This Issue This Issue - St. John's Catholic Newman Center

VIANewman
VIANewman
Volume 5 Number 4
Spring 2006
A MAGAZINE FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF ST. JOHN’S CATHOLIC NEWMAN CENTER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
This This Issue Issue
EWTN EWTN comes comes to SJCNC
SJCNC

NEWMAN TRULY IS A UNIQUE
PLACE ON CAMPUS. THE ENVI-
RONMENT HERE IS SO FRIENDLY
AND WELCOMING THAT, FOR
MANY OF US, IT TRULY FEELS
LIKE A HOME AWAY FROM HOME.
WHEN WE FIRST RETURNED
BACK TO CAMPUS AFTER WINTER
BREAK THIS YEAR, I OVERHEARD
ONE RESIDENT GREETING
ANOTHER WITH “WELCOME
HOME!” I LOVE TO SEE RESI-
DENTS LIVING WITH THE MEN-
TALITY THAT NEWMAN IS ONE
BIG FAMILY. AS A RESIDENT
ADVISOR, THERE IS NOTHING
THAT MAKES ME HAPPIER THAN
SEEING FRIENDSHIPS DEVELOP
AND WATCHING THE NEWMAN
FAMILY GROW.
2 VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006
Voice of Newman
J OE T IGUE, H EAD R ESIDENT A DVISOR
I am honored this year to serve as
the head resident advisor at Newman
Hall and House. As the head RA, each
day I try to make sure that the community
is constantly being built up and
that the residents are truly enjoying
their stay here. In this position, I have
had the great opportunity to meet
many of the residents.
When I ask freshmen why they
choose to live at Newman, I often hear
one of two responses. Either they
choose to live here because of their
faith or because of the location on campus.
However, when I ask upperclassmen
why they are living at Newman,
they often say it is because of the community.
Freshmen might choose to live
here because the building is connected
to the chapel or because it is close to
the quad, but people continue to stay
at Newman during their sophomore,
junior, and even senior years because of
the friendships that they develop here.
Newman truly is a unique place on
campus. The environment here is so
friendly and welcoming that, for many
of us, it truly feels like a home away
from home. When we first returned
back to campus after winter break this
year, I overheard one resident greeting
another with “Welcome home!” I love
to see residents living with the mentality
that Newman is one big family. As a
resident advisor, there is nothing that
makes me happier than seeing friendships
develop and watching the
Newman family grow.
This year is my fourth year living
at Newman and my second year being
an RA. I can truly say that each year
has been better than the year before. I
chose to live at Newman my freshman
year because I wanted a sense of community
on such a large campus. I
wanted a dorm that I thought
would help me in the transition
from high school to college.
Newman definitely provided the
atmosphere that I was hoping for. I
was able to meet people by playing
on Newman intramural teams and
by going to some of the great events
put on by the Residents’ Club, such
as coffeehouse, barn dance, casino
night, formal, cubs trip, and ski
trip. Today some of my closest
friends are the ones that I made at
Newman my freshman year. Last
year, I served as the fourth-floor
men’s RA. The friendships that I
developed with the residents on my
floor were great, and I still keep in
contact with many of them.
Friendships are not the only
thing that makes Newman unique.
The community of faith that
Newman provides also makes it a
special place to live. From the first
day when my parents dropped me
off and I went to pray to today, St.
John’s Catholic Chapel has helped
me grow spiritually. Through my
involvement in the Knights of
Columbus, FOCUS (Fellowship of
Catholic University Students), and
the Koinonia retreat program, I
have met amazing people who have
challenged me to become a better
person.
After four years of living at
Newman, I have really grown to
love this place. It will be sad for me
to leave in May, but I know that
the tradition of excellence that
Newman Hall has maintained for
over 75 years will continue far into
the future for many more residents
to enjoy. ■
On the Cover: Students from one of the EWTN tapings gather with Msgr. Swetland for a publicity photo. Kelly
French, Samantha Forbes, Amanda Graf, Paul Lauricella, Neethu Muppadhyil, Connor Danstrom, Kathleen
Graham, Julie Olson, Elizabeth Luber, Kevin Kramer, Mary Blazier, AnnMarie Tschanz, Nicole Michelotti

Stages of convent construction
The sounds of hammering and sawing indicate bigger
projects to come at St. John’s Catholic Newman Center, as
the new convent is well under construction.
