Franciscan University of Steubenville, the Federal Government and the Gates of Hell

By Deacon Keith Fournier
10/9/2011
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

I ask the readers of Catholic Online around the globe to pray for that wonderful Catholic University, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Ken Blackwell said the "Obama administration is also the most anti-Catholic administration in American history." He is correct. Pray for Franciscan University of Steubenville and all other genuinely Catholic Universities. The promise of Jesus still stands. The Catholic College, as a part of the Church which Jesus founded upon Peter the Rock, still stands under the protection of heaven. The gates of hell will not prevail against the Church. (Matt. 16:17,18)

A conference at Franciscan University of Steubenville

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STEUBENVILLE, Ohio (Catholic Online) - I am an alumni of the Franciscan University of Steubenville. Way back then it was called the College of Steubenville. Many of my readers know I am a "revert" to the Catholic Church. I came back to the faith of my childhood after turbulent years searching for truth and meaning. I was a teenage "hippie", caught up in the sixties and early seventies.

My journey culminated in a harrowing hitchhiking journey across the country to California searching for truth and meaning. There, on a beach, I gave my life "back to the Lord". I later came to understand He had never left me. After that experience I ended up in a Protestant Bible College where I hoped to study "the word". Naturally inquisitive, I could not shut down my brain. I questioned myself right into studying the writings of the early Church Fathers. That led me back into the Catholic Church.

Desiring to give my whole life to the Lord in the wonderful Church I had rediscovered, I soon entered a Benedictine monastery. During all of this period, I became enamored with that little poor man of Assisi, Francis, with whom I identified in so many ways. In my faith journey I reached out to one of his brothers, a holy Franciscan priest named Fr. Michael Scanlan, T.O.R. who was the rector of a seminary in Pennsylvania.

When I left the monastery - after discerning I was not called to consecrated celibacy - I called Fr. Mike. He had taken over the presidency of a small college in Steubenville, Ohio and was dedicated to returning it to the faith. I had a year of philosophy and wanted to continue my studies. So, with his full support and encouragement, I joined him at that College as a kind of "first responder". I became a part of the early renewal of that great work of the Holy Spirit which led to what is now called the Franciscan University of Steubenville.

I led one of the first student households and helped in many other ways to form the Catholic culture on campus, one of the distinctive marks of that now extraordinary Catholic College. I became a worker in the vineyard, a part of that miracle of the Lord. I soon graduated with honors in philosophy and theology. After marrying my wonderful wife on the campus we began to have children. I went on to law school in nearby Pittsburgh. Upon graduation I stayed to serve the work of Steubenville in any way that I could, standing with Fr. Michael Scanlan. I learned so much from that wonderful priest and champion of the Church.

In the nineties, I started my first law firm while still helping Fr Mike in his work. I soon left the practice to go in house as a Dean. I served as the Dean of Students and the Dean of Evangelization. That chapter of my life helped to informed the chapters of my life which followed. I love that College and consider it to be one of the seeds of the spiritual renewal which has broken forth in Catholic higher education around the world. I was privileged to stand at the side of a man who understood the mission of a Catholic College and had the courage and the heroic faith to fight to both establish it and protect it against all odds.

The Catholic College is not a private College with a church affiliation. Catholic identity is not an "add on" to its mission but the very lifeblood which animates it. Catholic identity at a Catholic College requires that the academic community understand its ecclesial nature. In an institution, just as in persons, it begins from the inside and works its way throughout like leaven or yeast in a loaf. Catholic identity must be the beating heart of a Catholic College and provide the infrastructure for its entire educational mission.

Catholic culture on campus becomes a fruit of this mission.This Catholic culture then helps to ensure the integration of the faith in every aspect of the academy, through both word and witness. Catholic identity flourishes when all who are involved in this educational mission, from the Catholic College President to the Professor in the classroom, first view themselves as disciples, lifelong learners, followers of the Teacher, Jesus Christ. The Christian life is lived within the Body of Christ, the Church, into which we have been incorporated through Baptism. The Catholic College is an expression of that Church.

The Church is by its very nature, a teacher. Those involved in serving at a Catholic College participate in the educational mission of the Church. Education is the very heart of the ecclesial mission. In speaking of herself, the Church often notes that she is an "expert in humanity" who "walks the way of the person". In the words of Pope John XXIII echoed many pronouncements of the Magisterium, The Church is, both "Mater et Magister" "Mother and Teacher." She is an educating community and institution.

Education is not something the Church adds something to, as though the ...

