9:45–10:45 a.m.

Poverty, Humility, and the Franciscan Call to Ecological Justice in the Canticle of the Creatures

St. Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures shapes Franciscan creation spirituality and environmental ethics through its call to “serve God with great humility.” This humility is rooted in poverty, which St. Bonaventure views as the most important evangelical counsel. This paper argues that both communal and individual expressions of poverty offer a meaningful spiritual path to humility, and thus, service of the world. Mediated by the theology of Saints Francis and Bonaventure, the Canticle invites a lifestyle of reduced consumption, allowing us to honor both creation and the Creator.

Presenter: Michael Thiele, Saint Louis University
Location: NRC 101

A Contemplative Experience of the Canticle from a Pilgrim’s Lens

This presentation will offer historical and theological background with interpretation of the poem. We will explore insights from Eric Doyle, OFM to Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’ to challenge us. Traveling by PPT as a pilgrim to the sites of known writing will raise beautiful insights for the listener. Through Lectio Divina reading in the original Umbrian dialect will deepen one’s relationship with God and God’s creatures. Applications for Higher Education will be shared during Q & A. This will be both a contemplative and educational moment. Come praise God through our father, Francis, poet, vernacular theologian, and lover of nature.

Presenter: Mary Elizabeth Imler, University of St. Francis
Location: NRC 101

Understanding Today’s College Students

Today’s undergraduate college students differ significantly from previous generations and are shaped by rapid technological advancement, COVID-related social and academic challenges, and environmental and social influences. This presentation draws on five themes from recent research and survey data, including mental health, academic preparedness, practicality, financial awareness, and unique social factors. Drawing on both recent research and the perspectives of faculty, admissions staff, and student services staff, we will examine how one institution is anticipating and responding to the needs of today’s undergraduate students through targeted strategies and interventions. Attendees will gain insights into the motivations and behaviors of Gen Z learners and leave with practical strategies to foster intentional, responsive learning environments that meet the needs of today’s undergraduate student population.

Presenter: Kirsten Gabriel, Viterbo University
Location: NRC 104

Stories Matter, Don’t They?

Using stories from life experience and folklore, this session posits the idea that all lives are storied, and all stories are essential for connecting human beings across the kitchen table to global destinations. Because the human brain understands life through narrative, humans can use narrative to connect and address issues of justice, peace, and environment. Becoming an engaged storyteller, story seeker, and story listener is an investment of stewardship that honors Franciscan values.

Presenter: Phyllis Blackstone, Viterbo University
Location: NRC 202

Stewards of a Legacy: Franciscan Servant Leadership Presenters

In 1999, with a supporting grant from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration, Viterbo University began the first Master of Arts in Servant Leadership degree in the world. The degree lives here because of the legacy of the Sisters who, since the founding of Viterbo University, have integrated lives of service and leadership rooted in the Gospels and modelled by Francis and Clare of Assisi. The contemporary Servant Leadership movement implicitly and explicitly recognizes that servant leaders are Spirit Carriers who are both contemplative and active in their practice of service and leadership. Through theological reflection, evidence-based research, and contemplative storytelling, our servant leadership legacy will be shared.

Presenters: Emilio Alvarez and Thomas Thibodeau, Viterbo University
Location: BRC 123

Sacred Connections: Intergenerational Reliance in the Spirit of Laudato Si’

This session explores the theme of interconnectedness in St. Francis’s Canticle of the Creatures and Pope Francis’s Laudato Si’, highlighting its relevance across generations, professions, and communities. Presented by nursing faculty Rowan Hart (MSN, RN, CNE), and student affairs administrator Jacob Hart (MASL), it weaves stories from health care, higher education, and family life to illustrate how intergenerational connection fosters growth and care. Drawing on Franciscan values, the presenters will share practical insights and reflections to inspire attendees to nurture these sacred relationships in their personal and professional lives, promoting systemic care and the flourishing of individuals, communities, and creation.

Presenters: Rowan and Jacob Hart, Viterbo University and UW-La Crosse
Location: NRC 207

A Late Fourteenth-century Perspective on the Canticle of the Creatures: The Prayer of St. Francis in Bartholomew of Pisa’s Book of Conformities

Bartholomew of Pisa’s Book of Conformities is one of the most influential books in the history of the Franciscan order. By the end of the Middle Ages it was widely distributed across Europe, and in the early sixteenth century it was being carried to the Americas. In the context of the Book of Conformities, the Canticle of Creatures was not only intended to provide the followers of St. Francis with a beautiful example of Francis’s life of prayer, but also to remind them of the radical life of self-denial they had professed.

Presenter: James Matenaer, Franciscan University of Steubenville
Location: NRC 205