With the mild winter this year, contractors have been
able to erect the two-story frame structure that will house
the religious sisters serving SJCNC. At press time, the new
convent was under roof, the windows were in, and interior
work was beginning. A target complete date of mid-May
2006 seems likely. (See sidebar for more…)
Meanwhile, financing for Phase II of the SJCNC
expansion continues to develop. Fundraising is going well,
as are plans for the commercial financing of the $40M
project. Mark Randall, Director of Institutional
Advancement, who is overseeing the funding aspect of the
project, is optimistic. “We’ve visited with many of our
alums, our parents, our benefactors about this effort. And
without exception, they realize the need to expand and
believe it’s the right thing to do, right now,” he said.
The final design drawings are complete for the new
North wing, which will add 220 beds to Newman Hall,
and a new cafeteria seating 400. While Phase III (renovation
of Newman Hall and the Chapel) is still two years
away, those initial designs are also complete.
Randall says he hopes to announce a ground-breaking
date soon. “We need to get this building up and going.
We’re anxious to meet the demands of our growing ministry.”
Want to know more? Contact Mark Randall,
(217) 255-6620 or mark@sjcnc.org. ■
Expansion Project
UPDATE
When finished, the current Heading
Avenue Franciscan sisters will move into the
new convent, which includes private sleeping
rooms, common space, a small chapel, and
offices to meet with students. Although a second
order of sisters to work at SJCNC has not
yet been approved by an order, the convent
allows for this with its two story design.
“The rate of our growth really calls for us
to enlarge our pastoral staff,” explained Msgr.
Stuart Swetland, director and Chaplain at
SJCNC. Last year, over 200 Newman students
were receiving spiritual direction from the
assigned religious staff and the lay Apostles of
the Interior Life. When the latter group was
reassigned to the University of Wisconsin this
year, they left a gap in ministry that the current
staff have been very busy fulfilling. “We need
more sisters, more priests to work with our students,”
said Msgr. Swetland. “They have this
thirst for the Faith, for their vocation discernment
that we must fulfill.”
Located between the rectory and The
Georgian apartment building, construction of
the convent was part of Phase I of the expansion.
This phase also includes enhancements to
the new SJCNC parking lot West of the rectory
and convent. ■
VIA NEWMAN AUTUMN 2005 3

[Producer]: Five…four…three…two…
[Cue Swetland]: Hello, I’m Msgr. Stuart Swetland and
we’re here today in Lewis Lounge at Newman Hall at the
University of Illinois, answering the questions that college students
ask about the Catholic Faith.
So began each of the thirteen episodes produced by
the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) at St.
John’s Catholic Newman Center last month. Students
posed questions to SJCNC director and chaplain, Msgr.
Swetland and his guests on issues ranging from abortion to
vocations to honoring ones parents.
A handful of SJCNC students joined Msgr. Swetland
last year for a similar EWTN production that focused on
social justice. The group traveled to the EWTN studios in
Alabama for a three-day taping. After seeing how well the
students and Msgr. Swetland related to one another, the
producers wanted to do another show, but on location in
Illinois instead. “We knew it would be more work for us,
but we wanted to feature the students in a more realistic
setting, like Newman Hall,” explained John Kuklinski,
senior producer for the series. Producers were also excited
to tape a series at the largest Newman center in the US –
4 VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006
St. John’s at the University of Illinois. “The Newman
Center at Illinois has such a great reputation for their [religious]
vocations, their residence program, it was a natural
choice for this project,” Kuklinski added.
From the students’ perspective, the series was a great
experience and something that was a highlight of their
Newman year. Senior Phil Lee had this to say: “It was
exciting to be a part of something that will hopefully later
help others learn about their faith. I really enjoyed it and
I'm glad I got to be a part of it.”
In addition to Msgr. Swetland, several guests appeared
on the series to help answer the students’ questions: Fr.
Tom Holloway, associate chaplain, Dr. Ken Howell, director
and fellow of the Institute of Catholic Thought; Shawn
Reeves, Director of Religious Education; Sr. Sarah Roy, of
the St. John’s pastoral staff; and Kate and Henry Padilla,
Newman alums who met and married at St. John’s.
