What can cause several thousand Washington area residents to spend the better part of a sunny Saturday afternoon indoors for an event that often brings them to their feet cheering and stomping and having a rip-roaring good time? No, it doesn't involve the Redskins, the Terps, the Hoyas or anything remotely related to NASCAR.

Answer: Girl Scout Step Show! At the Trinity Center!

Continue reading this entry…

Alumnae leadership is a Trinity hallmark across all generations of Trinity Women. At this week's Pi Sigma Alpha Honor Society induction for Political Science majors, Paula Lettice, Class of 1971, continued the grand tradition of extending our "Old Girls' Network" to the latest generation of Trinity leaders. While we all know the famous Trinity alumna who sits in the Speaker's chair on Capitol Hill these days (Nancy Pelosi, Class of 1962), Paula Lettice is also a great example of the many Trinity leaders who work on the Hill to ensure that the "People's House" is run effectively. As the chief financial officer for the Architect of the Capitol, Paula has considerable responsibility for the operations of all major buildings under Congressional control, as well as the construction of the new visitors' center. In addition to her duties at the Capitol, Paula has also exercised her Trinity leadership skills on behalf of her alma mater, serving now as a Trinity Trustee.

Continue reading this entry…

What would Julia think?

I found myself contemplating that question on the eve of Trinity's Founders Day as I sat in the Washington studios of Al Jazeera, the Arabic world television network, offering commentary on the Pope's visit to the United States. Al Jazeera Washington Bureau Chief Abderrahim Foukara smiled at me while speaking rapidly in Arabic. I smiled back, hoping that my eyes were not betraying my anxious effort to understand the English of the translator chattering through a wire in my right ear. "Why did the Pope come to the United States during the presidential election?" "What did George Bush hope to get out of his appearance with the Pope?" "Will this visit help or hurt Vatican-Muslim relations?"

What would Julia think?

Continue reading this entry…

As a fitting end to this past week's intense focus on religion and faith in modern life, I joined a wonderful group of friends for Seder on the first night of Passover on Saturday. This group of Jewish and Christian friends — in our secular lives we are lawyers and academics and nonprofit leaders and colleagues in many professions — has gathered for many years in the lovely home of our hosts, and together we pray and reflect and discuss and enjoy the ritual meal guided by the ancient words and instructions in the Haggadah. Few rituals remind me so profoundly of the deeply entwined roots of Judaism and Christianity; few prayer books so accurately reflect the timeless themes of faith and humanity as the ancient psalms and tales of flight in the first Passover remind us of the terrors we face even today, and our common yearning for charity and hope. The need for faith to illuminate our convictions, the imperative to work for justice and peace, are powerful themes that link all of us across many faith traditions and generations.

Continue reading this entry…

Pope Benedict surprised and delighted a lot of people today. After his Mass at Nationals Stadium, he met privately with several victims of clergy sex abuse, a move that surprised many but a gesture consistent with a theme of repentance and reconciliation he tackled head-on at the start of this visit.

To the delight of Catholic educators, his address to us at Catholic University struck exactly the right notes of encouragement and affirmative challenge. Calling the work of Catholic schools "an outstanding apostolate of hope" and praising the work of great women in the history of Catholic education like Katharine Drexel and Elizabeth Ann Seton, Pope Benedict immediately established rapport with his audience of Catholic school superintendents, diocesan religious educators and university presidents. As a former university professor himself, a fact he noted wryly, he approached his remarks with a collegial tone that resonated well with the collegiate leaders in the room.

Continue reading this entry…