Loyola University Chicago

• Applications are still being Accepted for Fall 2008 / Full-Year 2008-2009
• Celebrating Together at the JFRC
• Interns Chosen for Spring Semester 2008
• JFRC Library Accepted into URBS Network
• Students Receive Awards at End-of-the-Semester Banquet: Fall 2007 

 Applications ARE still being accepted for Fall 2008 / full year 2008-2009

The John Felice Rome Center (JFRC), is still accepting applications for Fall 2008 and Full-Year 2008-2009. Students must have a 2.75 GPA and have completed 30 credit hours prior to studying at the Rome Center. First-Year Students that will complete 30 hours after this semester are also welcome to apply. The Rome Center will offer an orientation tour around Northern Italy and many other study trips throughout the semester. Students can take classes that will count towards core, major or minor. For Loyola University Chicago students, all financial aid, scholarships, and loans will transfer to the semester in Rome. Visiting students will need to contact their home institution in regards to financial aid.  The JFRC also offers additional scholarships.  All application instructions and materials can be found here.  For more information, please contact Elyse Lyons, Rome Center Recruiter, elyons1@luc.edu or call 1-773-508-6094.

CELEBRATING TOGETHER AT THE JFRC

The Mass of the Holy Spirit at the beginning of each semester in the historic church of Sant’Ignazio is always a special occasion. This year, over 200 students, faculty and staff gathered together to pray for a good semester and then enjoyed a delicious Italian meal at La Fontana Ristorante near the Piazza Barbarini.

This year Father Chandler supervises the field work of 3 deacons and a 3rd year seminarian from the North American College in Rome. This semester they led prayer sessions with students in the JFRC Chapel, offered several evenings on interesting theological topics, held a Vocation Night with several guests -and participated in the calico games on Wednesday evening. They also promoted the daily pilgrimage to the Roman Station Churches during Lent, attended by several students during that six week period-who traveled no small distance to go to the 7 a.m. Masses. The seminarians were able to obtain a sizeable number of tickets for the various Papal events of Holy Week prompting the largest group of students in several years to remain in Rome over Easter. It was the wettest week of the season!

On Holy Thursday after evening Mass at the JFRC, Frs. John Chandler, S.J. and Mark Bosco, S.J. accompanied students to 10 of the churches in the historic district beginning at the Gesu. Many Italians, young and older were also paying visits to the churches that evening in keeping with a long-time tradition on Holy Thursday.

On February 15, they took many students to the rooms of St. Ignatius where they celebrated the Liturgy and had an opportunity to review the artifacts and art that are found there.

Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J. has been taking a sizeable group of students to various churches each Friday morning this semester to appreciate the works of many great artists which are in the many churches in Rome. These walks conclude with a pizza lunch-thanks to Forza Roma!

The American delegates at the 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus were guests for a delicious 7 course dinner at the JFRC on February 23. It was a most pleasant evening for the faculty, staff and students who attended as well. 

Interns Chosen for Spring Semester 2008

The internship program started its recruiting process at the end of October 2007 with a first informational meeting for full-year students only (a total of 24). By December 2007, 17 future interns had been placed in 13 different organizations, including international non-profit organizations, law offices, activist organizations, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations.

The students enrolled in the internship program were mostly born in 1987. They are majoring in anthropology (2), international media studies (1), international studies (3), sociology (1), journalism (1), communications (2), history (1), biology (1), classical civilization (1), psychology (1), international business (1), finance (1), and marketing (1). Each student successfully passed the interviews on site with their future tutor. They have all shown the right determination and professionalism that a course of this kind asks them to reveal.

The on-site internship will begin Monday, January 14, and will end Thursday, April 17, 2008.

JFRC Library Accepted into URBS Network

By Elise Aversa

It is with great pleasure that I can announce the official acceptance of the JFRC Library into the Unione Romana Biblioteche Scientifiche network. URBS is a group of 15 prestigious academic and research libraries serving foreign institutes in Rome, like the American Academy, the Duetsche Archaologisches Institut Rom, Ecole Francais de Rome and the British School at Rome. This association originated with the patronage of the Vatican Library to create a union catalog of specialized libraries in Rome and to promote collaboration among the institutes with similar missions. More information can be found at their site: www.reteurbs.org.

Our faculty and students will have reading privileges at these important libraries whose collections are mainly devoted to the humanities and offer rich and unique complement to the JFRC's holdings. This membership will allow our library to contribute our own American voice to a culturally diverse European association. We look forward not only to the access to new and unique materials, but the possibilities for contact and exchange with these similar but different institutions which have created a base in Rome for their scholars and students to study in this magnificent city.

Students Receive Awards at End-of-the-Semester Banquet: Fall 2007

The JFRC Fall Semester came to a close with the End-of-the-Semester Awards Banquet. Five students were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements while at the Rome Center.

Dr. Palladino considered Julio Alejandro Lara one of the best students ever in her long teaching activity: "He is a boy every instructor would like to have in an Italian language class." Julio's career goals are to one day teach languages at the university level and his performance in Rome tells us that he is on the right track.

Two students, Kathryn Stroud and Keith Carr-Lee, both from Carleton College, excelled in Dr. Ken Thompson's Philosophy of Religion course. Students in the course were asked to read, study, analyze, and discuss some very difficult texts from primary sources in the field: St. Anselm, St. Thomas, Kant, and Hume as well as some sophisticated contemporary discussions of classical issues. According to Dr. Thompson, “Katy and Keith exhibited the same quality of mind in class discussions: asking probing questions, seeking clarification on various points, offering alternative ways of looking at issues, and often anticipating the philosophical moves I was about to make. Their presence in class forced me to restate and sometimes to rethink my own analysis of issues."

Jacqueline Sullivan was awarded an Academic Achievement award for her drawing skills in multiple media. Jessica Dalka showed remarkable leadership in the JFRC Global Business Strategy course.

Father Costigan also was recognized for his 12 semesters of wonderful work at the JFRC.

In addition to the academic awards, some fun awards were given out. Devin Ruddy and Diana Beck were awarded the titles of Mr. and Ms. JFRC.

Overall, the Fall Semester class of 2007 shone on many fronts and was an absolute pleasure to have on our Monte Mario campus. John Felice would be honored to see the caliber of students entering our gates.