Remembrance of a Friend

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. I do not propose that my authorship of this reflection on my friend Michael places me in some sort of place of privilege among those who were fortunate enough to cross paths with him at some point in their academic, artistic or faith journeys. No, this is not a case of one who knew him better rising above others. In fact, it may be the opposite: I suspect that my commentary on our friendship might be indistinguishable from the observations of others. That seems a fitting epitaph for one who made you feel as if you were his only friend in the world. We know that this is not the case. C.S. Lewis notes in his work The Four Loves, that when it comes to friendship two friends delight to be joined by a third, and three by a fourth... (p. 61). This was how I knew Michael Costanzo, the CEO and chief creative officer of a massive network of friendship

JODI and JON

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. Jonathan (’02) and Jodi (’04) Schott are putting their Fisher educations to work

Catholic Parish-Based Religious Instruction: Bearing the Burden

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. In a story produced by local Rochester, New York media outlet WHAM television and WHAM-am radio, recent figures illustrate that enrollment in Catholic schools in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester is declining. An integral part of Catholic education—faith formation—is now largely provided by parish based religious education and faith formation programs. The religious instruction that children received in the school classroom is now being provided by a largely volunteer force in individual parish programs. The question remains: can these parish based programs bear the burden

Roman Catholic Sacramental Preparation: For Kids Only?

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. In Roman Catholic parishes throughout not only the Diocese of Rochester, New York, but also around the United States and Canada, parish-based catechetical formation in preparation for sacramental celebration is losing ground in favor of the family-based model, where the parents fulfill their roles as the primary educators of their children

Religious Education 101

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. In the spring of 2004, I began interviewing for positions as a Director/Coordinator of Faith Formation for several parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester. To my luck, beginning in June of 2004, I was hired to the pastoral staff of the Church of the Transfiguration in Pittsford, New York

Pluriformity in Pauline Thought Regarding Financial Support From the Christian Communities at Thessalonica and Corinth: A Reflection

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. There are many issues, sociological, theological, and anthropological that surfaced in Paul’s compositions to the early Christian communities. Frequently, Paul expressed pluriformity in the discussion of those issues. In other words, Paul often varied his meaning in speaking about a particular issue

The Reality of Humiliation: A Reflection

In lieu of an abstract, below is the essay\u27s first paragraph. There are many factors that have played a role in the decrease of privacy in the United States today. Since the attacks on September 11, 2001, we as Americans have experienced a widening increase of governmental restrictions, searches, and inquiries that are set in place to insure our future security against terrorist threats. Coupled with this official state entrance into our privacy we also have been subject to deeper invasions privacy from the public sector. We now hunger to see into peoples’ personal lives and to live vicariously through them, sometimes fanatically