent of the cause of sainthood for Eusebio Kino;

Dr. Steven Hackel, professor of history at the University of California-Riverside, and author of “Junípero Serra: California’s Founding Father;”

Dr. Tracy Neal Leavelle, associate professor of history and associate dean for humanities and fine arts at Creighton University, and author of “The Catholic Calumet: Colonial Conversions in French and Indian North America;”

Rev. Gerald Fogarty, S.J., professor of the history of Christianity at the University of Virginia;

Rev. Joe Nangle, O.F.M., associate pastor of Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Arlington, who served as a missionary in Latin America for 15 years.

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