The series was taped in Lewis Lounge, the oak-paneled,
“collegiate” space in Newman Hall. EWTN designers
installed a variety of set elements that gave the shows a hip
feel, including light panels in Illinois orange and blue, corrugated
tin, and fire-engine red leather sofas.

EWTN sent a nine member crew with their production
semi-truck, “Gabriel” to Champaign. Having the
truck on-site allowed the series to be produced in a typical
television fashion. “With 5 five cameras on set, the truck
let’s us create a very professional show,” explained Jody
Copeland, the series director. Having been with EWTN
since Mother Angelica was broadcasting from a simple
garage 25 years ago, Jody was eager to take a new approach
to the SJCNC series. He said the final editing will include
different camera angles, graphics and music.
Both EWTN and SJCNC are excited about the many
uses for the series. In addition to airing on EWTN, the
Q&A series will likely be distributed in several ways. “The
shows have great catechetical use, and evangelization use
for the work that we do at SJCNC,” commented Mark
Randall, Director of Institutional Advancement at SJCNC
and location producer for the series. “We’re thinking the
shows can be of great help to vocation programs, high
school youth ministry, apologetics programs, and of course,
other Newman centers that are doing this same work.” He
added that SJCNC donors who hear about the series have
been very excited, knowing that they are supporting a ministry
that attracts the attention of EWTN.
Left to right: (1) Camera crew and students during taping
(2) Msgr. and students joke around during a break (3) Sr.
Sarah and students chat before one of the EWTN tapings
(4) EWTN Executive Producer, John Kuklinski, Msgr.
Swetland and EWTN Director, Jody Copeland
The series was several months in the planning, took
hours to tape, and will take months to edit, but everyone
involved has already declared the project a success. The
crew from EWTN was already taking about an additional
production at St. John’s, possibly next year. Msgr. Swetland
thinks that is a fine idea. “St. John’s is thrilled to part of the
‘New Evangelization.’” ■
EWTN has not yet given an air date for the series, as it
will take several months to edit the 30+ hours of footage
they taped. A fall 2006 timeframe for airing is possible.
Watch the Via Newman newsletter and the SJCNC website
for a confirmed date as it approaches.
VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006 5

Hot off the Press
Pete Mockaitis, a Newman resident
and senior in business at the
University of Illinois, is the author of
The Student Leader’s Field Guide
(Optimality Press, 2006). The book
contains practical tips for running student
organizations, ideas geared toward
the challenges student leaders face.
The idea for the book grew from
Pete’s own experiences as a student
leader. As a student at Danville High
School, Pete was active in numerous
activities, including student council;
local and state educational advisory
councils; the Hugh O’Brian Youth
Organization; and a Model United
Nations Club, which he established.
He maintained this level of involvement
in student activities
during his college career.
Pete soon became frustrated
with the books available
on leadership, which
emphasized the development
of skills for future
leadership while failing to
address practical ways that
students can make a difference
in their current
environment. According to Pete, “I
developed a conviction. . .that this
book needed to be written and I was
the person to write it.”
Brent Jones, a Southern Illinois
University journalism student who
designed the book’s pages, agrees that
Pete was the ideal person to write this
6 VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006
book. As he told the Champaign News-
Gazette, “More than anyone else I knew
throughout high school, Pete was a
leader in the school and the community.”
Brent credits Pete’s enthusiasm for the
activities he is involved in and his interest
in others as key to his ability to launch
and revitalize clubs. The insights that
Pete gained from his experience, together
with those of other leaders, provided the
material for the book. He was spurred in
the writing process by his participation in
an accountability group with a St. John’s
sacristan and several Newman Hall RAs.
Pete says the group “met weekly and they
kept me on track to reach this, faith, and
other goals. We instilled some great
habits for life.”
Pete hopes that his book,
written over the course of 3_
years while he was also a fulltime
student, will inspire students
to make a difference in
their schools and communities.
“I hope that students will
encounter this book, think
bigger about what they’re capable
of doing. . .and make some
really good things happen.”
