Congratulations to Loyola Institute for Ministry (LIM) alumni Dr. Roland Waguespack Jr. and Carol Gisevius Waguespack, who will receive Loyola University New Orleans’ prestigious Integritas Vitae Award on October 1, 2026. The award, one of Loyola’s highest honors, recognizes individuals whose lives exemplify integrity and an enduring commitment to service, leadership, and the well-being of others.
LIM alumna Amy Fraler, MRE, was recently featured in The Texas Catholic, the newspaper of the Diocese of Dallas, as part of its “Why I Am Catholic” series.
Brian Merry, MRE, brings a valuable practitioner’s perspective to the article “The Need to Integrate Spirituality into Sleep Medicine as a Dimension of Whole-Person, Person-Centered Care,” published in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine (August 2026).
On July 18, 2026, LIM Director Tracey Lamont, Ph.D., delivered an inspiring presentation at the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement’s Joshua & Sinai Congress 2026, held at St. Anthony of Padua & Le Van Phung Parish in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Lamont reflected on Pope Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, highlighting its significance for young people, particularly its discussion of Eucharistic spirituality and its call to live a faith rooted in Christ’s presence in the Eucharist.
Congratulations to LIM graduate and adjunct faculy member Jane Cruthirds on her new role as Chair of the Officers for the 2026–2027 National Association of Lay Ministers Board.
Jane's service on the board reflects her longstanding commitment to lay ministry, servant leadership, and the mission of the Church. As she begins this new national leadership role, we celebrate her dedication to empowering lay ministers and strengthening communities of faith.
The Loyola Institute for Ministry proudly celebrates the accomplishments of adjunct faculty member Deborah Wilhelm, DMin, whose scholarship has been recognized as part of a 2026 Catholic Media Association First Place Award recipient.
The Loyola Institute for Ministry has been awarded a planning grant through the Lilly Endowment's Growing in Faith in the Age of Artificial Intelligence Initiative (Faith and AI Initiative), an invitational program designed to help youth and young adults engage questions of faith in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.
On Saturday, June 6, sisters from across the Houston area gathered for a day of prayer, reflection, and conversation centered on the theme of accompaniment. The day was led by Claire Gallagher, Associate Project Director of the Flourishing Sisterhood project, in collaboration with Sr. Francesca Kearns, CCVI, former Vicar of Religious Life, and Sr. Maria Goretti, OP, who is transitioning into the role of vicar as Sr. Francesca begins her retirement.
Ansel Augustine, an alumnus of Loyola Institute for Ministry, was recently featured on the Beyond the Habit podcast in a conversation with Sisters Erin McDonald and Colleen Gibson. Listen to the full episode here→ While the interview touches on Ansel's work as a lay minister, author, producer, and educator, it focuses more deeply on the importance of community and mentorship, as well as the challenge and grace of trusting God's plan.
On May 12 at Le Petit Theatre in New Orleans, Claire Gallagher, Associate Project Director of the Flourishing Sisterhood grant at the Loyola Institute for Ministry, took the stage as a featured storyteller in a GrandSLAM competition hosted by The Moth.