Albertus Magnus College Receives $1 Million Gift; Announces New Dominican Center

New Haven, Conn., March 19, 2021 –  Albertus Magnus College is pleased to announce a momentous $1,000,000 gift from the College’s sponsoring Congregation, the Dominican Sisters of Peace, in support of mission continuity and to seed funding for the College’s new Meister Eckhart Center for Catholic and Dominican Life. The mission of the Eckhart Center will be to engage the community in dialogue by integrating the Dominican values of contemplation and action with the call to promote a more just and peaceful world. The idea for the Center was identified by Albertus faculty, staff, and Board of Trustee members in the College’s strategic plan, Albertus 2025:  Lighting the Way to a Second Century, which was endorsed in March 2020.

The Eckhart Center is named in honor of the 13-14^th century Dominican Friar, German theologian, and mystic, Meister Eckhart (1260 –1328), a familiar source of inspiration across the Albertus campus.  Meister Eckhart’s writings revealed his intimate relationship with God, but they also were known for his profound yet practical approach to God.  Examples of Eckhart’s inspiring quotes include, ‘If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough;’ ‘What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we will reap in the harvest of action;’ and ‘Wisdom consists in doing the next thing you have to do, doing it with your whole heart, and finding delight in doing it.’

“On behalf of Albertus Magnus College students, faculty, staff, and alumni, I offer a humble but hearty ‘thank you’ to the Dominican Sisters of Peace,” said Albertus President Dr. Marc M. Camille.  “This incredible gift from the Sisters, in our historic 95^th Anniversary Year, will greatly enhance our ability to fulfill the essential Catholic and Dominican values-inspired mission gifted to us by the Dominican Sisters who founded the College in 1925.  The Meister Eckhart Center for Catholic and Dominican Life will be a visible, action-oriented example of the Sisters’ bold vision for Albertus Magnus College, enabling us to continue addressing the challenges of today and of the future by nourishing our students with the opportunity for deep and diverse thought that is fostered through a values- and liberal arts-based education.  Today, we take another important step toward the bold, bright future that will mark Albertus Magnus College’s Centennial Celebration in 2025.”

“Some of the many goals of the Eckhart Center will be to reflect on our Catholic Identity and Dominican tradition and promote the preaching of truth and justice through contemplation, word, and action and to celebrate the diverse richness of the global Catholic tradition.  It is important for us to partner with neighboring institutions and organizations, in pursuit of the common good,” added the College’s chief mission officer, Assistant to the President for Dominican Mission, Sr. Anne Kilbride, O.P.

“The Dominican Sisters of Peace are pleased to support the Eckhart Center for Catholic and Dominican Life at Albertus, where outreach to the local and global community will continue and deepen.  Founded on the Dominican Pillars of Study, Prayer, Community, and Service, the new Center will give our Dominican mission and ministries a permanent institutional presence on the campus of Albertus Magnus College. It will create a hub for ongoing reflection on the human condition, social issues, environmental care, and much, much more,” stated Sr. Patricia Twohill, O.P., Prioress of the Dominican Sisters of Peace and Albertus Board of Trustee member.

With the receipt of the gift and announcement of the Eckhart Center, Albertus will launch a search for the Center’s founding director and will renovate space in historic Rosary Hall to house the Center, all in advance of the dedication ceremony for the Center, scheduled to take place on the College’s Annual Founders’ Day Celebration, which will occur on Friday, September 24, 2021.