Pete plans to continue promoting his
book this semester and throughout the
summer before moving to Chicago to
take a job with Bain & Co., a worldwide
strategy consulting firm.
The Student Leader’s Field Guide is
available through the St. John’s Catholic
Chapel Bookstore, Amazon.com and
Optimality.com
Over the last six months, our Newman Center family has had the joy
of seeing three of our students and staff become published writers. We
take pride in these individuals, all of whom credit the St. John’s
Catholic Newman Center community with assisting them in their
writing projects. We would like to share a bit about the writing and
personalities of these people who are living out the Gospel’s admonishment
to use well the talents they have been given.
Staff member
Shawn Reeves’
recently published
book,
Worry: A Journey
in Exodus (Alba
House, 2005),
similarly strives
to facilitate the
growth of others
through the
author’s sharing of lessons learned
through experience. Shawn, who currently
serves as the director of religious
education for the St. John’s Catholic
Newman Center, admits that he had
struggled with worry since childhood.
Much to his disappointment, he found
few books that addressed the problem
of worry from a spiritual perspective.
Those that did were primarily Biblical
reflections on why we shouldn’t worry,
which failed to provide the guidance
that Shawn sought regarding how to
deal with and overcome worry through
God’s grace.
Worry: A Journey in Exodus grew
out of the insights and reflections that
Shawn gained through prayer and meditation
as he struggled to overcome
worry in his life. He credits the book
Hope, by the German Catholic
philosopher Josef Pieper, as having been
a cornerstone resource while he worked
on the book. He also found that discussions
with his wife, Tracy, helped him

think through the ideas that came to
him and served to complement the
insights he was gaining through
prayer. Similarly, reflection on his
responsibilities as a member of the
Newman Center’s pastoral staff and
on the experiences of students he
worked with helped him to further
develop some of the concepts in the
book.
Shawn’s choice to compile his
reflections into a book was driven by
his knowledge that no similar books
existed and the hope that these reflections
might help others as they had
helped him. He found the process of
compiling the results of his prayer
and reflection into a systematized
manuscript to be the most challenging
part of the writing process. After
prayerful consideration, he submitted
the book to Alba House, which
seemed appropriate given its reputation
and previous publications. It was
the only submission he had to make.
Through the process of writing this
book, Shawn says that he “learned to
trust God’s power and goodness in all
things.” He hopes that his book may
bring others to greater insight of these
qualities of God as well.
Worry: A Journey in Exodus is
available through the St. John’s
Catholic Chapel Bookstore and
Albahouse.org.
Christine Pinheiro’s writings
also have the potential
to bring readers to a fuller
knowledge of God through
a better understanding of
the Catholic faith.
Christine has authored and coauthored
three columns for This Rock
magazine’s “Step by Step,” a regular
feature of the magazine from January
2003 to December 2005. Primarily
penned by Dr. Kenneth Howell, director
of the Institute of Catholic
Thought, the column sought to
demonstrate how to defend the beliefs
of the Catholic faith through a dialogue
between a Catholic and an
objector. A sophomore in philosophy
who hopes to go on to study theology,
Christine stumbled into writing for
This Rock. Dr. Howell took note of a
particularly well-written extra-credit
assignment that Christine submitted
written in a question-and-answer format.
He liked it so much that he
helped her revise it, and it became “Is
Catholicism a Dangerous Religion?,”
the “Step by Step” column for the
May-June 2005 edition of This Rock.
(The article is available in This Rock’s
archives at www.catholic.com/thisrock/2005/0505sbs.asp.)
From there,
Dr. Howell invited her to contribute
additional articles on purgatory
(November 2005) and the perpetual
virginity of Mary (December 2005),
topics chosen to coincide with the
themes of the liturgical year.
Christine notes that she found it
challenging to write in the column’s
question-and-answer format. To make
both parts seem authentic, she knew
that she could not skirt the hard questions,
which meant that she sometimes
knew that a particular question
had to be addressed before she was
sure how to answer it.
Christine notes that taking
classes taught by Msgr.
