The 11,836 included some 8,600 undergraduates, and other graduate and professional school students.��Of the total, 33 students, or 0.28%, tested positive and cannot arrive on campus until they are cleared by medical professionals.

“I commend our students, their families, the University’s COVID Response Unit, University Health Services and our partner��LabCorp��in completing this formidable undertaking in a timely manner,” University President��, said.��“We wanted to make certain our students’ return did not represent a health threat to the South Bend community.”

In addition to the pre-matriculation screening, 91�Թ� conducted a detailed analysis of counties across the nation from which students would be arriving to identify students coming from so-called hot spots who may warrant additional screening after they arrive on campus.

“As we begin the academic year, we will continue to make data-based decisions using the latest information in partnership with our local public health officials and in consultation with outside medical experts,” , the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost of the University, said. “We will remain vigilant in our ongoing work to provide a healthy and safe environment for our students, faculty and staff members.”

The campus reopened after months of preparation that included the following:

• Father Jenkins announced reopening plans on May 18, to give him and his team time to put together a robust plan.
• Eliminated fall break and post-Thanksgiving return to campus in order to limit opportunities for re-infection.
• Canceled study abroad programs.
• While planning for in-person instruction, simultaneously created the capacity to provide remote learning should circumstances dictate.
• Established a close working relationship with an interdisciplinary team at the Cleveland Clinic, as well as with county health officials and local hospitals.
• Established protocols for testing, tracking, quarantining and isolation.
• Tested all students before their arrival on campus (less than 0.28% were��positive).
• Established a high-capacity testing center on campus, accessible by car or on foot.
• Encouraged remote work for employees who are not required on campus to��do their��jobs.
• Encouraged managers to permit flexible work schedules where possible.
• ��Added 10 days of paid time off to existing benefits for employees who contract COVID-19, or whose family members do.
• Expanded��to 30 days, from 15, emergency child and elder backup care for all faculty and staff, adding graduate students to this benefit.
• Optimized HVAC systems for prevention of COVID-19 transmission.
• Acquired separate housing and online instruction for students who may have to be quarantined or isolated.
• Established a customized computer application for all students,��faculty and staff to report on their health daily.

Reopening by the numbers

The following are among the measures taken to make the campus as safe as possible:

• 100,000 cloth masks were distributed to students, staff and faculty; three to each individual with a reserve supply.
• 50,000+ health and safety signs and decals saturate campus, reminding all to wear masks, keep safely distanced from each other, frequently wash hands, and engage in other health and safety practices.
• 14,000 surface-cleaner bottles were deployed on campus.
• 12,000��pre-matriculation tests were conducted.
• 12,000 “Welcome Back” kits for all students include masks, hand��sanitizers and thermometers.
• 10,000 gallons of hand��sanitizer��are in stock.
• 3,000 hand��sanitizer��stations have been installed on campus.
• 958 electric hand dryers were disabled and replaced with paper towel dispensers.
• 370 light pole banners were hung with health/safety messages.
• 207 paper towel dispensers were added.
• 50 “ambassadors” are on duty to remind people to wear masks and maintain safe distancing.
• 27 campus ballrooms, auditoriums and other large event spaces were��repurposed��to accommodate physical distancing for high-enrollment classes.

“In this crisis, we must do everything we can to ensure that no accepted or current students fail to enroll or return because they don’t have the money,” Father Jenkins said.

The savings will be deposited in a special Student Emergency Relief Fund, composed of senior employee donations and other private benefaction. It has been established to assist deserving students whose families face unemployment and other hardships stemming from the coronavirus pandemic.

“I commend Father Jenkins and��91�Թ�’s other leaders for��making personal sacrifices to address the needs of our students during this crisis,” said John J. Brennan, chair of the . “They epitomize those dedicated individuals who’ve contributed to the greater good throughout the history of Our Lady’s University.”��

The University’s three executive officers, the deans, the vice presidents and leaders in the Athletics Department, including certain coaches, have been asked to reduce their salaries along a sliding scale of 5 percent to 20 percent for the highest compensated employees. To accommodate voluntary payroll reductions, the University will establish a special payroll deduction plan to��start July 1��and continue through June 30, 2021.

Almost one-half of 91�Թ� students received financial assistance last year in the form of need-based scholarships that do not require repayment. The median��amount per student was $40,000��or about three-quarters the cost of tuition at 91�Թ�.

Student financial aid has been 91�Թ�’s top funding priority��for more than 30 years.��Beyond fundraising, one��recent example of the efforts in this regard was putting savings generated by the University’s staff early retirement program last year��toward��student aid. Also, one-third of��the endowment’s spending distribution is dedicated to student��financial aid.

