A Time for Thanks in the ACE Community
“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought,” wrote the famed Catholic author G.K. Chesterton in 1917. That wisdom inspires the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) community in 2014 as we raise our thoughts and prayers of gratitude for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Providence continued to bless ACE in wonderful ways this year as we advanced beyond our 20th anniversary celebration, sharing in the kindness and gifts of people and communities around the world. Here is a sampling of this year’s memories of grace in service to children and Catholic schools. Our thanks go out to:
- Pope Francis, who lifts our spirits and did so in a special way in remarks on Jan. 30, 2014 with these words: “I express my gratitude for the commitment which the University of Notre Dame has shown over the years to supporting and strengthening Catholic elementary and secondary school education throughout the United States.”
- Other spiritual leaders and guides who have helped us to know, love, and serve God better, in particular Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi of Mobile, who presided at our Missioning Mass this summer, and Rev. Larry Gillick, S.J., who led our reflections at the ACE team retreat in September.
- Our priests and religious sisters on the ACE team and all the consecrated religious at the heart of the Catholic school legacy, past, present, and future. Their invaluable contributions merit heightened attention during the Catholic Church’s Year of Consecrated Life, which starts this weekend, on the First Sunday of Advent.
- Prof. Maureen Hallinan, whose inspiration lives on following her death on Jan. 28. This world-renowned sociologist, a faith-filled pioneer among scholars of education, was the founding director of the Institute for Educational Initiatives.
- All those in the ACE community, as well as Catholic school champions around the country who contributed their zeal to Notre Dame’s Fighting for Our Children’s Future National Bus Tour, marking the 20th anniversary of ACE’s founding. The tour concluded safely and successfully in June after logging 30,000 miles to visit 65 Catholic K-12 schools in 35 states.
- ACE’s generous supporters, such as Mary Ann and Jack Remick, of Rochester, Minnesota, whose latest benefaction—a $10 million leadership gift in 2014—more than doubled the endowment of the Mary Ann Remick Leadership Program. The Institute for Educational Initiatives celebrated the gift’s transformative benefits by naming Visitation Hall as part of ACE’s home on campus.
- Numerous leaders from many fields who visited ACE and brought new insights to Notre Dame audiences throughout the year. They included José Miguel Insulza, Secretary-General of the Organization of American States, and noted political scientist John DiIulio, who delivered the inaugural Fr. Tim Scully, C.S.C., Lecture on Education in the Service of Citizenship.
- Archbishop George Lucas and Bishop Daniel Flores, whose joint presentation to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops meeting in November increased nationwide awareness of Catholic school issues. They honored ACE with a mention of our service, and Fr. Joseph Corpora and Fr. Ronald Nuzzi were honored to serve on the planning committee for their presentation.
As a Eucharistic community, ACE recognizes that “Eucharist” means “thanksgiving,” so this holiday prompts our prayers for continued blessings upon countless people involved in our mission. Our expressions of gratitude, in the words of an ACE maxim, are "just getting started.”