September 30th – October 1st
After a day of golf, Alumni Days 2014 continued with dinner reunions the evening of Sept. 30th at TC. Alumni were surprised by display cases along the hallway walls that highlighted the centennial anniversary of the passing of Theodore Basselin, whose endowment 100 years ago has enabled the Basselin Scholars Program to flourish at TC and The Catholic University of America’s School of Philosophy up to today. Theological College recognized this milestone by publishing a new volume titled Basselins of Theological College: Memoirs. Produced specifically for release on Sept. 30th of Alumni Days, this book of memoirs spans 75 years of Theological College history. On the morning of October 1st, Monsignor Robert Sokolowski (B ’57) and Monsignor John Wippel (B ’56) conducted a symposium titled, “What is Philosophy and Why Is It Important in Seminary Formation Today?” that was attended not only by alumni but also by CUA students and faculty as well as interested seminarians. (The Symposium can be viewed in 3 parts: Part I, Part II, Part III.) That evening, an Alumni Mass was presided by Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth, Tx. (click here for homily) and was followed by the Alumni Recognition Dinner, with an introduction from Cardinal Donald Wuerl (available here), who fondly recalled his own time as a Basselin while congratulating award recipients and encouraging current seminarians on the path of formation and study. Monsignor Paul Langsfeld (B ’72)–congratulated by Cardinal DiNardo of Galveston-Houston via this videocast–was recognized for his decades of ministering to the needs of the Church with the Lifetime Service Award and Jerry Filteau received The Cardinal Bernardin Medal for his own life of service to Catholic journalism. The rector, Father Brown, invited all to more celebration and exploration to come: “The Year of the Basselin initiates a three-year period of awareness for us as we prepare to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Theological College in 2017.”
