St. Joseph’s University, New York proudly hosted the 2023 Association of Colleges of Sisters of St. Joseph’s (ACSSJ) National Gathering in a virtual format last month.
The bi-annual event took place on June 6-7 and highlighted the collaborative work of the nine ACSSJ member campuses. The 2023 gathering’s theme was “Forward Together,” and programming reflected on the institutions’ shared history.
More than a dozen speakers presented across two days, including Elizabeth Pollicino Murphy, Ed.D., executive director of libraries at SJNY, who was a panel member for a segment titled “Institutional Sagas of the CSJ/SSJ Colleges and Universities.”
“I know every college and university in our association is facing the same kinds of challenges,” said Donald R. Boomgaarden, Ph.D., president of St. Joseph’s University, in his opening address.
“But I think we saw during the pandemic that our institutions are especially resilient to these challenges because of the tradition that we hold, the faith that we have and the belief in something greater. All of those things combined create a really powerful force.”
Varied segments included “Love without Distinction: A monologue based on the life of Mother St. John Fontbonne,” a solo performance by actress Tiffany Hoover.
Former SJNY Board of Trustees member Sister Elizabeth Johnson, CSJ, Ph.D., hosted “Human Beings in the Community of Creation: ‘The wild animals of the forest are mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.’ (Psalm 50:10).” The lecture challenged “the hierarchy of being that has privileged human beings over others.”
Dr. Vernon Shelton, director of Campus Ministry at the Brooklyn Campus, and Campus Ministries Assistant S. Marie Mackey provided closing remarks.
