Lighting the Way Forward Conference Convenes Catholic Thought Leaders for Important Dialogue

The University of San Diego (USD) kicked off its yearlong 75th anniversary celebration last week with a national conference that convened nearly-two hundred thought leaders to discuss the future of Catholic Higher Education in a contemporary world. 

Lighting the Way Forward was held from January 11 to 13 and featured a diverse group of participants, including USD faculty and administrators, representatives from more than 40 Catholic universities and Catholic educators in kindergarten through high school districts. 

The purpose of the novel conference was to explore what it means to be a Catholic university at a time in history riddled with urgent global challenges including climate change, structural racism, lack of trust in institutions, polarizing political discourse, breakdown of communities and more.   

“It is timely for us to gather at this moment to rethink, reimagine and rearticulate our deepest purposes and our highest aspirations,” said USD President James T. Harris, DEd, at his welcome during the opening mass inside Founders Chapel. “I sincerely hope this conference will provide an opportunity to draw wisdom from an incredibly rich history of Catholic higher education and chart a course forward to navigate a more inclusive, sustainable and hopeful future.” 

Cardinal Robert W. McElroy provided the keynote plenary session on Care for Our Common Home. After his talk, before a packed house, USD named McElroy, the bishop of San Diego, a ‘Laudato si’ Fellow for his efforts promoting “Care for Our Common Home.”

Other plenary topics at the conference included Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging; Pope Francis’ Pontificate and Catholic Colleges and Universities; and the Emerging Needs, Challenges and Opportunities of Generation Z.  

The genesis of the conference emerged during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Fall 2020, said USD Vice President of Mission Integration Michael Lovette-Colyer, PhD, who began working with others in Mission Integration to determine what a post-pandemic world would look like in Catholic higher education.

Pope Francis published an opinion piece in The New York Times on Nov. 26, 2020, titled A Crisis Reveals What Is in Our Hearts. In the article — which was subsequently turned into the bestselling book Let Us Dream — the pope makes the argument that society will emerge from any crisis either better or worse, but never the same. 

“What will make the difference, he says, is if we take the time to honestly reflect on what happened and then to dream together of a better future,” explained Lovette-Colyer. “We were really struck by that.” 

The Office for Mission began to have conversations, both internally and with colleagues around the country, and there was a strong desire to put together this unique gathering. 

— Story and photos by Matthew Piechalak