Before us lies an opportunity not only to protect but fully to embrace the sanctity of human life. It is a moment that calls first and foremost for love. Our task is to build a culture of radical hospitality here on our campus that will serve those among us and illuminate the world around us. Our university motto, Deus Lux Mea Est, is a reminder not only of the divine gift of human dignity, but of the divine call to charity. We shine with the light of God so that others may see too. As we recommit ourselves to the work of supporting one another we ask for the grace to be that light — to new mothers and fathers who may be alone and afraid; to growing families who are overwhelmed with the demands of family life and who need our love and support; to spouses and parents who are facing crises in their families; to children who should be cherished at every stage of life; and to one another.
The practical measures we have outlined in this report contribute to enhancing a culture of hospitality in our University community, but they alone are not enough. Much of the work to be done rests not in operational or policy changes, but in the reorientation of our hearts. Building a culture of radical hospitality is work we must undertake together. “Now is the time ...” the Catholic bishops of the United States have said, “for healing wounds and repairing social divisions; it is a time for reasoned reflection and civil dialogue, and for coming together to build a society and economy that supports marriages and families, and where every woman has the support and resources she needs to bring her child into this world in love.”
The most important work of the Guadalupe Project is to extend the invitation to live this mission to every member of the Catholic University community. We look forward to continuing to work together to build a community that reflects the most profound commitment of our faith: that God is love.
We close this opening chapter of the Guadalupe Project’s work by looking again to Mary, the model of radical hospitality. We recall that in the story of the wedding at Cana (John 2: 1-12) it is Mary who perceives the unvoiced needs of the married couple: “When the wine ran short, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’” Mary is only a guest at the party, but that doesn’t stop her from attending to the needs of those around her.
We witness the same in the account of her visitation to her cousin Elizabeth. Even as she ponders the shocking news of her own pregnancy, perhaps with some trepidation, she turns her attention to the needs of her cousin. Her way is one of generosity, of gentleness, and of accompaniment. In building a culture of radical hospitality, we must make her way our own, and learn from Mary how to offer support by perceiving, listening, assisting, and bringing peace and assurance to those in our midst as they in turn build their families into “communities of love.”
Dr. Peter K. Kilpatrick
President
Jennie Bradley Lichter, Chair
Deputy General Counsel
Dr. Judi Biggs Garbuio
Vice President for Student Affairs
Rev. Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P.
University Chaplain & Director of Campus Ministry
Elizabeth Kirk
Director of the Center for Law & the Human Person at the Columbus School of Law
Matt McNally
Chief Human Resources Officer
Karen Rajnes
Operations Manager
Larissa York, Class of 2024
Research Intern