Date published: April 21, 2016
The University of Dallas and the Archdiocese of Atlanta announced a partnership that will provide pastoral ministry leaders an opportunity to become effective and inspirational bridge-builders between diverse cultures. As a result, the university will now offer its new intercultural ministry course, "Weaving Together a Culturally Diverse Church,” to the Archdiocese of Atlanta.
“We seek to transform students into leaders, not just for their communities but for the country,” said School of Ministry Dean Ted Whapham. “Our partnership with the Archdiocese of Atlanta brings together two of our nation’s thriving faith communities in this mission of service.”
"Weaving Together a Culturally Diverse Church" is a six-week online course, where students are equipped with an ecclesial vision of communion and mission and its application in the context of culturally diverse parishes and dioceses. Most importantly, students gain the theoretical and practical knowledge to communicate the Catholic faith effectively to an increasingly diverse world.
Course instructor Alejandro Aguilera-Titus offers 30 years of ministry experience and is a nationally known speaker and writer highly regarded for his practical application of theology to ministry in culturally diverse settings. He holds a master’s degree in theology from the University of Portland and is a doctor of ministry candidate at Barry University. Aguilera-Titus currently works at the Secretariat of Cultural Diversity in the Church for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“We have a very diverse community and this is something we have been looking to implement,” said the Archdiocese of Atlanta’s Director of the Office of Intercultural and Ethnic Diversity, Jairo Martinez. “It’s one of our goals that all archdiocesan employees, clergy and lay leaders take this online course. This is a wonderful thing. Everyone will have easy access now, because sometimes it’s difficult for people to meet in the classroom.”
Aspiring drama (and perhaps also English) major Klemens Raab, BA '23, has been hanging around UD his whole life, since he only lives about a mile away from the university's Irving campus, and his parents (Klemens, BA '00 MA '06, and Gina (LeBaron), BA '99) are both alumni. He's already experienced the Rome campus, too, having participated in the summer High School Rome Program Shakespeare in Italy last year.
+ Read MoreThe University of Dallas Board of Trustees has added another alumna to its ranks: Mary Devlin Capizzi, BA '88 MBA '89, a one-time Spanish major who is now a partner at Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP, a national, full-service law firm founded in Philadelphia in 1849.
+ Read More"I ended up at UD by accident," said Professor of Management Bruce Evans, who has taught at UD for 50 years now. Half a century ago, he and his brother were heading home to the East Coast from a camping trip and stopped by UD on a whim; Bob Lynch, dean of the newly formed Graduate School of Management (now the Satish & Yasmin Gupta College of Business), hired Professor Bruce, as he is known by students, on the spot.
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