June 2009 Newsletter
Back to Main Newsletters Page"Over the course of my life, I have seen very little reason to be cynical about human aspiration. Despite many evident human failings, there appears to be an ongoing capacity not only to protect but also heroically to foster love, virtue, compassion, justice, and the common good."
- -- Fr. Robert Spitzer, from Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and the Life Issues
This month I've got exciting news about the author of Healing the Culture's core curriculum.
As you know, Fr. Robert Spitzer was the co-founder of Healing the Culture, and also serves as our Board Chairman. He is our inspiration, and we proudly count ourselves as members of his "fan club."
But in all modesty, we must admit that Fr. Spitzer is best known for his role as President of Gonzaga University in Spokane, a position he has held for the last eleven years. Effective July 15, Fr. Spitzer will be leaving the Presidency to pursue new ventures.
This news saddened many in the Gonzaga community, where Fr. Spitzer's leadership is greatly cherished and admired. Under his watch, enrollment increased from 4,500 students to nearly 7,000. The academic record of incoming students increased markedly. Mass attendance skyrocketed. And 20 new campus building projects were completed.
His accomplishments at GU have been nothing short of Herculean. If you're interested, you can view a Gonzaga-produced video tribute to Fr. Spitzer's leadership by going to our homepage at www.healingtheculture.com.
Now the Holy Spirit has called Fr. Spitzer to apply his boundless energy and enthusiasm to a new mission.
I am pleased to report that Fr. Spitzer has been given permission to work full-time on growing the educational institutes that he has founded over the years - including Healing the Culture!
From July to September, Fr. Spitzer will stay at Gonzaga to assist with the transition to Acting President Thayne McCulloh, who previously worked closely with Fr. Spitzer as Gonzaga's Academic Vice President.
Then, beginning September 15, Fr. Spitzer's new "base of operations" will be in Irvine, California. This southern California location, close to the largest urban area in the United States (and Hollywood!), is an ideal site for helping influence the culture through the various institutes that Fr. Spitzer has founded. In addition to Healing the Culture, those institutes include the Magis Institute (www.magis.us) and the Spitzer Center for Ethical Leadership (www.spitzercenter.org).
From my perspective, this change could not come at a more opportune time. As you know, Healing the Culture recently began work on our most ambitious project since our founding six years ago. Our high school pro-life curriculum is a complex initiative, and Fr. Spitzer will be personally involved to help ensure it is the finest pro-life educational tool ever developed.
Fr. Spitzer and I have also spoken about several other projects that will help advance our pro-life mission:
- A new book that takes the core message of the "Four Levels of Happiness" from his book Healing the Culture, but re-casts it in a way that is more accessible to a popular audience.
- New technology to bring the pro-life message to even more people. Specifically, we will explore using broadband, high-definition video-casting to reach audiences in any part of the country with real-time presentations, including question and answer sessions.
- A website for teenagers that will engage their love of everything interactional, including opportunities to submit podcasts and videoblogs. A new DVD series for adult study groups.
Healing the Culture will see a lot of new growth thanks to Fr. Spitzer's energy and enthusiasm. Will you help us capitalize on these new opportunities by making a financial donation this month? We would be grateful for any support you can provide.
We're looking forward to the great blessings this change will bring to our ministry, but one thing that never changes is our need for faithful partners who financially support the work we do. Your investment of $25, $50, $100, or even $250 allows us to speak the truth to a culture that has lost its way, and which is groping to find meaning and answers in life.
Thank you for being partners in this pro-life mission! We are grateful for your support, and determined to build a pro-life culture that will leave a lasting legacy of hope for our children, and for all future generations to come.
God bless you,
Camille Pauley
President
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