“Under Scott’s leadership, the contribution of the endowment to 91�Թ�’s mission is difficult to overstate,” Father Jenkins said. “For Scott and his team, it has never been about the dollars, but about providing financial aid to deserving students, the hiring of superb faculty and supporting the University’s service to the Church and the world.”

During his tenure, 91�Թ�’s endowment grew to $12.5 billion as of June 30, 2019, from $425 million in 1989, with endowment spending increasing to $425.7 million from $19.5 million over the same period. The endowment supports scholarship and research, academic��programs and institutes, hundreds of faculty chairs, athletics and fully one-third of all student financial aid.

��“The University’s average annual endowment returns over the past 30 years have ranked among the best in higher education and beyond,” Executive Vice President said.��“However, I believe Scott’s greatest gift to 91�Թ� is the outstanding investment team he has assembled to ensure future generations of students, faculty and staff will benefit from the exceptional stewardship of our endowment.”

“It's been an honor to serve my��alma��mater,��which, in three decades, has been able to realize magnificent aspirations that we could only��dream of decades prior,” Malpass��said. “That was made��possible, in large measure, by the��financial��genius and devotion to��Notre��Dame of the investment��team that I was privileged to assemble��over the years.”

Malpass is succeeded by��Michael Donovan, a 23-year veteran of the 91�Թ� Investment Office, where he serves as managing director.

“Mike’s talent as an investment manager is surpassed only by his humility, leadership and commitment to 91�Թ�’s mission,” Cullinan said.��“He has led our private equity investments since 1997, and delivered impressive returns for that portion of our portfolio. I have complete confidence in Mike and the investment team.”

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead a wonderful team that is deeply committed to continuing to manage the University’s assets in a splendid manner,” Donovan said.��

In 2011,��Institutional Investor Magazine named Malpass its Large Endowment Manager of the Year.��In bestowing��its lifetime achievement award on Malpass in 2014,��Chief Investment Officer Magazine praised him as “an investor (who) grew alongside the endowment, both becoming among the most respected in the institutional universe.”��The Wall Street Journal once described investing by Malpass, a former high school football player, as “having a year worthy of a Heisman.”

Malpass was one of 12 of America’s leading chief investment officers profiled in the book “Foundation and Endowment Investing: Philosophies and Strategies of Top Investors and Institutions.”

Malpass is a 1984 91�Թ� graduate and received a master of business administration (MBA) degree from the University in 1986. He returned in 1988 from the Wall Street firm Irving Trust Company, and became chief investment officer the following year. Malpass also served as a concurrent assistant professor of finance in the Mendoza College of Business at 91�Թ�. In 1995, he helped develop the applied investment management course in the college for outstanding students in finance that has received extensive interest from financial services firms throughout the country.

Like his predecessor, Donovan has been crucial in executing investment strategies behind the University’s success and careful stewardship. He helped recruit and mold a team of 91�Թ� graduates who have won plaudits from the nation’s leading financial publications for their outstanding decision-making and distinctive dedication to their alma mater.

Donovan has spent 23 years as a member of the team that manages 91�Թ�’s endowment. Previously, he co-founded a successful educational products company and practiced corporate law with Morgan, Lewis & Bockius in Philadelphia. Donovan serves on the advisory boards of numerous private capital firms. He also is a director or advisor to a number of charitable organizations. He holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from 91�Թ�, a law degree from the UCLA School of Law and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

As the university’s chief investment officer, Donovan will report directly to the executive vice president.

“Rebuild my��Church,” an allusion to God’s summons to St. Francis of Assisi, will examine the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and explore reforms to which it should lead.

“While we must never fail to be honest and forthright about terrible acts of abuse and failures of oversight,” Father Jenkins said, “the forum is designed to be constructive and forward-looking.”

At the same time, Father Jenkins announced the establishment of a committee that will oversee the awarding of up to $1 million in grants to��Notre��Dame faculty for��research that helps address some aspect of the current crisis.

The first event in the 2019 91�Թ� Forum series,��“The��Church Crisis: Where are We Now?” is scheduled for Sept. 25 and will include the following panelists who have confirmed their participation:

• Kathleen McChesney, a former FBI executive assistant director, who was recruited by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to help the Church investigate victim allegations and to establish its “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.”
• Juan Carlos Cruz is a survivors’ advocate from Chile whose complaints were initially dismissed by Pope Francis. During a week of meetings at the Vatican, the pope subsequently apologized to Cruz during their first three-hour, one-on-one meeting.
• Peter Steinfels, a Chicago native with a doctoral degree from Columbia University, is a lifelong journalist and educator who has written for Commonweal since 1964, authored the “Beliefs” column for The New York Times from 1990 to 2010 and wrote a lengthy review of the Pennsylvania attorney general’s report on Church misconduct.
• John Allen, the editor of Crux, will serve as moderator of the Sept. 25 event.