Swetland and Dr. Howell
through the Institute of
Catholic Thought helped to
prepare her for the task of apologetics
writing by providing her with a broader
framework and knowledge of the
Catholic faith. Additionally, the large
variety of talks held at the Newman
Center and the eagerness of members
of the Newman community to discuss
the faith helped her learn how to
explain the faith to others. When
researching specific columns, Christine
relied on the apologetics resources
available on Catholic Answers’ Web
site (Catholic.com) and the writings of
the Church Fathers available through
NewAdvent.org (resources she recommends
to other would-be apologists).
Christine hopes that the articles
she has written will help others to gain
a better understanding of how to
defend the faith. She also hopes to
continue these efforts with future writing
projects. One that is currently
being discussed is an apologetics book
focused on answering the questions
that college students most frequently
ask. The book would include past
“Step by Step” columns along with
new material addressing additional
topics in a similar question-and-answer
format. Her coauthor, Dr. Howell, is
confident in Christine’s abilities:
“Christine has a very bright future as a
theologian, and her writing is already
at a level well above the norm. A theologian
is a man or woman of prayer,
and she’s begun a life of serious prayer,
and so I’m looking forward to seeing
the ways in which she will contribute
to the life and thought of the Church
in the future.” ■
VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006 7

Beyond our Walls
Vocation Discernment for Women
College years are a prime time for women to ask the
question “What does God want me to do with my life?” St.
John’s pastoral staff offers a variety of ways to support
women as they try to answer this baptismal call to holiness
in the way God has in mind for them. The Franciscan
Sisters on staff assist in this vocation discernment. The
Sisters offer spiritual direction as well as various programs
that offer input, guidance, and support to the women.
The Magnificat group is for women, like Mary, praising
God for the gifts He’s given them and open to discovering
His will in their lives. They gather to pray, hear vocation
stories, discuss different aspects of discernment, and
ask questions. The fall program included a visit to a local
convent where two of the Sisters shared how they discerned
God’s call in their lives. A second gathering held in the
Sisters’ convent at Newman hosted two married women
sharing their discernment stories. Second-semester gatherings
will focus on virtues of Mary and qualities of Christian
womanhood. Sr. Janice Keenan coordinates this program.
Nun Runs—quick day or overnight trips to convents
to see close up the life of religious—are planned by Sr.
Back row: Aimee Fleming, Megan, Susana, Morgan Zeeb,
Amy Killorian, Nicole Michelotti, Sr Janice Keenan, OSF
Front from left: Anna Keefe, Katie O’Riordan, Sr. Sarah Roy, OSF,
Stephanie Duez, Stephanie Hayes, Emily Glick, Annette Clavin
8 VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006
Front row: Anne Masters; Ann Tully; Sr. Sarah Roy, OSF; Valerie
Stringer. Back row: Sr. Janice Keenan, OSF; Marianne Howe;
Jeny Franz; Bridget Vogrinc; Christine Pinheiro; Mary Clare Graff
Sarah Roy. Fall Nun Runs involved visits to a Franciscan
convent, a Benedictine monastery, and a Carmelite cloister
as well as a time of service with Missionaries of
Charity. The women experienced evangelical, monastic,
apostolic, and contemplative communities.
A discernment retreat, offered in January, was
designed to allow women to be given some tools for discernment,
whether for vocation, career, or other major
decisions. Besides time for silent prayer and reflection,
communal prayer, and faith sharing, there was time to
visit with others in the discernment process. Conferences
focused on how to discern, obstacles in discernment, and
discernment in Scripture.
In addition to programs, prayer intentions
are regularly offered at Mass for those
discerning their vocations, general discernment
materials and vocation brochures are
available to women, and various community
discernment retreats and “Come and
See” weekend fliers are posted. St. John’s
also hosts vocation directors when they participate
in the University Non-Profit career
fair day, inviting them to attend Mass and
dinner with students. Overall, St. John’s
staff tries to offer a supportive environment
for those in discernment. ■
Did you know?
In the past eight years, over 60
vocations have been generated from
St. John's Catholic Newman Center.

U of I students at the volunteer center. Front row (left to right),
Roberta Cheong, Whitney Rossmiller, Dominika Kurek, and Eric
Giesing. Back Row, Patrick Hatch, Sr. Anna Flanigan, OSF,
Amanda Sigourney, and Jessica Kroeger
Winter Break Scrapbook
New friendships began on Sunday, January 8, as six
Bradley University students from St. Joseph’s Newman
Center met seven University of Illinois students at St. John’s
Catholic Newman Center. Their common goal was to travel
together to the Franciscans for the Poor in Cincinnati,
Ohio, for a week of service, January 8 to 14.
