Chaminade University of Honolulu

Marianist

Silverswords Recount ‘Joy’ of Youth Pilgrimage

Surreal.

That’s how four Chaminade University students described their recent trip to Rome for the Jubilee of Young People, a global Catholic pilgrimage meant to break down bridges and spotlight the power of unity, service and hope. More than one million youth participated, celebrating Mass with Pope Leo XIV, participating in volunteer activities, and gathering for concerts and vigils.

“I was just filled with gratitude for having the opportunity to be there,” said Julia Durocher ’28, who is studying biochemistry at Chaminade. “It was such a beautiful thing to be there with young adults. It gave me hope that the Catholic Church is being brought into the next generation.”

Durocher was selected to participate in the Chaminade contingent along with her brother, Anthony ’26, Sophia Terry ’28, and Olivia Jensen ’27. Also in attendance were students from fellow U.S. Marianist institutions—the University of Dayton in Ohio and St. Mary’s University in Texas.

Anthony Durocher said the Rome trip was full of “pinch me” moments. Like when he and the other Silverswords joined tens of thousands of young pilgrims from around the globe to parade in the streets of Rome. “There was so much energy and everyone was so alive,” Durocher said.

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The Jubilee of Young People, from July 28 to August 3, coincides with the Jubilee Year of Hope designated by Pope Francis. The Vatican said more than one million youth convened for the celebration, which closed with a huge, open-air Mass at Rome’s University of Tor Vergata.

Pope Leo XIV presided over the Mass, calling on young people to embrace peace. “My young brothers and sisters, you are the sign that a different world is possible,” he told celebrants. A world of fraternity and friendship, where conflicts are not resolved with weapons, but with dialogue.”

Terry said that message resonated with her.

She was especially grateful to form close bonds with her fellow Chaminade pilgrims. “The trip meant so much to me because I was truly able to embrace my faith with those of differing cultures and getting to express our love of God together was truly inspiring,” she said.

Even months later, Terry added, “The impact of this pilgrimage has brought me a spark like no other, whenever I’m in a tough spot I remember how truly supported I am by God and by those around me. The trip was so beautifully impactful on each and every person that went.”

Jensen, who is pursuing a degree in historical and political studies, said one moment from the pilgrimage that she will always cherish is kneeling during a large-scale eucharistic adoration at Tor Vergata right along with Pope Leo XIV and hundreds of thousands of youth from across the globe.

“Seeing the Holy Father kneeling in unison with me was eye-opening,” Jensen said.

“It reminded me that he is human just as I am, and that I too have the same opportunity to pursue holiness in my lifetime. As I looked around, I saw one million other Catholics in silent reverence, all kneeling before the presence of our Lord.

“I felt overwhelmed by the presence of the lord and by the sheer universality of the Church. It did not matter whether someone came from Hawaii, Ukraine, Spain, or Colombia. We were all united together under the one Catholic Church.”

Jensen added that the trip to Rome recharged her—and her faith. But she also realized on reflection that there was no need to travel to Rome to feel that way. “We can find hope in our communities, in prayer, and in the faces of those closest to us,” she said.

The pilgrimage was Julia Durocher’s first trip overseas.

For her, one major highlight was hearing fellow pilgrims recite the Lord’s Prayer in their own languages.

“That was something that I will never forget,” she said, adding that she could feel Jesus’ presence everywhere she went in Rome. “I felt Jesus was calling me to bring what I experienced in Rome back to my home,” she said. “To be an instrument of His love and kindness to others.”

Her brother, Anthony, said the joy he felt—and saw—during the pilgrimage still buoys him.

“On a bad day or during a sad time or if I’m not feeling very grateful, I just look back at my memories of Rome,” he said. “There was joy on so many people’s faces. People from Ukraine, from Russia, coming from poverty, they came together and they had joy.”

Students Mark Confirmation Ceremony

On the Sunday following Easter, members of the University community gathered to celebrate the spiritual journeys of six Catholic Chaminade students as they received the Sacrament of Confirmation.

Fr. Christopher Wittmann, S.M., director of Campus Ministry at Chaminade, said the six students started meeting weekly in October with faculty members and staff who served as their catechists. They then received Confirmation at a Mass on April 27 at the Mystical Rose Oratory.

The six are: Lance Carlo, AJ Dahlk, Theresa Fabian, Soso Hayes, Mimi Smith and Brenna White.

