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.
LIM faculty member Emily Jendzejec has contributed an article to the volume A Shared Praxis: Renewing Religious Education (Crossroad, 2026) honoring Catholic religious educator and theologian Thomas H. Groome and his legacy as he retires after 50 years at Boston College. In April 2026, she also had the opportunity to celebrate with him in person at the conference "A Shared Praxis: Renewing Religious Education” at Boston College marking his five decades of scholarship and ministry.
What began as a deeply personal act of faith has become a gift to the wider Church. Dr. Francisco Castillo, D.Min., a faculty member in the Institute for Ministry, recently celebrated a significant milestone: a liturgical song he co-created with composer Iván Díaz has been accepted for publication by GIA Publications.
On March 20, 2026, Francisco Castillo, D.Min., the Joe and Kelly George Visiting Professor of Pastoral Studies at the Loyola Institute for Ministry, served as the keynote speaker for the Archdiocese of Miami's regional professional development day for educators, which was held at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Dr. Tracey Lamont, Director of LIM and Associate Professor of Religious Education and Young Adult Ministry, continues to make a national impact through her scholarship and ministry. At the 2026 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, she presented a compelling and timely lecture titled “Beyond Cancel Culture: A Theology of Reconciliation and Forgiveness in Ministry with Young Adults.”
Dr. Francisco Castillo, professor of Pastoral Studies at the Loyola Institute for Ministry at Loyola University New Orleans, presented a workshop at the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in February 2026 titled "Más allá del RICA: La mistagogía como camino de esperanza y formación continua" ("Beyond RCIA: Mystagogy as a Path of Hope and Ongoing Formation").
We’re proud to celebrate Ansel Augustine, a Loyola alumnus whose recent article "On Mardi Gras, Catholics should celebrate the faith and resilience of the New Orleans Black Masking Indians" shines a powerful light on the living culture and faith of New Orleans.
At the annual conference of the Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry, held in Tucson in February 2026, Dr. Emily Jendzejec was named the recipient of the inaugural Pope Francis “Timbro Pastorale” Award for Best Ministry Publication. The newly established award recognizes exemplary scholarship that advances pastoral practice and theological reflection in service to the Church.