Other panelists likely will be added to the first event. Subsequent 91�Թ� Forum events over the course of the year will consider reforms to which the crisis should give rise.

Since its establishment in 2005, the 91�Թ���Forum has featured major talks by leading authorities on issues of importance to the University, the nation and the larger world, including

“Father Olinger has proved a thoughtful, engaged member of our Board of Trustees and a great administrator at Portland,” Father Jenkins said, adding: “We’re grateful and excited to have Gerry steward and deepen 91�Թ�’s Catholic and Holy Cross mission, enhance our contributions to the Church and advance ecumenical and interfaith understanding and cooperation at 91�Թ� and around the world.”

“I am humbled by Father Jenkins’ invitation to serve the University,” Father Olinger said. “91�Թ� has helped form me academically and spiritually. I am grateful to have served this truly excellent institution for the last four years as a Trustee, and I look forward to continuing to serve the University and its mission by cultivating the Catholic and Holy Cross mission of 91�Թ� and catalyzing its service to the Church.”

Father Olinger currently is Portland’s vice president for university relations, responsible for the Offices of Alumni and Parent Relations, Development, Marketing and Communications and University Events.�� He is a concurrent assistant professor of political science in the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Prior to his work in university relations, Father Olinger served as vice president for student affairs at Portland. In that capacity, he had oversight for the Offices of Residence Life, Public Safety, Student Activities, Career Services, Campus Ministry and International Student Services, as well as the University’s Health and Counseling Center and Moreau Center. He assisted with the planning and development of several important campus projects, including the construction of the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center and Lund Family Residence Hall, as well as the renovation of the Pilot House. He also previously served as executive assistant to Portland’s president.

A native of Springfield, Pennsylvania, Father Olinger graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in history and government from 91�Թ�. He earned two postgraduate degrees from 91�Թ�: a juris doctor cum laude in 2004 and a master of divinity degree in 2009. While in law school he served as executive notes editor for the Journal of Legislation and was a member of the Student Bar Association. After law school, Father Olinger entered formation with the Congregation of Holy Cross, made his final vows in August 2009 and was ordained a priest in April 2010.��

A current member of the board of directors for King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he also previously served on the board of directors for the Association for Student Affairs at Catholic Colleges and Universities and the board of trustees for De La Salle North Catholic High School in Portland. He is a member of the state bars of Indiana and Pennsylvania.

His brother Troyae Scott, age 20, 2413 Kenwood Ave., was a passenger. Both were charged with weapons and marijuana possession.��Troyon Scott was also charged with operating a vehicle, having never been licensed. ��

The handguns, Glock 19 and Glock 45 semi-automatic pistols, had fully loaded magazines of 17 rounds and 10 rounds respectively, each with an additional round already chambered.��The guns were recovered under the front driver’s and front passenger’s seats.

NDSP Officer Jim Buchmann had been monitoring South Bend Police Department radio traffic when he heard the description of the vehicle identified in an earlier incident.��A passer-by had called police when she saw the car and its apparently motionless driver stopped on the Angela Boulevard bridge. The passer-by tapped on the driver’s side window, prompting the driver to speed away, eastbound toward the 91�Թ� campus.��The vehicle passed Buchmann at Angela Boulevard and 91�Թ� Avenue, changing lanes near Eddy Street without a turn signal being employed. Buchmann stopped the vehicle as it crested the hill at Edison Road and Harrington Drive, where Buchmann was joined by Officer Tim Reiter. NDSP Lt. Andre Bridges also assisted. ��

The Scott brothers were handcuffed and taken into custody without incident. The suspects were transported by NDSP to its headquarters at Hammes Mowbray Hall, where they were met by members of the South Bend Police Strategic Focus Unit.��The two were then transported to the Metro Homicide Unit, where local and federal law enforcement are continuing the investigation.

��

Vice President Mike Pence will receive an honorary degree and serve as principal speaker at the University of 91�Թ�’s 172nd commencement ceremony May 21 (Sunday). He becomes the first vice president of the United States to deliver the commencement address at 91�Թ�.

“It is fitting that in the 175th year of our founding on Indiana soil that 91�Թ� recognize a native son who served our state and now the nation with quiet earnestness, moral conviction and a dedication to the common good characteristic of true statesmen,” said 91�Թ� President “With his own brand of reserved dignity, Mike Pence instilled confidence on the state level then, and on the world stage now. We are proud to welcome him to represent the new administration.”

Pence was born in Columbus, Indiana, June 7, 1959, one of six children of Edward and Nancy Pence, who established a successful convenience store in their small Indiana city 45 miles south of Indianapolis.

Pence earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1981 from Hanover College. He later attended Indiana University School of Law, where he met his future wife, Karen. The Pences have three children: Michael, Charlotte and Audrey. After graduating from law school, Pence practiced law, led the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, and began hosting “The Mike Pence Show,” a syndicated talk radio show, and a weekly television public affairs program in Indiana.