Work began quickly as students were oriented to the
week’s schedule and asked to bake treats for their
Wednesday evening visit to Drop Inn, the largest homeless
shelter in Cincinnati. The next two evenings, the kitchen
was filled with talking, laughter, and the aroma of freshly
baked cookies and brownies for the homeless guests.
Days were filled with opportunities for learning and
discovery. Ministry varied with work in home restoration at
HONK (Housing Opportunities of Northern Kentucky)
and WIN (Working in Neighborhoods); Visions, a day care
for children of low-income mothers, mostly high school
girls; Over the Rhine soup kitchen; and West Park, a residence
for senior citizens. Although personal experiences for
each student differed based on ministry site and personal
understanding of poverty, everyone agreed that it was a
great experience.
Eric Giesing shared this: “I had never been on a mission
trip before this. I went in not knowing what to expect,
and I came out with a new outlook on life. I felt bad for the
poor at first, thinking they had nothing and almost like I
was better than them. Now I can honestly say I will never
feel better than anyone. As I watched the homeless and the
Alana Barone (BU) Dominka Kurek (U of I) & Eric Giesing
(U of I) prepare an evening meal at the volunteer center
Jessica Kroeger displaying the day’s desserts
poor, I began to realize that they weren’t poor at all. They
loved each other, were proud of who they were, were good
spirited, and most of all, were close to God. The homeless
helped me this week, possibly more than I helped them.”
“I had an amazing time on my winter break trip to
Cincinnati. While I learned a lot about myself, I also
learned much about true poverty and was able to shatter
any preconceived notions that I had about the poor,” said
Amanda Sigourney.
Service & Justice Outreach Break Trips are one of the
primary ways that St. John’s Catholic Newman Center
helps to break the cycle of poverty and attitudes about the
poor. The personal encounters touch hearts in ways that
words never could.
Spring break trips are just around the corner (March
19 to 24), and trips are planned to Habitat for Humanity
in Jonestown, Mississippi; Christian Appalachian Project in
Eastern Kentucky; Urban Experience in Baltimore,
Maryland; and St. Therese Catholic School in Jackson,
Mississippi. Each trip is a little different and is designed to
offer students the opportunity to do the types of service
that appeal to them. It is a real gift to see the students
come to serve and find that they are the ones who have
been served. ■
VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006 9

Alumni Profile
Chris Kuetemeyer—Alum, Soldier and Friend
Chris grew up just 20 miles south of Champaign-
Urbana in Villa Grove and joined the Army National Guard
in the footsteps of his older brothers. Chris discovered the
Newman Center through the continuous prodding of a
friend, William Yallaly, who introduced him to the Koinonia
community. Through many valuable friendships, Chris discovered
his own desire for virtue and a life-changing relationship
with God. Chris lived at Newman from 1998 to
2000 (the first years of reopening the fourth floor and experiencing
a coed Newman Hall). There Chris found a place
among dorm life, intramurals, and the chapel community
including NFK 55, 60, 61, and 67 (student director) and
held various local part-time jobs and followed what he
believe was God’s urging to attend officer candidate school,
through which he was commissioned his junior year, 2000.
When FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University
Students) came to town, Chris quickly became friends with
Wei-Hsien Wan, who, despite intentions of pursuing marketing
dreams, helped Chris to follow God’s call to be the
first U of I graduate to become a FOCUS missionary. After
serving one year at the University of Nebraska, Chris was
sent to Troy, Alabama, as the FOCUS campus director,
where he was convinced by the local field artillery officers to
2005 Giving Summaries Sent
The Office of Institutional Advancement \sent detailed
giving summaries to all constituents who made contributions
to St. John's Catholic Newman Center during the
2005 tax year. This listing or the individual gift acknowledgment
may be used for documenting charitable giving on
an income tax return. If you did not receive a summary listing
or yours contained errors, please contact the
Advancement Office immediately. Always consult your tax
professional to confirm what is allowable by law. ■
10 VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006
Thank You for Your Recent Gifts
transfer to the Alabama National Guard and attend officer
basic course (OBC) in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma.