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1 - 10 of 34 Comments

abey
1 year ago
'Live not in the Law but live by it, Where as Live IN Christ instead of by Christ.
Out of His love for Man did GOD give the commandments to Israel, so that man may not perish. When that love becomes absent then the law becomes god, Which is the lie.
The Anglicans& their episcopal, Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran ,etc. the break away churches from the Parent Catholic/Traditional churches, during the reformation periods have all fallen into the error of Modernism, which is the error of Legalism or The Leaven of the Pharisees warned by Jesus. They Leavened the law(Torah), through oral interpretations, which has ended in Talmudism, the reason for today's corruptions. In Ch..Jude the Bible states of the contention for the Body of Moses between Archangel Micheal & satan, relates to the laws, which satan has corrupted. The Leaven of the Pharisees & sedducees is addition/subtraction respectively. In the O.T., Joshua warned Israel not to add/subtract or turn to neither the left or right to the word of GOD. Christians are to take care that they do not fall for such Pride, a trap of time. But go by the motto of heaven , the Will of GOD as of the manner "Greater are them that serve than them who are served:" Jesus Christ proved it.
jeff brig
1 year ago
it saddens me greatly. We live in such a whirlwind, in this time,,i came into the Catholic Church only a few years ago,..i studied the Scriptures, went to RCIA, read the Church Fathers, studied the Catechism for 2 years, i did this after my baptist church kept changing and becoming more and more liberal as each year went by. I guess it was quite the shock over these years to find how many Catholics i know,that i sit beside in Mass, who do indeed support Obama, they support gay marriage, and women's ordination. Shocked me!! as i slowly realized they even had "Obama Catholic". stickers on their car during the last election.
I know i'm in the right and True church. If this is widespread and i'm afraid it is..time indeed is short for us all. I also want to point out i have met many truly Holy and Faithful Catholics in the Church as well. I guess i was just stunned to learn some Catholics have no idea or don't care what "The Deposit of Faith" is.. they really believe its "time for a change" or New leadership.with seemingly no clue the Dogmas and doctrines were Made by Jesus Christ. I find this utterly unbelievable but i've seen it with my own eyes and ears...in the last 2 years or so,,.they think me "kinda odd" that i go to confession every month or 2.. like i said i came to this realization slowly..
Diane
1 year ago
To Kim, please don't be disheartened by disobedient and unfaithful Catholics. They have been overcome by the lies of our 3 great enemies, the world, the flesh and the devil. The road of repentance is the only road left to them. Pray they take it. I'm assuming you are younger than me, I'm 66. Tommorrow I will be praying in front of PP asking God to end abortion. I voted prolife and have been actively prolife for nearly 30 years. I'll continue to be so, no matter what the near outcome because it is truly serving the Lord of Life to do so. The outcome is in His Hands. I'm telling you this because me and the other Catholics who attend morning mass and say the rosary together are all actively prolife and faithful Catholics. Take heart, pick up your rosary everyday, pray for this country and do what you can, while you can do it. I was priveliged to see Mother Teresa and her words are still true,"The only thing to do now is to remain faithful." We have the 'fulness of the truth",remain faithful to it and do what you are able to serve the truth.
Taylor
1 year ago
The Obama Administration, while doing good work in some areas, is on the verge of committing a catastrophic error in regard to First Amendment rights by unilaterally attempting to coerce a religion to deny its own religion in the manner stated in this article. I am reminded of the persecution of Christians in the first two centuries AD - the answer to that threat was martyrdom, an expression also rolled up in the American patriot's expression, "Give me liberty or give me death!" I am afraid that the Obama Administration, while I respect the President and the good people who are serving that administration, is wrecklessly "rambling through a china shop like a bull with blinders on." They need to stop, read the history of Christianity, read the history of the Untied States (in relation to its God-serving founders), the Bill of Rights and the Constitution and remember that we are a democratic republic of people with dignity and rights and not a socialistic welfare state of godless invalids who can not think or believe for themselves. The Presidency is not about a man making his own personal mark in history - it's about protecting a people and their unalienable rights.
Deacon Keith Fournier
1 year ago
To:John from Nebraska. What I meant was that both US political parties - and many other international partners - are now seeking to find a way to disengage from the Iraq effort in a way which will not cause untold horrors. The Holy father has made many pronouncements of concern over that concern. The church only "pronounced" on the initial incursion because the "justification" was the so called pre-emptive strike premise which is what I also objected to back then.
Kevin
1 year ago
These sorts of events would be utterly repugnant to a people that values civil rights. Sadly however, most people in the USA don't care. The Republic is dead. Hail Caesar!
Rob
1 year ago
vance, you may be right. But I think what this country loves primarily is money. That is the only interest that is given any sort of consideration. We spend more time worrying about that than any other issue. I sometimes wonder if all this right versus left nonsense is merely a smoke screen. Those on the "right" and "left" in DC, after the cameras are turned off, sit at the bar and laugh their you know what's off at us. The money keeps rolling in for them so long as they take care of those who are making/stealing it all. Almost everything else can be relagated to the trash bin because it has no $$ signs attached to it. So you are probably right, that letter was promptly wadded up and tossed. And sadly that would happen no matter who sits in that chair.
John from Nebraska
1 year ago
I did misread your initial statement and I am sorry I misrepresented your view.

I am confused when you use the term "moot" as in, " I also said that it has all now become moot because we are in a very different set of circumstances with the increase of Jihadism and the growing dangers it implies...." It it was an "unjust war" to begin with, why is that now irrelevant (or moot, as you stated?) Has it ceased -at least in the mind of the Church- to be an unjust war? Has Rome said as much?
Larry
1 year ago
John: I was not talking about Francis when I mentioned giving up. You mentioned "so what" not him. You seem to misread my comments. If FUS trusts god I believe, they will still use the're gifts and abilities even political ones to ensure a good out come. when God commanded man to subdue the earth, it includes our towns and countrys and yes our governments.
Harry
1 year ago
Some of our bishops (the wiser ones in my judgment) are warning us we may be facing an era in which society throughout the developed world will be increasingly hostile to Christianity, particularly Catholicism. Governments especially will seek to trammel and eliminate Christianity from public life. There is a widespread, well organized and well focused effort directed to that end. Some of the methods used are and will be subtle, deceptive and well disguised. Others will be more overt. Most Christians up to this point are sleeping through it. The result is we may be in for a rude awakening and a time of suffering.

Many of the things we have assumed our secular governments (since they are based on Judeo Christian ideals) would guarantee, like freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, even freedom of speech are now being threatened, and will be increasingly curtailed as time goes on. The prospect that some of our fundamental principles will be outlawed and that expressing them or attempting to live by them will be regarded as criminal behavior here in the U.S. is also looming on the horizon. That may seem like a bleak picture to many readers, but I believe the writing is already on the wall.

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