In 2000, he launched a successful bid for his local congressional seat, entering the U.S. House of Representatives at the age of 40. The people of East-Central Indiana elected Pence six times to represent them in Congress. He was subsequently elected by his colleagues to serve as chairman of the House Republican Study Committee and House Republican Conference chairman.

In 2013, Pence was elected the 50th governor of Indiana, and served through the end of last year. The Republican Party’s nominees for president and vice president of the United States, Donald Trump and Mike Pence, were elected Nov. 8 and took their oaths of office Jan. 20.

The White House news release can be viewed .

Contact: Paul Browne, vice president for public affairs and communications, 574-631-8696, pbrowne@nd.edu

Helen Condon Jenkins, mother of University of 91�Թ� President , died early Monday morning (Feb. 13) in her hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, after sustaining severe head injuries in an accident Friday (Feb. 10). She was 88.

Father Jenkins celebrated Mass with his 11 siblings at their mother’s bedside before she died.

Helen was a trained nurse and her husband, Dr. Harry Jenkins Jr., who died in 2004 at age 75, was a gastroenterologist. In addition to 12 children, the couple is survived by 43 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

At his inauguration in 2005 as 91�Թ�’s president, Father Jenkins said of his mother:

“As I accept responsibility as head of the 91�Թ� family, I look to my mother for inspiration. She raised 12 children … As you may have guessed, she’s Catholic … Twelve is a nice biblical number.

“I remember the day we all visited the Grand Canyon, and then drove to a park for lunch. Mom was handing out the sandwiches when a look of horror came across her face. She had one sandwich too many. She was no mathematician, but she knew that if she had one sandwich too many … she had one child too few.

“In contrast to the good shepherd who would leave all her sheep to go off in search of the one, Mom herded us all into the car and Dad stomped on the gas. We found Rick safe and sound. But after Mom declared that your brother was lost and now is found, we were disappointed not to get the fatted calf.

“My mother has always shown a supernatural talent for making 12 people all feel important and loved to the same degree at the same time. If ever I display any of that talent in the future, as I hope I do, you can be sure it did not originate with me.”

Father Jenkins will preside at his mother’s funeral Mass at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday (Feb. 15) at St. Leo’s Roman Catholic Church, 1920 N. 102nd St., Omaha. A wake will be held from 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 14) at the same location. A delegation from the University will attend.

Memorial contributions can be sent to the University of 91�Թ�’s Harry and Helen Jenkins Scholarship Fund (Donor Services, Harry & Helen Jenkins Scholarship Fund, 1100 Grace Hall, 91�Թ�, IN 46556).

University of 91�Թ� Vice President and Chief Investment Officer has been named a member of the board of the Vatican Bank.

Known officially as the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), the bank is governed by a seven-member Board of Superintendence. In addition to Malpass, European bankers Javier Marin Romano and Georg Freiherr von Boeselager were named to the board on Thursday by the Cardinals Commission of Vigilance of the IOR.

Malpass has been advising the Holy See on banking reforms initiated by Pope Francis since the first months of his pontificate.

“The appointment comes at a time when Pope Francis is more determined than ever to make the Vatican Bank a financial engine for good works around the world,” 91�Թ� President , said. “The pope has placed enormous and well-deserved confidence in Scott’s integrity and investment acumen. 91�Թ� could not be prouder.”

“I am honored to serve the Cardinals Commission of the IOR and the Holy Father in this important assignment that assists religious organizations all over the world,” Malpass said. “I am looking forward to meeting my fellow board members in the new year and working with them and the dedicated staff of the IOR on this important ministry for the Church.”

Malpass is responsible for investment of the University’s endowment, working capital, pension and life income assets of some $10.4 billion as of the fiscal year ended June 30, 2016. The 91�Թ� endowment is the 12th largest in American higher education and the largest at a Catholic university.

Having served as chief investment officer since 1989, Malpass works closely with the investment committee of the University’s in partnering with the most sophisticated investment management organizations throughout the world. The 91�Թ� endowment has achieved top-tier investment performance over both short- and long-term time periods.

Malpass is one of 12 leading chief investment officers profiled in the book “Foundation and Endowment Investing: Philosophies and Strategies of Top Investors and Institutions,” written by Lawrence E. Kochard and Cathleen M. Rittereiser and published by John Wiley and Sons in December 2007. Malpass was the recipient of the Large Endowment Manager of the Year award from Institutional Investor magazine in 2011. In 2012, Malpass was the recipient of the Rodney H. Adams endowment award given annually by Nacubo for contributions to professional development activities in the field of endowment investment management, and was named recipient of Chief Investment Officer magazine’s lifetime achievement award in 2014.