After graduating from OBC, Chris finished the year
at Troy and took a position at FOCUS headquarters in
Greeley, Colorado, to be closer to his fiancée, Elizabeth
Waller (a fellow FOCUS missionary). However, God and
the Army had different plans. Three months after he moved
to Colorado, the Alabama Guard activated Chris for
Operation Iraqi Freedom where he served as a platoon leader
of 35 men in an IBU (itty-bitty unit) of 120 called to provide
convoy security in the Baghdad Area of Operations.
After a three-month train-up in Camp Shelby, Mississippi,
they arrived in country on Feb 7, 2005.
Spiritually, Chris and his troop were fortunate to have a
priest assigned to Camp TajiF, who provided rejuvenating,
though simple, Masses each Sunday as well as prayers for
safety and success before each mission. Chris’ troop arrived
back on U.S. soil on January 24, 2006. Chris was awarded
the Bronze Star Medal at a closing ceremony in Troy,
Alabama.
Chris asks us to continue to pray for soldiers as they
readjust to their new lives, for those troops who still serve in
danger, for the Iraqi people, and for his upcoming wedding
in April. ■
Memorial Gifts to SJCNC
Left to right: Dave
Kuetemeyer (Dad),
Elizabeth Waller
(Fiancée), Chris
Kuetemeyer, Mary
Kuetemeyer (Mom)
The following honorariums and memorials were received
in the St. John’s Catholic Newman Center Advancement
Office in the past quarter.
In memory of Stuart M. Swetland (Msgr. Swetland’s
father):
Moorhead-Gruber Architects
Petrus Development, LLC
Mr. & Mrs. Jeffrey B. Troxell
In memory of Ms. Florence Capko:
Mrs. Mary Moye
Mr. and Mrs. Scott Pedelty
In memory of Gale Stockdell:
The Jim Wille Family
In memory of Father Philip T. Cahill:
Mr. Kevin C. McNicholas & Ms. Laura J. Goetten

Institute News
What do you get when to
Professors Daly and Swetland
put together two moral theolo-
agreed that one major part of
gians, one Catholic and the other
building a culture of life was “to
Evangelical? Answer? An evening
let the Church be the Church.”
full of enlightenment and learn-
While both were keenly aware of
ing. On January 24, 2006, the
the historic differences between
Institute of Catholic Thought spon-
Catholic and Evangelical undersored
an ecumenical dialogue
standings of the Church, Daly
between Professor Todd Daly and
and Swetland concurred in calling
Monsignor Stuart W. Swetland in
all the baptized to serve the most
the Lewis Lounge of St. John’s
vulnerable in our society. Only by
Catholic Newman Center. The
addressing the needs of those who
evening elicited a positive response
cannot defend themselves can
from members of the Catholic
Christians fulfill the prophetic
and Evangelical communities in Dr. Daly and Msgr. Swetland express their ministry of Christ within our
the Champaign-Urbana area as
mutual appreciation
culture.
both speakers addressed the ques-
A question and answer sestion
of “How to Build a Culture of Life.”
sion, moderated by Dr. Howell, allowed the audience to
Todd Daly, newly appointed Professor of Systematic pose issues as diverse as the practical implications of holding
Theology at Urbana Theological Seminary, spoke about the a consistent pro-life philosophy to the question of how to
disturbing signs within American culture which indicate a inspire Christians of different backgrounds to move beyond
growing disrespect for human life. Among these were the their private beliefs by putting their faith into action. In all,
silence in the American media about the profound moral the evening served as another important step in the work of
questions underlying new technologies and the push the Institute of Catholic Thought in fulfilling the mandate of
toward euthanasia. Dr. Daly recently finished his disserta- Vatican II to promote ecumenical understanding among
tion at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) on the bib- Christians as well as cooperation in the work of God’s kinglical
and patristic foundations of our moral obligations
toward the aging.
Monsignor Swetland spoke about the historical develdom.
