Inspiring a New Generation in Faith | A Message from President Evans

Dear students, faculty and staff, 

As part of my commitment to sharing exciting advancements at UIW, I am proud and grateful to share that we have yet another reason to celebrate. Our institution has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment, Inc. to support a new, innovative program called Artful Worship: Inspiring Children’s Faith Through the Catholic Imagination.

Led by LuElla D’Amico, PhD, associate professor of English, and Sandra Guzman Foster, PhD, director of the UIW Center for Teaching and Learning, the five-year program will create enlivening and contemplative programming that engages children in prayer and worship through the arts and, in doing so, will offer a new learning opportunity for UIW students.

Through Artful Worship, students take a course centered on the Catholic imagination and share ministry arts programming with children in parishes and parochial schools in the San Antonio Archdiocese. Children will take part in literature, theatre, music and fine art activities, which integrate the benefits of arts education, personal expression and faith education. UIW will also host a week-long summer arts camp for children ages 5 to 7 called Summer Sanctuary that seeks to deepen their relationship with their faith.

UIW is one of 91 organizations funded through this latest round of Lilly Endowment’s Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative. Lilly Endowment is a private philanthropic foundation that supports causes of community development, education and religion and maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. So, we are especially thankful for their support of our work in and around South Texas.

I am deeply grateful for the vision and leadership of Dr. D’Amico, and Dr. Guzman Foster, for developing a program that incorporates so many of UIW’s distinctions, such as a strong liberal arts education, service learning, expression of Mission and community building and unites them for the betterment of our students and others. This is truly our Mission in action.

Praised be the Incarnate Word!

Sincerely,
 
Thomas M. Evans, PhD
President