[Message from our Executive Director, Daniel Wasserman-Soler]
Dear friends,
St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) has been our cornerstone in this academic year. After his election, Pope Leo XIV described himself as “a son of St. Augustine.” In honor of our holy father, we hosted several events devoted to St. Augustine, the great Church father and African bishop.
This fall, we offered 10 events related to the life and written works of St. Augustine. That’s not counting our biennial summer seminar on his magnum opus, The City of God. One might ask if there is an appetite among students, faculty, and our broader audience for so much Augustine. The answer has been a resounding “yes”!
At our Tuesday night course, we typically expect about 15-20 University of Chicago students around the seminar table at Gavin House. This quarter, we consistently received over 30; every seat was taken, and we had to add chairs along the walls. At the Ruth Lake Country Club, west of Chicago, where we have expected 70-80 attendees at a typical lecture, we have had 100+ in each audience this fall.
St. Augustine continues to inspire us more than 1,500 years after his death. May he and all the saints pray for us, as we make the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university and the broader culture. Even today, we yearn for ancient truth: As St. Augustine said, “Lord, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
Yours in Christ,
Danny Wasserman-Soler
Executive Director