■
opments of the last three centuries which have led our culture
to the point where the moral implications of abortion
April 18, 2006—Dr. Daniel Toma will speak on
and euthanasia are no longer disturbing to many in
“Natural Philosophy, Science and the Intelligibility of
America. He analyzed several cases indicating a trend in Intelligent Design.” Dr. Toma is a post-doctoral
our court system to relegate questions of life to an exclusively
private sphere. In addition to his responsibilities as
Chaplain of St. John’s, Monsignor Swetland works closely
researcher at the Neurosciences Research Institute in
San Diego, CA and holds a Ph.D in genetics from
with the Director of our Institute, Dr. Kenneth Howell, as
they teach in the Program for the Study of Religion in the
University of Illinois.
the University of Illinois.
VIA NEWMAN SPRING 2006 11

Alumni Events
Alumni Christmas
Despite six inches of snow and a
rush-hour traffic jam in the Loop,
SJCNC held a successful Chicago
Newman Alumni Christmas celebration
on December 8, 2005.
Several Newman alumni met for
Mass at Holy Name Cathedral, concelebrated
by SJCNC director, Msgr.
Stuart Swetland. Because it was a
holy day of obligation, the Mass
attracted a great crowd, and several
Newman alums who didn't know
about the post-Mass celebration were
delighted to see Msgr. Swetland after
Mass.
A cocktail reception followed at
the University Club. As guests
trekked in from the wind and snow,
the evening got a little brighter with
live jazz, plenty of food, and drink.
Although the crowd was a bit smaller
than expected because of the weather,
several Newman alumni and friends
were in attendance, including Clare
Templin (96-2000), Bryan Lynch
(89-90), Brian Taylor (98-03),
St. John’s Catholic Newman Center
at the University of Illinois
604 East Armory Avenue
Champaign, IL 61820-6298
(217) 344-1184
www.sjcnc.org
ADDRESS SERVICE
REQUESTED
Rachel Kabance (U of I grad, 2001);
Jon Kabance (U of I grad, 2001); Michael
Plahn; Greg Gardner (U of I grad, 2001)
Puamuh T. Ghogomu (98-01),
Michael Zink (98-01), Sara
Englum (02-04), Anne Pellettieri
(01-04), Adam Kroupa (02-03),
Scott Schwemin (95-97); Greg
Gardner (00-01), Jon and Rachel
Kabance (U of I grads-2001), Chris
Luther (U of I grad-1999); Mr. and
Mrs. Matthew Pesce, parents.
Special thanks go to Clare
Templin and her group, Illini After
Dark, for helping organize the
Newman event and getting the
word out.
A spring Newman Alumni
event will be held in downtown
Chicago. Check the SJCNC Web
site (www.sjcnc.org) for details
soon.
Please call (217) 255-6620 or
e-mail mindy@sjcnc.org if you
would like to attend. ■
What have you been up to lately?
Send us information on a new job, a new spouse, or maybe a new addition
to the family. We love to here about news in your life.
(217) 255-6620 or mindy@sjcnc.org
Save the Date
St. John's Catholic Newman Center
is saying farewell to the Newman House
at the end of the spring semester 2006. If
you ever lived in the Newman House
and want to stay one last night in the
hallowed halls, join us May 20-21 as we
say good-bye in style. Contact Mindy
Moomaw in the Advancement Office
(217) 255-6620 or mindy@sjcnc.org to
reserve your spot today!
Reclaiming Christ on the
College Campus
Alumni and friends of SJCNC living
in the Washington, DC area are
invited to attend a unique panel discussion
and reception to benefit the
SJCNC Expansion Project, May 16,
2006. The event, “Reclaiming Christ
On the College Campus,” will feature
Msgr. Stuart Swetland, SJCNC Director
and Chaplain; Prof. Robbie George of
Princeton; and Robert Novak, columnist
and UI alum who is a recent
Catholic convert. The evening is being
presented by the Catholic Family &
Human Rights Institute and St. John's
Catholic Newman Center. The panel
discussion will begin at 5:30 pm at the
Army Navy Club and be followed by a
cocktail reception. For more information
or to reserve one of the limited
spaces, contact Mark Randall at
SJCNC: mark@sjcnc.org or
(217) 255-6620.
NON PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
CHAMPAIGN, IL
PERMIT NO 366