In 2000, Malpass was the recipient of the James E. Armstrong award given annually to an alumnus who is a current employee of 91�Թ� and has rendered distinguished service to the University. He is an honorary Monogram winner given by the 91�Թ� athletic department, and in 2011 was selected as the MBA Alumnus of the Year for his service to the business school in teaching innovative classes in applied investment management and global portfolio management.

Malpass is a 1984 91�Թ� graduate and received a master of business administration degree from the University in 1986. He returned in 1988 from the Wall Street firm Irving Trust Company, and became chief investment officer the following year when the University’s endowment stood at $425 million.

Malpass is a concurrent assistant professor of finance in the Mendoza College of Business at 91�Թ�. In 1995, he helped develop the applied investment management course in the college for outstanding students in finance that has received extensive interest from financial services firms throughout the country. Malpass is a director or advisory council member for several investment and charitable organizations. He serves on the Investment Advisory Committee for Major League Baseball. In 2011, he was elected to the board of directors for TIFF, the investment fund for foundations. In 2012, he was elected to the board of directors for the Vanguard Group Inc.

In 2014, Malpass was part of the founding group for Catholic Investment Services Inc., a not-for-profit offering top-tier investment solutions to Catholic organizations nationally that comply with the USCCB guidelines for socially responsible investing.

After two decades in which he made the University of 91�Թ�’s finance division one of the most robust in all of higher education, Vice President for Finance has accepted an appointment as vice president and chief financial officer at Indiana University.

“On behalf of the entire University community, I extend our gratitude and sincere congratulations to John and his family,” 91�Թ� President , said. “Through his outstanding financial leadership, he has epitomized responsible stewardship and helped to secure 91�Թ�’s fiscal health well into the future.”

Executive Vice President added: “John is a widely respected colleague whose contributions to 91�Թ� are rivaled only by his committed community service and national leadership in planning and saving for college.”

Sejdinaj joined the 91�Թ� staff in 1994 as director of fixed income and cash management in the Investment Office. From 1996 to 1999, he served as director of finance and budgeting. Under his leadership, the office modernized budget models and processes and evolved into a service team that assists academic and administrative units on budgeting and other financial planning issues. Sejdinaj’s responsibilities also included oversight of the University’s financial aid and student accounts functions. These offices were combined under one umbrella, the Office of Student Financial Services, in order to better serve 91�Թ� families. Sejdinaj was promoted to assistant vice president for finance in 1999 and became the vice president three years later.

Sejdinaj serves on the (ACE) Advisory Board, the Board of Directors, Board of Directors, Board of Directors, Integrated Finance Committee and the Investment Committee for the Sisters of Saint Francis.

Sejdinaj earned his bachelor’s degree from 91�Թ� and a master of business administration degree from DePaul University. Prior to returning to 91�Թ�, he enjoyed a successful career in banking and investment banking at First Chicago Corp.

Sejdinaj’s wife, Jeny, also is a 91�Թ� graduate. She earned her master’s degree in education through ACE and her certification in educational administration through the ACE Leadership Program. She is a volunteer for the Reading for Life Program at the Juvenile Justice Center.

The Sejdinajs are the parents of one son, Alex, who is a graduate of the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and a co-founder of the South Bend Code School.

, Columbia University’s dean of undergraduate global programs and assistant vice president for international education, has been appointed vice president and associate provost for internationalization at the University of 91�Թ�, , Charles and Jill Fischer Provost, announced Friday (April 29). He succeeds , the inaugural occupant of the post, who will retire this summer.

Pippenger, whose appointment is effective Sept. 1, will lead efforts to broaden the University’s global culture, programs, reach and reputation through expanded international research, collaborative projects and strategic relationships with global partners.

“Michael is a recognized leader in the international area whose collaborative approach with faculty and administrators at Columbia and at many other universities throughout the world helped guide Columbia’s ambitious international strategy,” Burish said. “Among many things, he is drawn here by our new and sees it as a major opportunity to expand 91�Թ�’s global reach and impact. He is strongly committed to 91�Թ�’s distinctive Catholic identity, and understands how it can provide a unique resource for 91�Թ�’s future international efforts. The search committee and I are grateful that Michael has agreed to help the University build on the strong foundation that Nick Entrikin helped create to make 91�Թ� an even more global university.”

Said Pippenger: “It’s an honor for me to be given this opportunity to serve 91�Թ� and its global community. I look forward to supporting faculty, administrators, students, alumni and other partners in their efforts to enrich their lives — and the lives of others — through the work they do in the world. It’s an exciting time at 91�Թ�, a time in which so many people are building upon the University’s mission and enhancing its legacy of global engagement to expand its reach internationally. It is my great privilege to be joining those committed to this critical work.”