A seventh student, Dilubech Hideyos, received Confirmation at a separate Mass on Kauai.

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Confirmation, which with Baptism and First Communion is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church, “calls upon the Holy Spirit to fill the person with the gifts of the spirit; to seal and strengthen them in their journey of Christian discipleship,” Wittmann explained, adding that Honolulu Bishop Larry Silva delegates administration of Confirmation to priest pastors during the liturgical Season of Easter.

Wittmann said the students, working with their catechists, “studied the core beliefs and practices of the Catholic faith, prayed together and discussed church teaching and their own faith journeys.”

Hideyos went through the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults process, receiving all three Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil Mass at Immaculate Conception Parish Confirmation on Kauai.

Connor Torres, a young adult member of the Mystical Rose Oratory worshipping community, also received Confirmation with the six Chaminade students.

Brenna White, set to graduate in 2028 with a bachelor’s degree in Nursing, said receiving Confirmation at the Mystical Rose Oratory represented a significant rite of passage in her life.

“When I was a little girl, I went to church back home on Maui, getting baptized as a baby and attending Sunday classes to prepare for my First Communion,” she said. “Life got busy, and we became preoccupied with other things so we stopped going to church regularly. Participating in Confirmation now feels important to me because it reconnects me with my faith foundation.”

She added, “Even though I drifted away from it for a while, it’s always been a part of me. It represents a fresh commitment and a personal decision to grow in my relationship with God.”

White said after graduation she hopes to return to Maui to begin her career as a nurse.

“Through my time at Chaminade and my involvement in the Church, I’ve come to recognize that caring for others is the gift God has given me,” she said. “I hope to continue growing both professionally and personally, leaning on the values of faith and community.”

“I’m excited to give back to my community and use my gift to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. Being involved in the church while at Chaminade has really taught me to take things one day at a time. College can feel overwhelming sometimes with everything going on, but my faith has reminded me that it’s OK to slow down, breathe and trust that things will work out.”

New Executive Director Appointed For Marianist Universities Association

Allison Leigh, director of Marianist strategies at the University of Dayton in Ohio, has been appointed the new executive director of the Association of Marianist Universities.

Her term begins July 1.

She will be the first woman and first lay Marianist woman to serve as executive director.

Because the AMU executive director position was expanded to full-time, Leigh will leave her current role but remain on the University of Dayton’s campus.

She will succeed Bro. Tom Giardino, S.M., who is stepping down after nine years to pursue other Marianist priorities.

As director of Marianist strategies at the University of Dayton, Leigh built strong relationships across the three Marianist universities—Chaminade, St. Mary’s in Texas and UD—including through her work with the Marianist Educational Associates program.

She also previously served as the University of Dayton’s campus minister for retreats and assistant director for retreats and faith communities.

Leigh received her master’s degree in pastoral ministry and doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Dayton, with her research focusing on how students experience the Catholic and Marianist mission.

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Leigh earned her bachelor’s degree at Xavier University and then spent a year of service with the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. Her experience led her to consider a career in campus ministry.

Leigh said she’s thrilled to continue being part of a mission that has inspired her to live her faith more deeply.

“Since first meeting the Marianists at UD in 2003, I have known Catholic and Marianist higher education offers a contribution to our society the world desperately needs,” Leigh said.

“It is a profound honor to take on this new role and collaborate with faculty, staff, and students who embody this mission in their work, every day, across all three Marianist universities. I have been blessed and deeply formed in my own faith and values by those who have done this important work, and am thrilled to carry it forward.”

The Association of Marianist Universities is a ministry of the Marianist Province of the United States to support, promote and advance Marianist higher education through cooperation among the three universities.

Chaminade President Lynn Babington said, “We’re thrilled Allison has accepted this leadership role with AMU. Her passion for empowering faculty, staff and students and students to animate and embody the mission through their individual and collective roles and her love for facilitating programs that help people grow in their formation are so important in our university communities.”

Chaminade Rector Prepares for New Adventure

Bro. Edward Brink, S.M. is the Vice President for Mission and Rector at Chaminade, but he prefers a simpler title: Teacher. These days, while he spends less time in the classroom, he still looks for every opportunity to counsel and advise students on campus or in the community.

So it is of little surprise that Brink says what he’ll miss the most about Chaminade when he takes on a new role with the Marianist Province of the US this summer is mentoring students at all stages of their academic careers, from freshman year to graduation day.

