Each Friday, we will include historical facts about the college in
The Dome, on Facebook and Twitter. Flashback Fridays are another part
of our yearlong sesquicentennial celebration, which culminates in
September 2020 when Canisius turns 150 years old.
Today, we flash back to April 1979 when members of the Empire State Ballet Company performed a pas de deux in the Quad. The group was brought to campus as part of the college’s 10-day celebration of St. Peter Canisius.
With strict societal
measures in place to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Canisius College offices
of Campus Ministry and Mission & Identity are finding novel ways for the
faithful on campus to participate in liturgical celebrations leading up to
Easter.
The Seven Last Words of Christ
Beginning
this Sunday, April 5 and continuing each day through Holy Week, Campus Ministry
will offer “The Seven Last Words of Christ.”
The seven
last words of Jesus Christ are actually seven short phrases. In the Gospel, these passages provide a
moving account of Jesus’ dying words.
This year, Campus
Ministry invited seven Canisius students to read and reflect on one passage each
day, during Holy Week. Some offered
written reflections; others provided video reflections. All will be published in The Dome, on the Campus Ministry blog and
on the college’s Facebook and Twitter accounts during Holy Week.
Stations of the Cross
Perhaps the most powerful way to pray and meditate on Christ’s sacrifice for us is to contemplate the Stations of the Cross.
This ancient
exercise has been offered at Christ the King Chapel in past years. But as national circumstances prevent this devotion
from continuing in-person, some faith-based organizations are innovating and presenting
the traditional devotion in virtual ways.
For those wishing to fulfill the Stations of the Cross devotion, Campus
Ministry recommends the following:
Busted Halo is an online ministry that created a virtual Stations of the Cross, designed for personal devotion. Click here to participate.
Similarly, the Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns
is presenting a more contemporary (yet
still virtual) version of the Stations of the Cross. The live, online gathering, scheduled for
Good Friday at 12:00 noon, will cast the story of Jesus’ final days in the
context of the current economic and ecological issues of the world. Interested
participants can click
here to RSVP to this event.
Live Liturgies
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is encouraging the faithful to come together in prayer -virtually- during Holy Week and beyond. Several local parishes are offering live-stream feeds for Sunday and weekday Masses. Click here for the full list of parishes participating and the various Mass days and times.
One Minute Meditations and Evening Examen
Finally, Campus
Ministry has been hosting “One Minute Meditations” and “Evening Examen.” Both are led, daily, by Campus Ministry
Director Mike Hayes.
One Minute Meditations offer the faithful a brief prayer break in their day and a chance to reflect on a Scripture passage. The final One Minute Meditation is today, Friday, April 3, around noon and can be viewed on the Campus Ministry Instagram page (@CanisiusCampMIN), where all past editions of One Minute Meditations can also be seen.
The Evening Examen offers a deeper and more prayerful reflection on the events of the day. Under the direction of Mike Hayes, participants are guided through 10 to 20 minute reflections that lead participants to detect God’s presence in their day and to discern His direction for them. The final Evening Examen will take place, “live,” tonight at 8:30 p.m. on Campus Ministry’s Facebook page. Past editions of the Evening Examen are also available for viewing on the Facebook page.
The Biology Department recently answered the call from Catholic Health requesting donations of personal protective equipment (PPE). On Thursday, April 2, the department’s laboratory manager, Larry Tassini, organized and personally delivered 6,000 pairs of non-sterile nitrile exam-grade gloves to Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo.
The gloves will be worn by healthcare workers to protect them, and to help prevent the spread of germs between patients.
Richard Reitsma, PhD, is proving that despite having to move classes online in less-than-ideal circumstances, incredible teaching can still happen.
The chair of the Modern Languages, Literatures and Cultures Department shared a recent experience from his HON 271 class “Sexuality & Political Discourse.”
“We met via Zoom and also invited into the discussion Flavio Alves, the director of the film “The Garden Left Behind,” which is one of the items we were discussing today, along with Kristine Hollander, a local trans representative,” says Reitsma. He explains, “The film deals with a trans DACA person in New York City and her relationship with her Mexican grandmother. It’s an incredible film. The conversation with Flavio and Kristine was so wonderful, and I’m so grateful to the both of them for stepping up and joining our class and sharing their stories.”
Reitsma recorded the class discussion, which can be viewed by clicking here. (Viewers will need to log into their Google Drive/Google Accounts using their Canisius Email address.)
Submitted by: Jennifer Lodi-Smith, interim assistant vice president, Academic Affairs
Christy Hoffman, PhD, works with her dog, Santiago on his math skills during ABEC 363 office hours.
When students log onto the Google Meet session, he shows off his ability to identify the board with more magnets. He also provides a little dog therapy from afar.
Check out his progress in the video above. Clearly, Santiago has been studying hard for the upcoming dog cognition module!
Submitted by: Christy Hoffman, associate professor, ABEC
