From the Desk of the President

Fall 2006 President's Message

The New England fall season once again provides a most beautiful environment for the beginning of the academic year at Magdalen College.  The fresh, crisp air and colorful foliage attracts our senses to a deeper appreciation for the beauty of God’s creation which so prominently surrounds us. 

This fall semester began with the customary celebration of the Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by our bishop, Most Reverend John B. McCormack.  In the presence of Bishop McCormack, the faculty and staff professed an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium and to Holy Mother Church: “To preserve the Deposit of Faith in its entirety, hand it on faithfully, and make it shine forth.”  At the luncheon following the Mass, Bishop McCormack expressed his gratitude stating, “Magdalen College is a great gift to the Diocese of Manchester.”  The College in turn is most grateful for the support of Bishop McCormack. 

We are privileged to participate in the life of the Church through the Program of Studies, which seeks to have students attain spiritual, rational, and social excellence.  The College’s program assists students in acquiring good habits – social, intellectual, and moral virtues.  The program develops spiritual growth and leadership formation, preparing young men and women as people of God to recognize that all of the baptized are called to holiness and to understand their unique role in the building of the Kingdom of God.  As lay people, we have a part to play in the great unfolding of God’s plan in our local diocesan community and in the wider world.

The documents of Vatican Council II and John Paul II instruct and challenge the people of God to take up their role in the Church with a new heart and a new vision.  The image John Paul II chose for the new millennium was the story of the apostles’ miraculous catch of the fish (cf. Matthew 5:1-6).  The apostles had returned to shore with empty nets after fishing all night.  Jesus sent them out into the sea again commanding, “Duc in altum” – “Cast into the deep” – and a miraculous catch was found.

So too, we as lay apostles, as witnesses of God’s presence and love for others, set out into the deep through the Program of Studies at Magdalen College.  Like the apostles who listened to the command of Jesus, we cast into the deep to net souls for Christ.  We accept the challenges of the new millennium as our own. We commit to preserve the Deposit of Faith in its entirety, hand it on faithfully, and make it shine forth.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey J. Karls

President