“I really like being able to introduce myself to young people and try to help them make connections about what they’re doing and why they’re doing it,” Brink said. “It will be that regular contact with students that I will miss the most. That ability to guide and inspire.”

Brink has been selected to serve as Director of Novices for the Marianist Province of the United States, a role that requires him to relocate to Dayton, Ohio. He plans to wrap up his work at Chaminade by June 2025. And while he is looking forward to his next adventure, he is also sad to be leaving a place and a university ’ohana that has meant so much to him.

Brink joined Chaminade in July 2016, after previously serving on the Board of Regents.

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He recalls that when he first started, his office was undergoing renovations so he was temporarily located in what is now the tutoring center, known as Kokua Ike. The placement gave Brink an early advantage—a chance to meet students throughout the day and hear directly from them.

“It was a great way to ease into it,” Brink said.

But before long, Brink was hitting the ground running, including as part of the welcoming committee for the University’s 10th president, Dr. Lynn Babington. She officially took on the role in August 2017, and Brink helped organize a tour for her to visit O’ahu sites that are important to Marianist and Chaminade history. Stops included ’Iolani Palace and the Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, plus the original home along Nu’uanu Stream of Saint Louis School.

Bro. Edward Brink, SM

Babington so enjoyed the tour that she encouraged Brink to make it available to new faculty.

And so he did—and even got interest from longtime employees.

“Many people who have lived in Hawai’i for years told me that it was their first time visiting ’Iolani Palace”—and learning about the important history of Marianists in the islands, Brink said. “It really is about helping history come alive, just getting a bigger sense of everything.”

Brink said the tours are designed to help participants reflect on Chaminade’s mission, connecting important dots, including the importance of ensuring access for all students.

Before joining Chaminade, Brink served as Assistant for Education for the Marianist Province of the US, assisting Marianist universities and high schools nationwide. He began his career in education in 1985, teaching at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton.

At Chaminade, despite his busy schedule, Brink couldn’t stay out of the classroom. He has taught several sections of CUH100, Chaminade’s First Year Experience Seminar. He also led the Chaminade Scholars Program. The scholars are students chosen because of their strong academic background, their commitment to service to the community and their desire to continue to grow in their faith while attending Chaminade University.

And he has spearheaded the Marianist Educational Associate program at Chaminade, which seeks to inspire members of the faculty and staff to become stewards of Marianist values and the University’s mission.

Brink says while he’ll be leaving Chaminade, he will remain in the Silversword ’ohana and expects to maintain many of the relationships he has formed while in the islands. And he is also looking forward to his new role, which requires him to once again put on his teaching hat as he seeks to lead novices through a rigorous journey of reflection and spiritual development.

“There are people who are coming up to me and saying, ‘You can’t go!’” Brink said.

“It’s not that I want to go but I remember very clearly that part of my exploration of Marianist life was hearing stories about brothers who got to do really cool jobs and multiple cool jobs. Some brothers stay and do the same job, but the ones who caught my attention were people who did different things in different places. So I feel this is God’s way of reminding me of one of the things that made me want to be a Marianist.”

Bro. Thomas Giardino Plans Transition to New Role

Bro. Thomas Giardino, S.M., executive director of the Association of Marianist Universities since 2019, plans to transition out of his role after the 2024-25 academic year to pursue other Marianist priorities and initiatives.

Giardino said he planned his departure to give the association sufficient time to conduct a search and select a new executive director by July 1, 2025. Though he is stepping down, Giardino plans to remain engaged with Marianist initiatives and the association.

The Association of Marianist Universities is a ministry of the Marianist Province of the United States with a mission to support, promote and advance Marianist higher education through cooperation among the three Marianist universities—Chaminade University of Honolulu, St. Mary’s University in Texas and the University of Dayton in Ohio.

“I’m confident there are people who can fill the executive director position with fresh ideas and energy,” Giardino said, adding he looks forward to contributing in new ways.

“I hope to work on editing and translation of vital documents at the North American Center for Marianist Studies, and do some programs with them along with continuing to promote formation opportunities for the universities and the larger Marianist family.”

While a member of the Marianist general administration, Giardino led the development and implementation of the Characteristics of Marianist Education and Universities, which outline the common elements of Marianist educational philosophy.