At Columbia, Pippenger created a centralized office for undergraduate global education, led the administration of 22 study abroad programs worldwide, managed exchange agreements between Columbia and its international partner universities, and assisted faculty in securing funding for global research.

Previously at Columbia, Pippenger established its first office of fellowship programs and study abroad, which in six years helped students win four Rhodes Scholarships, six Marshall Scholarships and 60 Fulbright grants.

Between 2002 and 2005, Pippenger was director of scholarship programs in the College of Arts and Science at New York University, where he ran all major national and international scholarship competitions. He also previously served for three years as senior program officer and world area manager of the Asia/Pacific Fulbright Program at the Institute of International Education.

Early in his career, Pippenger served in admissions at Haverford College and Carleton College, his alma mater, before earning his master’s and doctoral degrees in English literature from Indiana University.

Invited by the Vatican’s to a meeting of Catholic educators from around the world at the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo near Rome, University of 91�Թ� President , on Thursday (Nov. 19) cited Pope Francis and the late , president emeritus of 91�Թ�, in urging that Catholic universities serve as “both a beacon for the world, which shows the light of the Gospel, and a crossroads, where genuine seekers of truth can come together in dialogue.”

Excerpts from remarks delivered by Father Jenkins Thursday at the world congress follow.

“​Father Theodore Hesburgh, C.S.C., who served as president of 91�Թ� for 35 years, once said that a Catholic university is both a beacon for the world, which shows the light of the Gospel, and a crossroads, where genuine seekers of truth can come together in dialogue. This dual role is also identified in the words of Pope Francis who, in an address to me and to other leaders of 91�Թ�, called us as a Catholic university to reflect a missionary discipleship, for a Catholic is ‘by its very nature … committed to demonstrating the harmony of faith and reason and the relevance of this Christian message for a full and authentically human life.’ (Address of Pope Francis to the University of 91�Թ�, Jan. 30, 2014.)

“At the same time, he reminds us of the importance of dialogue, noting that Jesus began to preach in the ‘Galilee of the Gentiles,’ a crossroads for people of different races, cultures and religions, and he calls us ‘to experience the humility of research, that attitude of silent welcoming of the unknown, of the stranger, of the other and demonstrate one’s openness and willingness to walk with all those who are driven by a restless tension toward the truth, believers and nonbelievers, foreigners and the marginalized.’ (Message of Pope Francis to the Italian Catholic Federation of University Students, Oct. 14, 2014.)

“​In our contentious and polarizing times — even, sadly, to homicidal extremes — it is challenging to be both a beacon and a crossroads. But it is a calling full of hope. May this conference be an occasion for the renewal of our institutions and of each of us individually in our mission. Indeed, may it ignite in us a renewing passion.”

Jake Scanlan, a University of 91�Թ� junior from North Potomac, Maryland, died Wednesday (Nov. 11) in his room in Siegfried Hall. He was 20, majoring in mechanical engineering.

“On behalf of the entire University, I extend my deepest condolences and heartfelt prayers to Jake’s family and friends, and to his parents especially. I pray that they may find some solace in God’s grace, and support through Jake’s extended 91�Թ� family. We mourn with them on this tragic occasion,” said , president of the University.

Scanlan was discovered unresponsive in bed by his roommate at approximately 7:30 a.m. Immediate attempts to resuscitate by fellow students, including an emergency medical technician, and subsequently by responding emergency personnel were unavailing. There were no signs of trauma or other indications of foul play.

St. Joseph County Coroner Michael O’Connell, who responded to the residence hall this morning, will make a determination as to cause of death.

The and are available to offer their support to members of the 91�Թ� community. A memorial Mass will take place at 9 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 12) in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Father Jenkins will preside.

UPDATE: William Meckling, a 21-year-old senior due to graduate Sunday from the University of 91�Թ�, died early Saturday morning (May 16) after a fall from the roof of the Joyce Center.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with Billy’s family and friends after this terrible tragedy,” , the University president, said. “It is a profound sadness for all of us, on this graduation weekend, to lose someone so young and brimming with promise.”

A 91�Թ� Security Police lieutenant, on patrol near the center at 3:45 a.m., was approached by two students who said they needed his assistance. Upon reaching the east side of the Joyce Center, the officer observed Meckling, unresponsive, on the ground near Gate 7. Emergency medical personnel also responded. CPR and other efforts to resuscitate him were unavailing.

Initial investigation indicates that the victim was among a small group of students who had gained access to the roof, wet from precipitation, at a relatively low point from outside the building. No others sustained injuries.

Meckling was transported by ambulance to Saint Joseph’s Regional Medical Center. The county coroner will determine the cause of death.

A mechanical engineering major, Meckling was from Centennial, Colorado, and was a member of the 91�Թ� fencing team.

