News

If one were looking for stories of generous, caring hearts from this holiday season, ACE teacher Liz Chaten reports two from the classrooms of Saint Joan of Arc School in New Orleans.

Liz , a member of the newest cohort of teachers in ACE Teaching Fellows, has already reported two additional sources of inspiration seen in the classrooms of Saint Joan of Arc.

One is happening during the week of Jan. 7, even as Liz resumes teaching middle school language arts following the Christmas break. A group of undergraduates from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, is visiting her inner-city school to serve as tutors for children as part of the college's Winter Break Alternative Trips initiative.

Students from Saint Anselm have been returning annually for that tradition of service since they made their first trip to New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. They're a reminder of the passion that many undergraduates around the country have for service to disadvantaged children through Catholic schools.

This year's ACE Religious Vocations Retreat was a beautiful pilgrimage to Rome over the post-Christmas break. 16 current and former ACE'rs attended, along with Fr Lou DelFra, Fr Joe Corpora, Sr Gail Mayotte and Judy Madden. The group enjoyed private tours of the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel, celebrated mass at the tomb of Blessed Pope John Paul II, visited Assisi, and prayed the New Year's Eve Vespers with Pope Benedict at St Peter's Basilica. Following Vespers, they viewed fireworks over Rome from the balcony of the Congregation of Holy Cross' international headquarters with their host, Holy Cross' Superior General, Fr Dick Warner.

The retreat was a graced time of talks on discernment, religious life, and priesthood, prayer, and pilgrimage. ACE has been blessed to have an increasing number of its graduates join Holy Holy Cross and other religious congregations and dioceses over the past several years. Please pray that the Spirit will continue to lead many ACE graduates to continue their service to the Church, and the ministry of Catholic education, through the priesthood and religious life!

If you are discerning a religious vocation and are interested in further discernment or attending a future pilgrimage, please always feel free to contact Fr Lou at .

Dear ACE Advocates Community,

Greetings from Notre Dame in this New Year of Grace, 2013! All God's blessings on you, and all those whom God has entrusted to your care, in this New Year!

I write to share some great news. As you know, Chuck Lamphier has provided thoughtful and generous leadership of the ACE Advocates over these past three years. During these years, the Advocates has grown and matured in so many ways – in its spiritual mission and identity, in direct service to local Catholic schools by ACE graduates and friends in now-25 Advocates Regions around the country and world, in its efforts to invite and engage entrepreneurial leaders in Catholic education. We are grateful for Chuck's gifts, and the leadership of the entire Advocates team here on campus.

At Notre Dame, the University has recently created the Office for Mission Engagement and Church Affairs, which will make efforts to coordinate and strengthen the many ways in which Notre Dame serves the Catholic Church. Chuck will become the lead adviser to the vice president of this office. We wish to congratulate Chuck and pray for God's blessings on this new endeavor, which he began on January 1. Please join me in thanking Chuck for his many contributions to the ACE Advocates Movement.

As we continue to discern the future direction and growth of the Advocates, I will provide leadership of the Advocates, together with our Advocates team on campus, in the interim.

We enter the turning of this new year, as we enter each new year, with the words of Christ ringing in our ears: "Behold, I make all things new!" May God renew each of us in our discipleship, in our ministries, and in our love for God and one another, as we proclaim the Gospel ever anew!

God bless you,

Fr. Lou

Fighting Irish football is capturing the public's attention as the BCS National Championship Game approaches on January 7. In a tradition as old as the Golden Dome itself, the Notre Dame team sends a message that transcends the gridiron: From Knute Rockne to Manti Teo, fans have often glimpsed how team members' experiences connect to their own personal values and to the character and mission of Our Lady's University. Former Catholic school teacher Bill Gibbs is one example of how those connections extend to the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE).

Bill played football under legendary coach Lou Holtz as a member of the Notre Dame Class of 1997 and then taught at a Catholic high school through the ACE Teaching Fellows initiative. Now, he continues a distinguished career in law with the Chicago firm of Corboy & Demetrio. A natural progression?

"While I miss the classroom and practice fields, as a trial lawyer I am 'teaching' jurors about our case and 'coaching' them on how to make just decisions,' says Bill. There's another tie-in, too: "Between practicing law and chasing after my three fantastic kids, my free time has been devoted exclusively to watching the Irish on Saturdays."

The teaching connection is also strong thanks to his memories of serving the students of Loyola College Prep in Shreveport, Louisiana, as a member of ACE's fourth cohort. "I was inspired to make a real impact on the lives of others by my parents—both former teachers," Bill recalls.

He also credits the inspiration of his own teachers and coaches.

Whether through new initiatives or existing traditions, the movement of the Alliance for Catholic Education continued its mission to sustain, strengthen and transform Catholic schools in 2012.

As we move closer to our 20th year of service to Catholic education, we've sifted through all the exciting news stories of this past year to put together this list of the ten most-visited ACE stories:

1. ND Launches New Partnership Program in St. Petersburg, FL, Area

The University of Notre Dame partnered with two Catholic schools in the Diocese of St. Petersburg to form the second site of Notre Dame ACE Academies.

2. Michael Pressley Awards Go to Three Outstanding Educators

Three outstanding educators committed to sustain, strengthen, and transform Catholic schools received the 2012 Michael Pressley Awards from the Alliance for Catholic Education's ACE Advocates for Catholic Schools.

3. An Array of ACE Programs and People Energize Summer at ND

The summer break at the University of Notre Dame surged with energy as the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) began its peak season.

4. Dan Faas Delivered STT Student Commencement Address

ACE 17 Student Commencement Address given in the Monogram Room, Edmund P. Joyce Center
at the University of Notre Dame on July 13, 2012.

5. Your Future in ACE: Consider the Possibilities

This blessed time of year prompted us to look back upon cherished Christmas traditions and to look forward to a new year—often considering plans for the future that reflect our deepest values.