Fall 2005 - St. Charles Preparatory School

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Religion eligion, , the Court, & civility addressed in Borromean Lecture Msgr. James Ruef, Thomas A. Bringardner ’43, and Joe Finan. Before the Borromean Lecture, St. Charles junior Conor Dagenfield interviewed guest speaker Dr. F. Russell Hittinger for the Carolian student newspaper in the Harry L. Thoman’47 Alumni and Development Office conference room. A primary mark – if not the primary mark – of civility is harmony among religious and state authorities in a manner that both respect each other’s proper sphere, asserted Dr. F. Russell Hittinger, the featured speaker at the 2005 Borromean Lecture at St. Charles last month. Neither should ever attempt to divide the culture, he said. “Both civic and religious loyalties,” Dr. Hittinger pointed out, “are enmeshed in culture, and cultures cannot be split into two or more parts.” Dr. Hittinger is the Research Professor of Law and Warren Professor of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa College of Law. He delivered his comments at a noon luncheon attended by more than 280 members of the faculty and junior and senior classes. They were joined in the St. Charles Gymnasium by 125 guests from the business, political, educational, and religious communities of Central Ohio. Speaking directly to the students in the audience, Dr. Hittinger said, “When you leave St. Charles, there is nothing more important than supporting the work of this institution and others like it. Do it out of gratitude for what you received here; do it for the sake of your own children; but at the end of the day, do it for society. In these institutions, minds are enlightened, careers are formed, broken bodies are mended, and souls are inspired to divine things.” Dr. Hittinger, who earned his Ph.D. at St. Louis University, is an Academic Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in Washington, D.C., where he was a research scholar from 1991 to 1996. He became the first incumbent in the University of Tulsa’s Warren Chair of Catholic Studies in 1996. He has taught at Catholic University of America, Princeton University, Fordham University, and New York University. Dr. Hittinger received the Silver Gavel Award in 1991 from the American Bar Association for Privacy and Liberal Legal Culture. His books and articles have been published by Oxford University Press, the University of Notre Dame Press, the Review of Politics, and in several law journals. In his remarks, Dr. Hittinger proposed that a primary mark — if not the primary mark — of civility is harmony among religious and state authorities in a manner that both respect each other’s proper sphere, and neither should ever attempt to divide the culture. “Both civic and religious loyalties,” he said, “are enmeshed in culture, and cultures cannot be split into two or more parts.” Hittinger reviewed the quagmire the U.S. Supreme Court and the American judicial system find themselves in over the issue of separation of Church and State. That hasn’t always been the case, he said. “From the time of the early Republic until the 1940s, the religion clauses of the First Amendment were an extraordinarily serene sector of constitutional law,” he explained. The problem was a self-inflicted wound by the Supreme Court itself, he said. “In 1947 the Court ruled, that, henceforth, the establishment clause will be applied against the states and municipalities,” Hittinger said. But more importantly, he added “it also ruled that ‘establishment’ means not only trying to set up a state church or religion, but any governmental preference for religion over irreligion. “In 1948, the Court went on to rule that states must create religion-free zones in public schools,” Hittinger said. “By implication, all other public institutions and places would have to follow the same pattern. In other words, the Court, however well-intentioned, got itself into the business of attempting to separate religion from the ordinary culture.” It was then that the flood gates of litigation were opened, Hittinger said. “Suddenly most everything in American public life looked suspiciously religious,” including pledges of allegiance, coin inscriptions, textbooks, maps, bible readings, prayer in schools, prayer in Congress, Michael J. Jarosi ’85, Donald J. Smeltzer ’62, and Frank J. Bettendorf ’55. Traci Breekner, wife of Don Breekner ’74, Nancy Biecker, John L. Sauter ’58, and Charles M. Pickard ’58 6 St. Charles Preparatory School