“When one thinks of the success of 91�Թ� fencing, names like Gerek Meinhardt and Lee Kiefer come to mind,” head fencing coach said. “Yet equally integral to our team success are the unsung names, the walk-ons that bring the positive spirit, energy and camaraderie to our practices and competitions to push their teammates and themselves to greater heights. Billy Meckling was one of those teammates — an invaluable member of our sabre squad who left such a massive impact on all of us as a fencer and a human being.

“On the strip, Billy was a talented fencer and a determined worker on a very competitive sabre squad — evidenced by his earned monograms during the 2012 and 2014 seasons. More importantly, he was a great friend to all members of our program. A true 91�Թ� man, his kindness and warmth impacted each and every one of us — and makes his loss all the more difficult.”

The and are available to offer their support to members of the 91�Թ� community.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m. Monday (May 18) in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart. Father Jenkins will preside and Rev. Pete McCormick, C.S.C., director of , will be the homilist.

Citing the long-held opposition to nuclear arms of newly canonized Popes John XXIII and John Paul II, University of 91�Թ� President , called for a “fresh examination of the ethics of nuclear weapons in today’s world” at the Colloquium on Revitalizing Catholic Engagement on Nuclear Disarmament, hosted April 24 to 25 (Thursday to Friday) by former U.S. Secretary of State George Shultz and former Secretary of Defense William Perry at Stanford University’s and .

Shultz said he welcomed “the important moral and religious voice that the Catholic community in the United States contributes to this effort.”

Forty bishops, policy specialists, Catholic scholars and students gathered to explore ways of making a world without nuclear weapons a reality. Former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn also participated. The project is sponsored by 91�Թ�’s in collaboration with the Office of International Justice and Peace; Georgetown University’s Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs; and Boston College.

Noting that Pope John XXIII’s encyclical “Pacem in Terris,” issued 51 years ago and just six months after the Cuban missile crisis, declared that “the arms race should cease” and that “all come to agreement on a fitting program of disarmament,” Father Jenkins said that the canonization of the two pontiffs would encourage the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and others working to revitalize the Church’s engagement in nuclear disarmament. He called the canonizations on Sunday “fortuitous timing, as we can surely use more high-placed opponents of nuclear weapons to hear our prayers and intercede for us.” He added: “As bishops and popes have been saying for decades, nuclear weapons are morally tolerable only for the purpose of nuclear deterrence, and even then, only as a step on the way toward progressive disarmament. This narrow moral justification for nuclear weapons is based, in part, on the belief that deterrence will indeed deter, and that … is an increasingly uncertain assumption.”

Bishop Richard Pates, a co-convenor with Father Jenkins of the colloquium and chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, said, “The bishops have made the moral case for ultimate nuclear disarmament,” adding: “Shultz, Perry, Kissinger and Nunn have made the case for disarmament as a policy goal, a goal embraced by the U.S. and Russian governments. My hope is that this colloquium will be the beginning of a process to invigorate and refine the voice of the U.S. Catholic community in the debate on nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament.”

“Nuclear weapons present an existential threat to mankind,” Shultz told the group. “We need to reduce the numbers of these weapons, identify and take the steps needed to keep them under better control, and ultimately eliminate them.”

Father Jenkins said, “In revitalizing the Catholic voice on nuclear weapons, there is, I believe, a special role for Catholic universities,” adding that they can, working with the bishops, “combine the richness of the broad ethical framework of Catholicism with scholarly expertise in international relations, political science, physics, peace building and many other areas to contribute to the collaboration among Catholic bishops, academics from non-Catholic universities and national security experts … This cannot be just a single meeting; it must be the launch of a multi-year effort. The University of 91�Թ� will be a committed partner in this effort with the bishops’ conference, Boston College, Georgetown, the and distinguished statesmen, such as Secretary Schultz and Secretary Perry.”

Other speakers included former Ambassador James Goodby; Rev. Bryan Hehir of Harvard University; Rev. Kenneth Himes, O.F.M., of Boston College; Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J., of Georgetown; Scott Sagan and Sidney Drell of Stanford; and Stephen Colecchi of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The colloquium was the launch of a larger project intended to empower a new generation of Catholic bishops, scholars, professionals and students to address the ethical and policy challenges of reducing and eliminating nuclear weapons. It will convene symposia for ethicists and policy experts, publish articles in scholarly and popular journals and reach out to students and young professionals through a social media site that emphasizes the religious and ethical dimensions of nuclear disarmament.

The project is made possible with the support of the Nuclear Threat Initiative.

The University of 91�Թ� on Tuesday (Dec. 3) re-filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana for relief from a mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that, contrary to Catholic teaching, requires 91�Թ� and similar religious organizations to provide through their insurance plans or third-party administrators contraceptives, sterilization procedures and drugs that some assert induce abortions.

