A Mass of blessing and missioning for the seventh graduating class of the University of Notre Dame’s was celebrated Saturday (July 28) in the Holy Cross Chapel of Stanford and Keenan residence halls.

Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza, emeritus archbishop of Galveston-Houston, presided at the Mass for the 12 members of the “Echo 7” cohort, who were joined by families and friends to celebrate their completion of requirements for master of arts degrees in theology while serving as catechetical apprentices in parishes nationwide.

The graduates of the “Echo 7” cohort lived for the last two years in four communities serving in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the dioceses of Manchester, N.H.; Wilmington, Del.; and St. Petersburg, Fla.

“It is inspiring to see the ways in which these 12 Echo graduates have grown over the last two years,” said Echo director Colleen Moore. “As our friend Father Paul Doyle says, ‘These folks give Jesus a good name.’ I am so proud of the ministers they’ve become and am grateful to the theology faculty, Echo staff, diocesan partners, parish mentors and spiritual directors who have helped form them into men and women who see and respond to their own and the world’s need for a love that heals, transforms and unifies. They will be such gifts to the diocesan offices, parishes, schools and universities they’re going on to serve.”

Echo, a two-year service and master’s degree program, was established in 2004 in response to the need for a new generation of well-formed and informed catechetical leaders. Today, Echo apprentices serve in 24 parishes across six dioceses. While studying for a master’s degree in theology, apprentices live in faith communities and are invited to deepen their relationships with Jesus Christ and the Church by participating in a rich sacramental life, ministry leadership, comprehensive formation retreats, personal and communal prayer, and required spiritual direction.

Echo graduates go on to pursue professional ministry in parishes, Catholic high schools and dioceses, to serve in collegiate and university campus ministry, and sometimes to continue their studies.

Contact: Jennifer A. Monahan, assistant director, Institute for Church Life, 574-631-9195, monahan.27@nd.edu

The at the University of Notre Dame will host the upcoming from Nov. 4-6. The event, to be held at McKenna Hall, is open to the public. Registration is now under way and is required for all participants. Conference registration is free.

Keynote speakers include Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States; and John L. Allen Jr., senior correspondent at the National Catholic Reporter and senior Vatican analyst at CNN. The conference will bring together bishops and lay experts from around the world — including Egypt, China, India and Pakistan — testifying to the landscape of Christian persecution in their respective contexts.

The gathering intends to raise consciousness inside and outside the Church regarding the widespread persecution of Christians around the world and to explore how the Church has responded and might respond vigorously and faithfully in the future.

A central objective of this conference is to rectify the lack of acknowledgment of this persecution by the secular media and Western academia and to communicate to the world the extent and character of the persecution. Yet the purpose of the conference goes beyond raising awareness. It is also to explore how the Church can respond to the persecution of Christian believers prayerfully and liturgically, out of the depths of the Church’s spiritual theology. In the most profound sense, what does it mean to be in solidarity with brothers and sisters in Christ who suffer violence for their faith? The conference will explore several dimensions of this question, including:

• Where exactly are the persecuted Christians? How many are there?
• What are the circumstances surrounding persecution in specific countries and regions, including China, Pakistan, Nigeria, the Middle East and the countries involved in the Arab Spring?
• What kind of responses to persecutions ought Christians to urge upon governments?
• How can we form partnerships with those of other faiths to secure religious freedom for all faiths?
• What are the most effective and faithful responses on the part of the Church?

The conference will also explore a theology of martyrdom for the world today, framed in terms of Eucharistic remembering and of the “ecumenism of the martyrs” urged on the Church by Blessed Pope John Paul II.

The event is being organized by , McGrath-Cavadini Director of the Institute for Church Life, and , associate professor of political science and peace studies.

A complete list of speakers as well as registration information is available at .

Contact: Jenny Monahan, assistant director, Institute for Church Life, monahan.27@nd.edu

Heather Rakoczy Russell, most recently director of the Gender Relations Center at the University of Notre Dame, has been appointed associate vice president for residential life in the , effective April 18.

“Heather is a talented leader who brings to this role an abiding and well-articulated sense of mission, proven leadership at the University, and professional experience within our unique residential systems,” said Rev. Tom Doyle, C.S.C., vice president for student affairs. “Notre Dame residence hall communities are an anchor for Catholic education in the Holy Cross tradition. Heather will lead and help chart the course for these communities as Notre Dame prepares for its third century of Holy Cross education that seeks to integrate the mind and the heart.”

Russell holds a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and theology from Notre Dame and a master of divinity degree from Vanderbilt University Divinity 91��Ƶ. She spent five years working in the domestic violence movement with both victims and batterers. She served as victim contact coordinator and later as program coordinator for Project to End Abuse through Counseling and Education (PEACE Inc.) as well as a court liaison for the YWCA Domestic Violence Shelter in Nashville, Tenn. In addition, she served as a lay pastor of an inner-city church, hospital chaplain and community service coordinator on the board of directors for the Notre Dame Alumni Club of Nashville.

In 1998, Russell returned to Notre Dame to work in Student Affairs as rector of Pangborn Hall (1998 to 2005) and then beginning in 2004 as the inaugural director of the . Additionally, she has participated in as a spiritual director for undergraduate interns and supervisor to master of divinity students.

During her time at the University, Russell has team taught several theology classes and has presented at training sessions designed to create a more welcoming environment and foster respectful dialogue about race, class, gender and sexual orientation. She has served on several campus committees, including the Advisory Committee on Academics and Student Life; University Committee for Women Faculty and Students; theCore Council for Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Students; Committee on Sexual Assault Prevention; and President’s Ad Hoc Committee on Women.

Russell will concurrently retain her role as director of the Gender Relations Center until a search has been completed and a successor has been hired. As was previously announced in a reorganization of Student Affairs, the will become two separate offices effective June 1. Russell will work closely with the office until that date, at which time it will become part of her formal responsibilities.

As part of a division-wide reorganization of the University of Notre Dame’s , M. Brian Coughlin has been promoted to associate vice president for student development, effective Jan. 1, 2011. Coughlin, currently assistant vice president for student activities, has served as a member of the senior staff since 2007.

“Brian has done excellent work in Student Affairs. He is an innovator, a tremendous advocate for students, and has a long history of service to the University,” said Rev. Thomas P. Doyle, C.S.C., vice president for student affairs. “During his time as an undergraduate student leader, as rector of Carroll Hall, as director of student activities, and more recently as assistant vice president for student activities, Brian has demonstrated exceptional skill and leadership. He knows and cares for students, and has dedicated his professional career to student development. Our students will be well served by having such a gifted and passionate administrator working on their behalf.”

During his tenure in Student Affairs and Student Activities, Coughlin had oversight for the renovation and development of Legends of Notre Dame (formerly the Alumni-Senior Club) and its transformation into one of the premier live entertainment venues in the region and a mainstay in the nightlife scene at Notre Dame. He serves as advisor to Student Government, and has been at the forefront of the University’s responses to critical issues. Coughlin also worked with the renovation of the LaFortune Student Center, which included the overhaul of all social spaces as well as the introduction of Starbucks, Subway and Sbarro to the facility.

A 1995 Notre Dame graduate, Coughlin holds a bachelor’s degree in government and theology, as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership from West Virginia University in Morgantown, W. Va. Prior to his work in Notre Dame’s Student Activities Office, Coughlin served as rector of Carroll Hall for three years. While pursuing his graduate degree at West Virginia University, Coughlin held two different graduate assistant positions and worked as coordinator of residence life and student leadership development at Bethany College in Bethany, W. Va. He also spent a year at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass., where he worked as a residence hall director responsible for four residential halls and a host of programs and events.