Letters
Peace and Blessings!
Almost 20 years ago, I was at World Youth Day in Canada when Pope John Paul II said something that still moves my heart today. Looking out into the crowd, he challenged the young people to be “a new generation of builders”—builders entrusted with the difficult yet uplifting task of working with God “in the building of the civilization of love.”
You are part of this generation of builders. I am constantly amazed and proud of the great work our students do here at Franciscan University. The way you care for each other, grow in your studies, and live your faith is inspiring; you make our University community better.
But sometimes, the tasks at hand can overwhelm us. We begin to worry too much about the world’s measures of success—whether that’s having a particular GPA, fitting in with a particular group, or getting a certain job after graduation. We can forget the Cornerstone on which we build. The harder we work, the more we seem to falter and burn out. In these moments, we need to remember our identity isn’t in what we can do on our own. It’s in our relationship with God as his beloved sons and daughters.
This year, we focus on the psalmist’s words: “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build” (Ps. 127:1). That doesn’t mean we should stop studying or working hard and idly wait for God to act. Rather, both the psalmist and Pope John Paul II remind us to invite the Lord into all we do—into our classrooms, our clubs, our athletic teams, our households, our ministries. We strive to serve others and work to the best of our abilities, while also never forgetting Whose work we’re doing. Let us continue to ask the Lord how we can best use the unique gifts and talents he has given each of us and cooperate with him in bringing about his kingdom on earth.
Please know of my prayers for you.
May God bless you!
Father Dave Pivonka, TOR
President
Franciscan University of Steubenville
Dear Fellow Students,
Welcome back to Franciscan and the 2021-2022 academic year! After being elected as your president and vice-president of Franciscan University Student Government (FUSG) in the spring, we are very excited to represent you in Christ-centered service. By the grace of God, the pandemic that has occupied so much of our time has drawn to a close and campus is ready for a return to normalcy.
As part of this return, we hope to empower students to be the change they want to witness at Franciscan. Leadership is not for a few chosen individuals or those with prominent positions. On the contrary, each of us is called to lead in our spiritual lives, academics, and recreation. Consequently, student government is ready to offer the funding, fundraising, marketing, critical partnership, and informational resources to guide groups of students, clubs, households, and individuals to make their dreams a reality. We have dreams of our own including bolstering mental health resources and bringing a drive-in movie theatre to campus.
Ultimately, this year is a gift from the Lord and we have been given talents to use within it. Never let us forget the wise words of Psalm 127:1, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” Let us hold each other, the beloved staff and faculty, and our alma mater in prayer and sacrifice. We remain your servants in Christ,
Sincerely,
Alex McKenna; President
Joshua Schutte; Vice President