The Valpo Core

The St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Student Center is sponsoring a four-night performance of the Gospel of Luke by Fr. James DiLuzio. “Luke Live!” is a dramatic presentation of the Gospel of Luke, attempting to recreate the experience of the early Church’s oral proclamation of the Good News.  Enjoy a “You Are There” experience of Luke’s Gospel as it is shared in stories, commentary, prayer, preaching, and song.  Through his powerful recitation, Fr. James DiLuzio brings alive all of the dramatic power and soaring promise of the original Gospel preaching and reveals the hidden urgency in Luke’s message of salvation.

The four performances will begin on Monday, December 1st, and run through Thursday, December 4th.   Different chapters are covered each night, and students, faculty, and staff are encouraged to come for any nights that fit their schedules.  Each night begins at St. Teresa’s at 7 pm and lasts until 8:30 pm.  There is no cost to attend.

St. Teresa’s is located at 1511 LaPorte Ave., across the street from Scheele and Lankenau Halls.

St. Teresa’s monthly Soul Smorgasbord dinner and discussion series continues on Wednesday, October 15th, with a home-cooked meal and a chance to meet and hear from former Porter County Judge Bob Kennedy. Mr. Kennedy will be sharing his insights on “Faithful Citizenship” and the struggles of incorporating our Christian faith into our political life.  As a devout Catholic and a respected jurist, he has an interesting perspective on the difficulties of being a good Christian and also a good citizen in a secular society.

Soul Smorgasbord begins at 6pm with a home-cooked meal in St. T’s downstairs Cafe Manna room.  This event is free to all, and everyone is welcome to attend.  For more information, please contact Timothy.Taylor@valpo.edu.

St. Teresa’s is located on LaPorte Ave. across the street from Scheele Hall and Lankenau Hall.

St. Teresa’s monthly Soul Smorgasbord dinner and discussion series begins on Wednesday, September 17th, with a homecooked meal and a chance to meet and hear the stories of Francis Tombe and Jim Kongwa, African-born aid workers serving the children of Sudan and Zambia. They have dedicated their lives to rescuing children abandoned or orphaned from war, poverty, and HIV/AIDS.  They serve as the national directors of Sudan and Zambia for Kids Alive International, which has been helping children around the world since 1916.  Kids Alive is headquartered right here in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Soul Smorgasbord begins at 6 pm with a homecooked meal in St. T’s downstairs Cafe Manna room.  This event is free to all, and everyone is welcome to attend.

St. Teresa’s is located on LaPorte Ave., across the street from Scheele and Lankenau Halls.

On Tuesday, April 1st at 6:30 pm, the St. Teresa of Avila Catholic
Student Center will be hosting a performance of the one-man show
Damien by Father Edward Evanko. There is no cost to attend the
performance; free will donations will be taken to benefit St. Luke’s
parish in Kentucky.

Father Evanko was a singer, Broadway performer, stage and television
actor, and Canadian television host before becoming a Ukrainian
Catholic priest in 2005 at the age of 63. Damien relates the moving
story of the Catholic Missionary Father Damien, who devoted his life
to caring and ministering to the lepers on the Hawaiian island of
Molokai. Eventually Fr. Damien contracted leprosy himself and died on
April 15, 1889.

From the event organizers:

On Monday, February 18th, V.U.’s Pastor Cunningham and St. Teresa’s Father Kevin McCarthy will be exploring the practice of private confession in the Lutheran and Catholic traditions. Both traditions have long recognized that private confession and reconciliation can play an important role in accepting God’s forgiveness, so please join with them in discussing how we can best reconcile ourselves to Him and heal our consciences.

This event is a part of St. Teresa’s Soul Smorgasbord dinner and discussion series, and will be held in St. Teresa’s (1511 LaPorte Ave.) downstairs Cafe Manna dining room. A homecooked meal will be served at 6 pm, and the discussion will start at 6:30 pm. This event is free to all, and everyone is welcome to attend. Please contact Timothy.Taylor@valpo.edu with any further questions.

Both of the events described below are related to SALT’s World Relief Campaign’s fundraising effort for a Child Creativity Center in Jakarta, Indonesia:

EdJakarta: Imagination in Session Coffee House
SALT World Relief Campaign
Saturday, February 2, 8-12 pm, in the CCLIR Community Room
Donation accepted at the door
Featuring performances from fellow students (anyone can perform — sign up at the event) with information about Indonesia and the campaign between musical performances.

EdJakarta: Imagination in Session Educational Dinner
SALT World Relief Campaign
Monday, February 4, 6 pm, at St. Teresa’s
Donation accepted at the door
Featuring traditional Indonesian dishes and a presentation by Professor Nelly Van Doorn-Harder about Indonesia and the campaign.

On Monday, January 28th, Goshen College Philosophy Professor Darrin
Belousek will be sharing his views on the death penalty, which are
formed in part by his Mennonite Christian faith and his commitment to
pacifism and nonresistance.  The title of his talk is, “The Gospel of
Life and the Death Penalty: An Invitation to Conversion.”

This event is a part of St. Teresa’s Soul Smorgasbord dinner and discussion
series, and will be held in their downstairs Cafe Manna dining room.
A homecooked meal will be served at 6 pm, and the discussion will start
at 6:30 pm.  This event is free for all students, and everyone is
welcome to attend.  Please contact Timothy.Taylor@valpo.edu with any
further questions.

On Monday, October 22nd, St. Teresa’s will be hosting the next installment of Soul Smorgasbord, a monthly dinner and discussion series on matters related to faith, religion, and theology. Each session includes a homecooked meal, a short presentation, and a discussion led by that month’s facilitator. This month, V.U. Theology Professor Mark Bartusch will be discussing how the Gospel of Luke is particularly challenging to our usual attempts to understand Christ’s teachings and to our attempts to live out the Christian faith. The food, fun, and fellowship are completely free, and begin at 6 pm in the downstairs Cafe Manna dining room at St. Teresa’s (on LaPorte Ave., across from Lankenau and Alumni Halls).

This event is approved for 5th-hour credit.

See below for info on an upcoming event that qualifies for Core 5th-hour credit:

On Wednesday, September 26th, VU Law Professor Ed Gaffney will be screening a 30 minute segment from his new film, Holy Land: Common Ground. The segment is about everyday Israelis and Palestinians who are working to bring forgiveness and peace to their homeland. This event is a part of St. Teresa’s Soul Smorgasbord dinner and discussion series, and will be held in their downstairs Cafe Manna dining room. A homecooked meal will be served at 6 pm, and the video and discussion will start at 6:30 pm. This event is free for all students, and everyone is welcome to attend.