Dear members of the campus community,
I am thrilled to welcome you to the start of a new academic year at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø. Whether you are about to embark on your first semester on campus or return to a familiar routine, I hope you have enjoyed the past few days of move-in and transition.
The start of our academic year provides ample opportunity for hope and renewal. As we settle into the new and the familiar across our campus, it is our dedication to living in community and engaging with each other with respect that distinguishes our Jesuit approach to education and campus life. As community members, we have made a commitment to one another, as articulated in our mission statement. We endeavor to make the best of our own talents, to work together, to be sensitive to one another as we engage in dialogue across differences, to serve others, and to seek justice within and beyond the 17³Ô¹ÏÍø community.
There may be moments throughout this year that challenge this shared commitment to living and learning in community. We are not just residents of The Hill, but citizens of a global community: one that is marked by a significant upcoming national election in the United States and increasingly divided by grievous extremism, violence and conflict across the world. Although 17³Ô¹ÏÍø does not comment on political or social matters beyond our mission and identity as a Jesuit, Catholic academic institution, we encourage and support our community members to engage in issues that advance their pursuit for justice and service to others in Worcester and beyond.
Challenging times call on us to live up to who we are and what we believe at 17³Ô¹ÏÍø. In the face of uncertainty, let us join together in hope to unite people where they are separated, heal them where they are wounded, and promote reconciliation based on justice.
With hope for the future,
Vincent D. Rougeau