“Our abiding concern in both the original filing of May 21, 2012, and this re-filing has been 91�Թ�’s freedom — and indeed the freedom of many religious organizations in this country — to live out a religious mission,” , 91�Թ�’s president, said. “We have sought neither to prevent women from having access to services, nor even to prevent the government from providing them.”

91�Թ� and government administration officials have been in conversation for more than a year to resolve the matter.

“We believe the participants undertook these discussions in good faith, and we are grateful to the administration for the time it gave to this matter and for its efforts to accommodate our concerns,” Father Jenkins said. “We have concluded, however, the government’s accommodations would require us to forfeit our rights, to facilitate and become entangled in a program inconsistent with Catholic teaching and to create the impression that the University cooperates with and condones activities incompatible with its mission. In these ways, we contend, the regulations compel us to violate our religious beliefs.”

In its filing Tuesday, the University asked, among other things, that the court enter declaratory judgments that the HHS mandate violates 91�Թ�’s rights under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, and that the court enjoin the government from enforcing the mandate. The lawsuit names as defendants Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez, Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew and their respective departments.

Citing the Nov. 13 regarding the mandate, Father Jenkins said that “91�Թ� wholeheartedly supports, in accord with Catholic teaching and in union with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the effort to provide ‘accessible, life-affirming health care’ for everyone. It is deeply regrettable that rather than joining with the Catholic Church, which has long been a leader in providing such care, the Department of Health and Human Services through this mandate has created a conflict that has demanded time, energy and resources and distracted all parties involved from seeking ways to provide such care.”

Father Jenkins added: “As I said regarding our original filing, because at its core this filing is about the freedom of a religious organization to live its mission, its significance goes well beyond any debate about contraceptive services. For if we concede that the government can decide which religious organizations are sufficiently religious to be awarded the freedom to follow the principles that define their mission, then we have begun to walk down a path that ultimately will undermine those institutions. For if one presidential administration can override our religious purpose and use religious organizations to advance policies that undercut our values, then surely another administration will do the same for another very different set of policies, each time invoking some concept of popular will or the public good, with the result these religious organizations become mere tools for the exercise of government power, morally subservient to the state, and not free from its infringements. If that happens, it will be the end of genuinely religious organizations in all but name.”

In an Interim Final Ruling issued Aug. 3, 2011, the federal government required employers to provide services that religious organizations found objectionable. A narrow exemption was given to religious institutions, such as houses of worship, that serve and employ primarily members of their own faith, but, departing from a long tradition in federal law, organizations like 91�Թ� — schools, universities, hospitals and charitable organizations that serve and employ people of all faiths and none — were granted no exemption, but instead were made subject to the law to the same extent as any secular organization.

On Sept. 28, 2011, Father Jenkins submitted a formal comment encouraging the administration to follow precedent and adopt a broader exemption. Despite some positive indications, the administration announced on Jan. 20, 2012, that its interim rule would be adopted as final without change. After an outcry from across the political spectrum, President Barack Obama announced on Feb. 10, 2012, that his administration would attempt to accommodate the concerns of religious organizations. Encouraged by the announcement, 91�Թ� engaged in conversations with administration officials to find an acceptable resolution. Regrettably, the HHS Advanced Notification of Proposed Rulemaking on preventive services policy, issued on March 16, 2012, provided little in the way of a specific, substantive proposal or a definite timeline for resolution.

Consequently, 91�Թ� filed suit May 21, 2012, challenging the regulation as an infringement of the University’s religious freedom. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana dismissed the initial suit, indicating that the regulation was not sufficiently final, or “ripe,” for judicial review. Again the University engaged in discussions with the administration, urging adoption of a rule that would fully respect the right of religious organizations to live according to their beliefs. These discussions continued until the adoption of the final regulation on June 28, 2013. Now, against the threat of punitive fines, 91�Թ�’s third-party administrator, Meritain, is required to notify all females of child-bearing age among the University’s employees and their dependents of the availability of the objectionable services. As this notice must be given by Jan. 1, 2014, the University has re-filed its suit, seeking relief from the courts.

To view a PDF of the complaint, click here.

At approximately 10:40 a.m. Thursday (Nov. 21), a man was killed at Twyckenham Drive and Bulla Road on the eastern perimeter of the University of 91�Թ� campus, where a crew was clearing trees for a parking lot expansion. He was struck by a tree as it was felled and died at the scene, despite efforts by first responders to resuscitate him. The identity of the victim, who was employed by an area excavating company contracted by the University, is being withheld pending family notification. Work on the site has been suspended.

“We extend our deepest condolences to his family, and to all those involved in this morning’s terrible accident," , 91�Թ�’s president, said, adding, “Reminded how precious and fragile life is, we pray for strength and peace for all who are suffering as a result.”