In a partnership now spanning 20 years, The Lay Centre served as the local partner of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities (ACCU) in organizing its 2026 Rome Seminar. The biennial gathering, led by ACCU President Dr. Donna Carroll and The Lay Centre Director Dr. Filipe Domingues, offers presidents of Catholic universities an opportunity for professional development, fellowship, and dialogue with authorities from the Vatican and the Church in Rome.
The seminar includes moments of prayer, liturgies and visits to some of Rome’s sacred sites, as well as lectures from key speakers of today’s Church.
“It was an extraordinary time to be in Rome, right after the release of Magnifica Humanitas. Several presidents wrote opinion pieces about the encyclical. Others were interviewed about meeting Pope Leo,” Dr. Carroll wrote in her message to ACCU members about the Seminar, held from May 31 to June 5.
One of the week’s most significant moments was a private audience with Pope Leo XIV. During the meeting, which lasted about half an hour and allowed everyone present to greet the Holy Father, he stated:
“I trust that your experience here in the heart of the Church will serve to strengthen your faith and renew your commitment to the Church’s universal mission. In particular, dedicated as you are to the task of education, I pray that your hearts be all the more captivated by the beauty of truth and the grandeur of humanity, created by God and redeemed by Christ.” – Pope Leo XIV
ACCU Board Chair Dr. Amy C. Novak also wrote: “While the lingering effects of jet lag have gradually faded, the significance of our experience has only deepened. Our audience with Pope Leo XIV was not only a highlight of our professional vocations, but also a profound personal milestone and spiritual gift.”
One of the challenges that the world of education is currently facing is the increasing “fragmentation of knowledge,” Pope Leo noted. Many experts in a particular field of study “lack a global vision of reality that is capable of uniting not only the various fields of knowledge, but also the multiple aspects of life and the inner longings of the human heart.”
The Lay Centre’s director had the chance to tell Pope Leo XIV that for 20 years The Lay Centre has been accompanying the ACCU group.
“This year, we organized a program whose highlights include Magnifica Humanitas, Augustinian spirituality, and Synodality, for example,” Dr. Domingues told the Holy Father. “I thanked him for receiving us and told him that we are also helping the group to pray.”
Reflections on the Rome Seminar
Many ACCU participants wrote about or were interviewed regarding their experience in Rome during the Seminar. In her newsletter sent to all members of the association, Dr. Carroll shared a range of testimonials, some listed below.
- Amy C. Novak, President of St. Ambrose University, discusses Pope Leo XIV’s message about living out the mission of Catholic higher education with hope in today’s world.
- Winston Erevelles, President of St. Mary’s University (TX), described the pope’s address as “thought-provoking and inspiring.”
- Abel A. Chávez, President of Our Lady of the Lake University, reflects on the ACCU Rome Seminar program and Pope Leo XIV’s call to Catholic higher education.
- Thomas M. Evans, President of the University of the Incarnate Word, shares his experience, highlighting Catholic higher education’s mission of truth, service, and faith.
- Robert D. Kelly, President of the University of Portland, recalls his experience in Rome.
- Lisa Lori’s, President of Marywood University, reflection on the importance of using artificial intelligence ethically while keeping humanity at the center.
- Monsignor Stuart W. Swetland, President of Donnelly College, on Pope Leo XIV’s message of truth and human dignity.
- Gerry Turcotte, President and Principal of Corpus Christi College and St. Mark’s College, emphasizes the role in forming students within Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical.
Photo Sources: Vatican Media & ACCU Flickr Webpage
