Gala 2023

For more Photos and Videos of our breathtaking event please click the links.
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A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

Catholic Distance University celebrated 40 years of its mission to communicate the mind and heart of the Church in a digital world. The annual CDU gala was held at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. A symbolic way to celebrate 40 years, the Catholic Diocese of Arlington is the founding diocese of CDU. It was a night to remember when Dr. Michael P. Warsaw, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN Global Catholic Network, was honored with the Founders Award, the university’s highest distinction.

In addition, President Emeritus Marianne Evans Mount, Ph.D., was presented with the Vatican’s Dame of St. Gregory Cross by Papal Nuncio, His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, President of the USCCB. This distinction is highly deserved. Dr. Mount has a storied history of supporting Catholic education and evangelization. Since the establishment of the Order of St. Gregory the Great on September 1, 1831, only 25 people have been awarded the Grand Cross. The honor is bestowed upon individuals in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and the Catholic Church, their extraordinary labors, and the examples they set in their communities and their countries.

The gala drew guests from all across the world to join the Convocation Mass, including graduates, faculty, staff, supporters, friends, and family.

Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre named CDU’s next president
After announcing her retirement last year, Dr. Marianne Evans Mount passed the reins of the Office of the President to someone new. Dr. Mount was involved in CDU leadership in many capacities before becoming president in 2008. Her passion to see the university succeed has influenced her to remain involved in the university, including by becoming a trustee of the Board.

Following a wide search full of talented candidates at the top of their field, Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre was selected as the new president of CDU in June 2023. A dynamic, leading-edge addition to the university, Dr. Aguirre is a visionary who is equipped and ready to carry the university into the future.

High achievement for the university
This year, CDU was ranked fourth among the top online theology programs by Forbes, CDU being the top Catholic online theology program. The Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts degree was ranked 17th out of 3,000 online programs by Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for higher education program rankings and planning. The gala highlighted all of these achievements and more, all while celebrating the class of 2023 graduates.

Dr. Sophia Aguirre’s Visionary Conversation on Guadalupe Network Radio

In a recent episode of “Catholic Lunch Break” on Guadalupe Network Radio, Dr. Sophia Aguirre joined host Wyatt Goolsby for a compelling conversation that highlighted her journey in Catholic Distance University’s mission, education and her innovative vision for the future of Catholic Distance University.

Dr. Sophia Aguirre, renowned for her expertise in economics and higher education brings a unique perspective to the dialogue. As an educator, author, and advocate for the marginalized, her insights resonate deeply with those seeking to integrate their faith into their daily lives and societal interactions.

They talk about the transformative potential of technology, and how CDU is pioneering the integration of AI and big data design into the curriculum, providing students with cutting-edge skills that are essential for success in the digital age. However, unlike secular institutions CDU remains deeply committed to ensuring that these advancements are guided by a Christian anthropology—a framework that recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of every human person.

CDU also prepares to launch new initiatives in online education, including an exclusively Spanish-language program on Catholic social teaching. By offering students a holistic education that integrates faith, reason, and technological innovation, CDU seeks to empower them to become leaders in their fields while remaining steadfast in their Christian identity.

In conclusion, Dr. Sophia Aguirre’s goals for Catholic education, as shared on “Catholic Lunch Break,” offers a compelling glimpse into the future of online learning. With a focus on liberal arts education, AI, Ecclesial administration management and big data design that prepares students for success in their careers. As we embark on this journey together, may we draw inspiration from CDUs vision and strive to build a world where education nurtures both minds and souls.

To listen to the full episode please visit Guadalupe Radio Network

To watch the full interview please visit Catholic Distance University (youtube.com)

Discussion Night

 

You’re Invited: Virtual Discussion Night on Home and Identity with Dr. Aguirre

Join us for an intellectual deep-dive on Creating Home and Identity with Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre, President of Catholic Distance University.
Mark your calendar for this enlightening virtual Discussion Night on February 7th at 7:30 p.m. EST on Zoom.

About Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre
With years of dedicated academic research in the subjects of home, economics, and identity, Dr. Aguirre’s insights promise to illuminate the role that home plays in shaping successful societies and fostering authentic happiness, a conversation that so desperately needs to happen in our rapidly changing society.

We’ll Explore

  • The impact and consequences of introducing new technologies into our lives and homes
  • The why and how of creating a person-centered home for forming a healthy relationship with identity and self
  • The profound impact of family dinners and relationships on the building of human and social capital
  • The significance of actions, even those within the safety and sanctuary of our own homes

Details

Date: February 7th

Time: 7:30 p.m. EST

Platform: Zoom

 

New Year Message

Joyous New Year’s To You and Yours

Dear CDU community,
As we wrap up one year and start another, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year behind us
and extend warm wishes for the one ahead.

To you and all of your loved ones, I wish you a new year filled with the blessings and joy of the Lord. May
we all draw nearer to the heart of God and grow in holiness this year. Let us continue to pray for peace,
hope, and love throughout the world for 2024.

It has been a wonderful experience hitting the ground running and getting to know the university
community in 2023 as I started my tenure as president.

There are big things in store for the university in 2024. We look forward to sharing exciting news with
you in the coming months, including the development of new undergraduate and graduate programs
and a rebranding of the university.

