Educating Hearts and Minds, November 2022

By Angelique Montgomery-Goodnough

My experience of the Holy Cross mission at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas is somewhat unique.? I am an adjunct professor of Religious Studies, an alumna (Master of Liberal Arts, '06) and a regular donor. I came to St. Edward's in 2002 as an "older than average" student in the New College program.? I had no prior background with a Holy Cross institution and no real understanding of what "educating hearts" really meant. However, my experience at St. Edward's quickly changed that.?

I knew there was something special about the priests, sisters and brothers I met during my graduate studies, and I knew this was connected to the mission of the university, but it was only a year later that I made a connection with the Holy Cross charism that?inspired?compassion?within campus.? As a volunteer assistant on a student retreat I was blessed to be on the cooking team with Fr. Peter Walsh, C.S.C., and Br. Larry Atkinson, C.S.C.? They taught me about "educating hearts" with their cooking, their laughter, their camaraderie and their intentional connections with students on that retreat.?They didn't lead the retreat or make presentations, they were simply?present?in a way that was authentic and accessible to 40 undergraduates.?

Since that retreat, I have gone on to participate in other retreats and serve as a faculty advisor to the student-led "Service Break Experiences.".?The university sends up to 250 students on experiential learning and service trips to domestic and international locations. The minds of these students are engaged in learning about poverty, homelessness, immigration, and other cultures. But it’s the hearts of the students that I saw transformed on these trips.? It requires a huge commitment on the part of a small university to sponsor, organize and coordinate these trips (especially on the part of Associate Campus Ministry Director, Liza Manjarrez), but it is so worth the effort.??

In my years as a professor in two different institutions, I have learned that what our students value most is not dogma or even information, but authenticity.?I have experienced the authentic charism of Holy Cross as a student, a professor and a supporter of this institution and I am blessed to be able to carry it forward both inside and outside of the classroom.?