prayer by the executive branch, and the National Anthem, among others. Almost tongue in cheek, Hittinger went on to say that the Court had yet to tackle the subject of football games, moments of silence, Christmas nativity scenes, menorahs, yarmulkes, native American burial grounds, peyote, Amish education, evolution, city seals, secular humanists tracts, science textbooks in religious schools, sign language interpretation, the mystical aspects of social security numbers, postings of commandments, the Declaration of Independence … and, of course, the constitutionality of the Ohio motto, “With God, All Things Are Possible.” With so many political activist groups gearing up for more litigation, he wishes that the Court would extricate itself from symbolic politics involving religion because it creates a totally unnecessary conflict between the two great civilizing forces of religion and government. Hittinger said that the Court has had more than 55 years to put into order the house of establishment clause jurisprudence, but has failed to do so. Meanwhile, St. Charles principal Dominic J. Cavello presents Dr. F. Russell Hiitnger an engraved glass momento in appreciation of his 2005 Borromean Lecture presentation. James P. Finn ’65 (left), Tim Grady (center) and Charles P. Rath. he said that according to opinion polls, 80 percent of Americans want these displays. “Even those who call themselves ‘strict separationists’ cannot muster a majority against religious symbols in public places.” But because only two of the Supreme Court justices are satisfied with the establishment clause jurisprudence, he suspects that the Court is one vote away from reconsidering the whole issue. “In the meantime,” Hittinger said, “Congress is now considering the appropriation of monies to reimburse religious institutions for their aid to hurricane victims on the Gulf Coast. By my rough estimation, it will be the single largest transfer of federal money to religion in the history of our nation. That’s something worth worrying about.” St. Charles Preparatory School established the Borromean Lectures in honor of the school’s patron, St. Charles Borromeo. Robert J. Dilenschneider, Class of 1961, initiated the series in the fall of 2000 and supports the program. He is a nationally known public relations executive (see Heroes, page 42) who heads his own company in New York City. The goal of the lectures series is to bring to St. Charles speakers of national prominence to explore topics of morals and ethics in society, government, and business. Past speakers have included Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, D.C.; former U.S. ambassador Michael Novak; Cardinal Avery Dulles, the Laurence J. McGinley Chair at Fordham University; and Joel I. Klein, the Chancellor of the New York City schools. Special thanks are extended to Robert Selhorst ’74, whose company, Mass Appeal Dining Services, catered the 2005 event. The school also Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Julia L. Dorrian (left) with her father, Columbus City Auditor Hugh J. Dorrian ’53, and Judge Richard C. Pfeiffer Jr., Columbus City Attorney. Robert E. Shay ’58 (center) and his wife, Mary (nee Dilenschneider), chat with Dr. Daniel L. “Doc” Rankin ’53. Dr. F. Russell Hittinger answers questions to end his Borromean Lecture. expresses its sincere appreciation to the many student parents who volunteered to help serve the meals to the 410 guests. They included: Vickie Bobbitt, Terri Casino, Fern Colon, Yvonne Deibel, Pam Grady, Diane Hare, Debra Hartman, Gina Langen, Susie Loushin, Anne McCaffrey, Sandra McGill, Pat McJoynt-Griffith, Sharri Merz, Conie Michalec, Alison O’Grady, Marie Quinn, Rose Ann and Philip Schaeffing, Mary Scurria, Mary Beth Shanahan, Suzy Steensen, Cathy Wickert, and Susan Zelasko. Photos courtesy of Finocchi Photography The Distinctive Leader in Catholic Education 7
Page 1 and 2: the CARDINAL St. Charles Preparator
Page 3 and 4: master the challenges of their coll
Page 5: $5.5 million transformation: The Ro
Page 9 and 10: John Leach ’54 with former Columb
Page 11 and 12: football, and soccer games at night
Page 13 and 14: To University of Dayton Greg Ochab
Page 15 and 16: On diocesan honor team Benjamin Sti
Page 17 and 18: Eerily reminiscent Jesuit High Scho
Page 19 and 20: Robert L. Selhorst ’74, who owns
Page 21 and 22: Mother of Mercy Chapel where Fr. Bi
Page 23 and 24: Mothers Club at Work “A Cardinal
Page 25 and 26: Brian Vance ’00 and his wife, Jam
Page 27 and 28: Future Cardinal alumni? Mark Gramli
Page 29 and 30: Friends for life Mike Murphy, left,
Page 31 and 32: Carr family relaxing Andy Carr ’8
Page 33 and 34: daugh1979 Matt Connor lives in Reyn
Page 35 and 36: president and project director at S
Page 37 and 38: Kennedy’s book, Profiles in Coura
Page 39 and 40: Costa Rica. He continues fulltime a
Page 41 and 42: His father says Rob works 12- hour
Page 43 and 44: ’64 graduate has crafted at Josep
Page 45 and 46: The Ohio State University to major
Page 47 and 48: y learning techniques a player has
Page 49 and 50: Advisory Board Advisory Board chang
Page 51 and 52: estate. This August, a check for $1
Page 53 and 54: member of the Board, will be recogn
Page 55 and 56: THE CAMPAIGN FOR SAINT CHARLES - PH
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Ms. Linda C. Nusbaum Mr. & Mrs. Wil
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2005 St. Charles Open House & Appli
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Fall 2005 - St. Charles Preparatory School

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