I am so grateful for the blessing that you are to Catholic Distance University. Your support of our
community is immeasurable.

May God bless you in 2024. Know of my prayers for you and your loved ones each day.

New Year’s Blessings,
Sophia Aguirre

Dear CIU Board, Bishop Daly and Mary Pat Donoghue…

At this thankful but busy time of year, it was a blessing to have Bishop Thomas Daly visit CIU’s reception in honor of the U.S. Bishops during their Fall Assembly.

Bishop Daly is chair of USCCB’s Committee on Catholic Education through the November 2024 assembly when chair-elect Bishop David O’Connell assumes the position.
Many thanks to both Bishop Daly and Mary Pat Donoghue, executive director, ofthe Secretariat for Catholic Education at USCCB, for facilitating this visit and for her ongoing support for CIU and its mission.
Blessings to all

President Emeritus Honored by Holy See at CDU’s 40th Anniversary Gala

 CDU President Emeritus Dr. Marianne Evans Mount is pictured with Cardinal
Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, and Chancellor Archbishop Timothy P.
Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

At the Catholic Distance University (CDU) 40th anniversary gala on November 17, 2023,
President Emeritus Dr. Marianne Evans Mount was named a Dame of The Order of St. Gregory
the Great, the highest honor a layperson can receive from the Catholic Church.

Serving as Pope Francis’ personal representative, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio
to the United States, presented the award to Dr. Mount at the Army Navy Country Club in
Arlington, Virginia. University Chancellor Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for
the Military Services, USA, initiated the award nomination with the Holy See.

Fewer than 10 women have received this honor since the Order of St. Gregory the Great began
admitting Dames in addition to Knights in 1994. Other notable recipients of the award include
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics; Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán;
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson; and American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat Walter
Hubert Annenberg.

Dr. Mount currently serves as a consultor to the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education
in recognition of her many contributions to the innovative realm of Catholic distance education.
“Dr. Marianne Mount is a jewel in the crown for Catholic education,” said trustee Hon. Susan R.
Malone. “She’ll be remembered for being the first. She had a vision for the future, for Catholic
education.” Hon. Malone is also a first: in 1973, she was one of the first two female FBI agents.

Cardinal Pierre presented Dr. Mount with an eight-pointed cross, suspended from a red and
gold ribbon and a crown of laurel. The center of the cross bears an image of St. Gregory on the
obverse and on the reverse the motto Pro Deo et Principe, “For God and Ruler.” She also
received a diploma written in Latin bearing the signature and seal of the Cardinal Secretary of
State.

Pope Gregory XVI established the Order of St. Gregory the Great in September 1831; it is one of
five orders of knighthood of the Holy See. Admittance is bestowed upon Roman Catholic men
and women—and rarely, non-Catholics—in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See
and to the Roman Catholic Church, through their unusual labors, their support of the Holy See,
and their excellent examples set forth in their communities and their countries.

Dr. Mount’s “unusual labor” was the growth of CDU from a catechetical institute offering
correspondence courses to an exclusively online, highly-rated accredited university that enrolls
students worldwide. “This is an example of the mustard seed parable lived out magnificently,”
said trustee Kelly McGinn.

During Dr. Mount’s 40-year career at CDU, she held various leadership roles, finally serving as
president from 2008 to June 30, 2023. Speaking of the institution’s founding, Dr. Mount said,
“We had a lot of opposition. No one really thought you could form people by correspondence.
It had to be face-to-face, and we proved them wrong.”

Since offering its first accredited degree program in 1996, a Master of Arts in Religious Studies,
the university has educated thousands of students, and many continue to serve the Church.
Most alumni are employed in a wide variety of fields, including education, business, healthcare,
medicine, and law, and some have become deacons, priests, and religious.

Speaking of CDU in a video presented at the gala, Father Robert J. Spitzer, founder and
President of the Spitzer Center, said, “You’ve not only educated generations of people in faith
and reason, you’ve formed a cadre of evangelists through that education that’s going to extend
your mission far beyond what you ever dreamt of.”

Dr. Mount, who joined CDU in 1983, is credited with being the driving force behind the
university’s growth and success.

“Marianne took that football and ran to a goalpost that was far beyond what anyone
expected,” said longtime CDU supporter Treena Rinaldi, who is the niece of Bishop Thomas J.
Welsh, the first Bishop of Arlington who established CDU and recruited Dr. Mount to be one of
two initial staff members.

When Dr. Mount retired in 2023, the university had launched a new program in Catholic Social
Teaching, both in Spanish and English, with support from a nearly $1 million grant from the Lilly
Endowment. Under her leadership, the university, which had been accredited by the Distance
Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) since 1986, also secured accreditation from the
Higher Learning Commission in 2022, and The Association of Theological Schools in 2020.

With the university’s third president, Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre, at the helm, CDU is positioned
to become the “university of the future.” Dr. Aguirre seeks to greatly expand the university’s
degree offerings into new disciplines, to advance a research agenda that will seek to foster
synergies across faculty and students of different countries across the sciences, and increase
the university’s global expansion.—Mary Kate White, Catholic Distance University

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