Cummins Institute Mission Statement
Body
The Bishop John S. Cummins Institute for Catholic Thought, Culture and Action seeks to deepen appreciation among all constituents of the campus community for the beauty, wisdom, vitality, and diversity of the Catholic Tradition.
We do this by:
- Fostering a conversation between the Catholic tradition and contemporary intellectual life. The Institute understands the tradition of Catholic higher education as one of providing a context in which fides quaerens intellectum, "faith seeking understanding," can take place. The Institute is a resource for integrating the search for faith and reason throughout the curriculum and the academy.
- Promoting a sacramental understanding of reality and the vision that this world is "charged with the grandeur of God." The Institute understands that Catholic faith is not about the intellect alone, but that it manifests itself also in rich and varied cultural expressions: in liturgy and ritual, in literature and art, in music and dance, as well as in our daily lives as a campus community.
- Supporting all members of the community in leading lives that are respectful of human dignity and responsive to social justice concerns. The Institute promotes the principles of Catholic Social Teaching and endorses initiatives developed by its representative groups and other members of the community that aim to inculcate habits of the heart and faith and zeal for transforming lives.