August 9, 2013 Vol
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A great gift from Jesus Editor emeritus John F. Fink begins a series Serving the Church in Central and Southern Indiana Since 1960 reflecting on new encyclical, page 7. CriterionOnline.com August 9, 2013 Vol. LIII, No. 43 75¢ Senate confirms Hackett, retired ‘A response to faith’ John Shaughnessy Photo by CRS leader, Medical school as ambassador at Marian to Vatican University WASHINGTON (CNS)—Ken Hackett, retired president of Catholic Relief Services is a first for (CRS), received Senate confirmation on Aug. 1 as Catholic college U.S. ambassador to By John Shaughnessy the Vatican. “We are overjoyed Some people called it a “leap of faith” that the country will when Marian University in Indianapolis be represented by a announced its plan to be the first Catholic man who through his college in the country to have a school of decades of service osteopathic medicine. has demonstrated his Yet, Marian’s President Daniel Elsener commitment to the prefers to use a different phrase as the Ken Hackett dignity and sanctity university’s first group of 162 medical of life and fighting students gets ready for the historic global poverty,” said an Aug. 2 statement by first day of classes on Aug. 12. Hackett’s successor at CRS, Carolyn Y. Woo. “It’s a response to faith, a response “We look forward to working with the new to a call,” Elsener said as he sat in the ambassador as he engages the Vatican and sparkling, $48 million, state-of-the-art Pope Francis toward the common goal of Michael A. Evans Center for Health advancing peace and justice in the world.” Sciences that is now the home of the President Barack Obama nominated university’s longtime nursing program Hackett on June 14 for the position, the same and the second medical school in Indiana. day he announced nominees for ambassador “Prayer is a big part of our mission posts in Brazil, Spain, Germany, Denmark here,” Elsener continued. “If you keep and Ethiopia. reflecting on that personally and what “It gives me great confidence that such you’re supposed to do, it evolves and dedicated and capable individuals have becomes clear. It was very clear to me agreed to join this administration to serve the that the healing, the teaching, the prayer American people. I look forward to working and the process of creating leaders are with them in the months and years to come,” our call. Then you start to think about the the president said. needs within that call.” Hackett retired in December 2011 The need that Elsener saw when he after 18 years as president of CRS, envisioned a medical school at Marian the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and developed from studies that showed there development agency. could be a shortage of 2,000 primary care A stunning relief sculpture of St. Francis of Assisi caring for a leper represents the combination of As U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, he physicians in Indiana alone by 2020 if faith and health care that will drive the new College of Osteopathic Medicine at Marian University in succeeds Miguel Diaz, who left the post in more doctors weren’t trained. Indianapolis that starts its first day of classes on Aug. 12. Dr. Paul Evans, left, dean of the medical late 2012. Diaz now is a professor of faith “So the need and our ability to respond school, and Daniel Elsener, president of the university, pose in front of the relief sculpture. and culture at the University of Dayton, Ohio. matched up nicely,” Elsener noted. “We Hackett was appointed president of CRS want to be a great Catholic university in lead with your chin.” trained in that approach are twice as in 1993. During his tenure, he established a a great American city for service to the The connection with osteopathic likely as their colleagues who graduate division focusing on outreach to dioceses, world. To do that without resources is a medicine is also a natural one for Marian from medical schools with M.D.’s to be parishes, Catholic organizations, and pipe dream. So we say that if we want to because it treats the whole person— primary care physicians. colleges and universities, and laypeople were be a great Catholic university, we have body, mind and spirit—according to “Out of those primary care doctors, first appointed to the CRS board of directors. to have great resources, starting with a Elsener. Another reason for the link with about twice as many go into rural Catholic Relief Services now operates in medical school. Sometimes, you have to osteopathic medicine is that doctors See MARIAN, page 2 more than 100 countries, with a global staff See AMBASSADOR, page 8 World Youth Day pilgrims say Brazil experience deepened their faith and opened their hearts to God By John Shaughnessy “A beautiful disaster.” Submitted photo That’s the intriguing way that Brie Anne Eichhorn describes her experience as one of the 3 million young people who joined Pope Francis in Rio de Janiero on July 23-28 for World Youth Day. “I describe it that way because I had expectations for this trip that I didn’t even know I was having, and those expectations were completely torn apart,” said Eichhorn, a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish in Indianapolis who was one of 32 young adults from the archdiocese to travel to Brazil for World Youth Day. “I thought I was being completely open to God’s plan for me on this trip, but when faced with challenging situations, I found myself disappointed or angry that the trip was not going the way I had thought. I was split from my group and stayed with strangers who did not speak any English. I had to wait for hours in crowds of millions. We spent most of our time outside in rainy, 50-degree Patrick Hofer, left, Caitlin Ehrmann, Brie Anne Eichhorn and Katie Sahm pose for a See PILGRIMS, page 8 photo before the opening Mass of World Youth Day on July 23 in Rio de Janiero. Page 2 The Criterion Friday, August 9, 2013 don’t go walking away from it.” MARIAN With a goal of $150 million to fund continued from page 1 the facility and the medical school, $100 million has been pledged or and underserved communities collected so far. Photos by John Shaughnessy Photos by as our M.D. colleagues do,” said Elsener saluted the contributions of Dr. Paul Evans, dean of Marian’s a number of people and institutions, medical school. “So we think that specifically citing St. Vincent will really increase the availability of Health, Community Health and medical care in the state.” Michael A. Evans, founder and chief Seeking to achieve that goal, the executive officer of AIT Laboratories medical school will also strive to keep in Indianapolis who has pledged its focus on the Catholic, Franciscan $48 million to the effort. tradition that has guided the college “I can’t tell you how many of our since it was founded by the Sisters of givers have given sacrificial gifts,” St. Francis in Oldenburg in 1936. Elsener said. “I thank them, and they That emphasis is evident from the stop me and say, ‘This has been one of hiring of a medical ethicist to train the great joys of my life to be part of a students, to the inclusion of a chapel project like this. I thank you.’ ” within the medical education building, Marian’s president also hopes a chapel whose black walnut features the Catholic community will take a come from the trees that were cut down sense of pride in how the university is to make room for the facility. striving to “be more dynamically and The Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences is now the home of Marian University’s longtime Still, the most striking symbol thoroughly involved in this healing nursing program and the second medical school in Indiana. of the connection between faith and ministry.” health care within the education center Returning to the connection between is featured in a huge relief sculpture, faith and healing, he presented a Five fun facts about outside the chapel, that depicts challenge to the students and faculty St. Francis of Assisi caring for a leper. who will start a new course for the Marian University’s new Elsener stopped to showcase the university on Aug. 12. College of Osteopathic sculpture during a tour of the facility. “It’s going to be quite a challenge “At the top, you see a ray of sun, for the professors and the students to Medicine in Indianapolis illumined as a light of faith,” Elsener create a doctor,” Elsener said. “What’s said, pointing out the feature. “We want the great gift we have? It’s to integrate • More than 3,350 people applied for the it to be a top tier medical school and faith into how we think about the first class of students, which totals 162. a top tier nursing school. To do that, human person, how we think about our • The new medical school is the first to you have to have a great faculty, you gifts and talents, how we’re supposed open in Indiana in more than a century. have to have great students, and you to share them. • Marian is the only Catholic university to have to have a great facility. But it’s all “In the Bible, all the people that have a school of osteopathic medicine. illumined by the light of faith.” were healed, it was really about this— • The inaugural class includes 86 Indiana That light of faith has guided Elsener they had faith.