Bishop Fabbro's Convocation address
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Faculty of Theology Convocation Address
UNIVERSITY OF ST. MICHAEL'S COLLEGE
NOVEMBER 16, 2002
The Most Revered Ronald Peter Fabbro, C.S.B.
Bishop of London
Most Rev. Pro Chancellor, John Boissonneau,
Mr. Chancellor (The Hon. Hal Jackman), Mr. President (Richard Alway),
Dean Anderson, Representatives of other Institutions,
My colleagues receiving Honorary Degrees, Mr. William Broadhurst, and Sr. Mary
O'Sullivan,
Graduands, Ladies and Gentlemen.
In his Apostolic Letter, Novo Millennio Ineunte, Pope John Paul II begins with the words of Jesus to his apostle Simon, "Duc in altum," "Put out into the deep" (Luke 5:4). When these words were first uttered by Jesus, they launched his disciples on a voyage that radically altered their lives. At the beginning of the new millennium, the pope boldly proclaims them to us: "Duc in altum!"
As the University of St. Michael's College gathers at this convocation and celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding, these words ring out in our hearts, inviting us, in the words of the Holy Father, "to remember the past with gratitude, to live the present with enthusiasm and to look forward to the future with confidence." We could hardly contemplate a more appropriate challenge to our University, than the challenge Jesus issues to Simon: "Put out into the deep."
For the University of St. Michael's College to "put out into the deep" means that we must continue to explore, and define, how Catholic higher education is going to serve the Church at the beginning of the new millennium. This question is just as critical for us as it ever was, because we live at a time when the future of Catholic higher education in Canada is not at all clear.
In his recent book, A History of Canadian Catholics (Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002), Jesuit Father, Terence Fay, notes in a section entitled "The Rise and Fall of Catholic Higher Education" that, in Canada, "the future of the Catholic college on the secular campus is far from guaranteed" (p. 274). And, in what is an even more pessimistic analysis, Michael Higgins and Douglas Letson, in their book published this year Power and Peril: The Catholic Church at the Crossroads (Toronto: HarperCollins), state that the continued existence of federated and affiliated colleges in Canada is "precarious at best and, given their structural dependence on the goodwill of their secular hosts, their potential ultimate assimilation either in fact or in function into the secular monolith is surely quite likely" (p.171).
It would appear that the sea into which we are urged to cast our nets as Catholic educators is a turbulent and treacherous one.
To "put out into the deep," then, means, above all else, that we must place our absolute trust in the one who says in that same exchange with Simon, "Do not be afraid." Jesus' words give us the hope to overcome doubt, uncertainty, fear, and hesitation, and invite us to trust completely in the providence of God.
These sesquicentennial celebrations encourage us to remember our past. We recall the men and women of faith who shaped this university, enabling it to occupy a central place in the history of the Catholic Church in Canada. Our pride in the legacy which they handed on to us is enshrined in the buildings which surround us and bear their names. Their dedication and the sacrifices which they made fill us with courage, as we face an uncertain future.
What gives us courage? What of the courage of the Basilians in France, who in 1850 sent five of their most promising members to found a new college in Toronto? For a young community of only 21 priests, it was an incredibly bold initiative. A century and a half later, we realize that we need to have the same faith, courage and vision which inspired them, as we face the challenges of our own day.
What of the courage of Fr. John Teefy who, during the 1880s, wanted St. Michael's to become "a great Catholic university bearing the same relation to modern times that the University of Salamanca did to medieval times" (Martin Friedland, The University of Toronto: A History, Toronto: University of Toronto Press: 2002, p. 107)? What of the courage of Fr. Henry Carr, a man of extraordinary intelligence and vision, who firmly believed in the potential of this institution. In 1916, he wrote that in a comparatively short time, St. Michael's could be made the "greatest Catholic education centre of the world" (Ibid., p. 218)? What of the courage of the sisters of St. Joseph, and of Loretto, whose colleges would affiliate with St. Michael's in 1912 and whose members would be pioneers in the higher education of women in Canada? Today, St. Michael's proudly remembers Sisters of St. Joseph, such as Sr. St. John O'Malley, Sr. Corinne Meraw, Sr. Geraldine Thompson, and Loretto Sisters, Mother St. Margaret Kelly, Mother Frances Nims, Mother Olga Warnke. What of the courage of Messieurs Gilson and Maritain in respect to the Pontifical Institute; or Father Elliot Allen in respect to what today is the Faculty of Theology? The courage of these men and women is a powerful testimony to us that we need not be afraid to put out into the deep.
The challenge before us of exploring the role of Catholic higher education in Canada does not mean devising an entirely new programme. As Pope John Paul teaches us in Novo Millennio Ineunte,
The programme already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living tradition; it is the same as ever. Ultimately, it has its centre in Christ himself, who is to be known, loved and imitated, so that in him we may live the life of the Trinity, and with him transform history until its fulfilment in the heavenly Jerusalem. This is a programme which does not change with shifts of times and cultures, even though it takes account of time and culture for the sake of true dialogue and effective communication. This programme for all times is our programme for the Third Millennium (NMI, 29).
The 150th anniversary of St. Michael's is a summons to rekindle a sense of mission. Our celebration of the glorious history of this university is not a nostalgic exercise but is intended to open our hearts to a new encounter with Christ, from which arises a new impetus to proclaim the Gospel.
The young people who participated in World Youth Day this past July, and journeyed with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from around the world, and who have now come to our university, had such an encounter with Christ. As I travel throughout the diocese of London and meet pockets of them in our parishes and universities, I have witnessed the burning conviction that now radiates from their lives. The Holy Father challenged them with the Gospel message that they are to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The courage of their response must embolden us.
At this ceremony, the University of St. Michael's recognizes the achievements of its newest graduates from the Faculty of Theology and Continuing Education. I join with you in extending to each of them my sincere congratulations. Today, you--the graduating class of 2002--can be proud of what you have accomplished.
I had the privilege of studying theology here, and of teaching in the Faculty of Theology. I know the hard work, dedication, commitment, and perseverance that is required of students, if they are to complete degrees and certificate programmes. I commend you and pray that you will enjoy fully the fruits of your labours.
From my vantage point as bishop of a diocese, I am more convinced than ever of the valuable asset you are to the Church's evangelizing mission. Your studies here at St. Michael's have equipped you to be future leaders of the Church in positions of higher education, religious education, and pastoral ministry. If the Church is to be faithful to its mission, we need to be brave enough to launch out into the deep. We need to take risks for the sake of the Gospel. We need you--and the faith, commitment, passion and courage you will bring to this mission.
At the beginning of the third millennium, the challenge before us is to proclaim the Gospel in ways understandable to the people of our time. The work of evangelization demands that we "explore the riches of Revelation and of nature so that the united endeavour of intelligence and faith will enable people to come to the full measure of their humanity" (Ex Corde Ecclesiae, 5).
The University of St. Michael's College has been at the forefront of the endeavour of intelligence and faith for one hundred and fifty years. Our goal is to ensure that the Gospel is at the centre of our academic mission; our challenge is to find creative ways in which the discovery of truth and its open dissemination can serve and nurture that mission. That is the challenge of our encounter with Christ. Let our response be that of Simon, "If you say so, Master, [we] will let down the nets" (Luke 5:4).