Meanwhile, during his tenure as executive director, he launched two symposia that each attracted more than 100 participants and initiated the Marianist Education Bridge Project in collaboration with the Province Office of Sponsorship, a retreat for 40 marketing and communications professionals from the three universities and Marianist K-12 schools.

He also launched a Marianist lecture series at all three universities and established affinity groups in which employees at the three universities could share best practices, collaborate on projects and integrate Marianist principles in their units.

Building and sustaining lay Marianist communities has been a longtime priority for Giardino, who worked with University of Dayton President Emeritus Bro. Raymond Fitz, S.M., to launch the Marianist Educational Associates in 2005. Giardino expanded that initiative as a signature program for the association during his leadership.

“Formation of lay leadership in the universities is a key focus for a stable Catholic and Marianist mission and identity,” Giardino said.

“I will continue to work on this, no matter the position.”

In addition to executive director of the association, Giardino has served in other roles promoting Marianist education, including director of education for the Marianist Province of the United States, executive director of the International Center for Marianist Formation and international director of education and general assistant for education in the Society of Mary general administration.

He is a trustee at St. Mary’s University, trustee emeritus at the University of Dayton, and a previous member of the Board of Regents at Chaminade.

Giardino professed vows in the Society of Mary in 1962 and graduated from the University of Dayton in 1965 with bachelor’s degrees in theology and education. He earned a master’s degree in sociology from Duquesne University and a master’s degree in spirituality from the Catholic University of America.

‘We Need to Talk’: Scholar on Civil Discourse

Dr. Timothy Shaffer spoke on the importance of civil discourse in today’s polarizing times

As the nation marked the anniversary of 9/11, civil discourse scholar Dr. Timothy Shaffer led an engaging conversation at Chaminade to underscore the importance of disagreeing agreeably in polarizing times.

“We are navigating tensions in the past that are still unrecognizable,” Shaffer told a packed lecture hall of students, faculty and staff members and others. “What happens when rhetoric becomes reality?”

Shaffer, inaugural Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Chair of Civil Discourse and director of the SNF Ithaca Initiative in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware, said institutions of higher education offer spaces for sharing ideas, finding common ground, understanding new perspectives and even passionately disagreeing—with mutual respect.

In his lecture, “We Need to Talk: Civil Discourse in Partisan and Polarizing Times,” he told attendees engaging in differences is critical—even essential in a democracy—and that it is absolutely appropriate to challenge one another, as long as it’s done in a fair way. “We have what I call, weak civility, which provides us a code of polite conduct or mode of behavioral management,” Shaffer said.

WATCH THE FULL TALK HERE:

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Strong civility, he added, is a “robust engagement of differences that includes dialogue and deliberation.”

Shaffer’s message resonated with the audience, especially in this election year.

Biology major Jason Edric Ulep ’27 said not everyone is going to agree, but it’s critical to understand where different people stand. “Civil discourse promotes the use of voice instead of resorting to physical violence and verbal abuse,” said Ulep, after attending the lecture. “We need civil discourse, as it aims to seek a middle ground and hopefully come to a common understanding or a solution to the problem.”

In his civil discourse leadership role, Shaffer works on a number of projects, which include annual convenings of faculty and students across the United States at the SNF Ithaca National Student Dialogue and research about the role of civil discourse within public affairs education.

Victoria Perrira ’27, a Criminology and Criminal Justice major, said she walked away from Shaffer’s lecture with a new appreciation of civil discourse. “I value truthfulness and was particularly interested in learning how to effectively navigate conversations around polarizing topics,” she said.

Dr. Timothy Shaffer discusses the importance of listening in his lecture themed, “We Need to Talk: Civil Discourse in Partisan and Polarizing Times.”

Shaffer said polarization isn’t new, but how we respond to each other can be. “We have a lack of public discourse,” he said, adding, “You need to create a space for democracy where you have agency. You can build a culture grounded in civil discourse even in these partisan and polarizing times.”

University President Lynn Babington, Ph.D., said the talk was particularly timely as the nation gears up for the presidential election.

“I believe the place of a university, an institution of higher learning, is to really provide the format, the environment for discourse to take a place,” she said.

“That’s our role. … We need, and our students need, to know how to have those important conversations. to listen carefully to people’s ideas and be able to respond to them in a very civil way.”

This lecture was sponsored by Chaminade University’s Office of Mission and Rector, the Association of Marianist Universities and the Marianist Leadership Center.