Mission Office Shifts to Include Multiculturalism

Newly renamed division will focus on students of different races, genders, cultures and sexual orientations

Sacred Heart University has added multiculturalism to the aspects of campus life handled by its Office of Mission and Catholic Identity. Coinciding with the additional role is a new name: the Office of Mission Integration Ministry and Multicultural Affairs. However, the Catholic identity is still central to this department.

“In fact, this new reconfiguration enhances our Catholic identity,” said Father Anthony Ciorra, vice president for mission integration, ministry and multi-cultural affairs. “Catholicism is something that embraces everyone; all are welcome. So, multicultural affairs is housed within our division as a statement that it’s central to our mission.”

Sacred Heart defines multicultural affairs as relating to race, gender, culture, sexual orientation and languages.

The repositioned department’s primary concentrations are campus ministry and volunteer programs that incorporate service learning. It accomplishes its ministries through presence and availability. Among its other offerings:

• Someone is always available for students who want to talk.
• There are programs accessible to students, faculty and staff.
• A YouTube channel live-streams Masses every Sunday at 7 p.m., as well as other events, to accommodate social distancing precautions.
• The daily meditation, “Take a Deep Breath,” went out through email when the pandemic hit hard in March, and now it also is live-streamed each day for three to four minutes through Instagram and other media platforms.
• A new initiative, Lunches to Nourish the Body and the Spirit, is open for staff to meet in small groups and talk about how they are navigating life during the pandemic.

With the department’s reconfiguration came a blending of positions. Staff involved with campus ministry also work closely now with volunteer programs, and vice-versa. All job descriptions were reshaped so that everyone in the department is involved in mission integration, ministry and multicultural affairs. “This creates a model that’s much more collaborative,” Ciorra said. “In our division, we’re not siloed; we’re one team, one family, working together.”

The Office of Mission Integration, Ministry, and Multicultural Affairs welcomes Robert Johnson '16 '17 as the new director of cultural affairs and the new multicultural center, aided by Father Saji Thengumkudiyil, full-time pastoral associate for ministry and multicultural affairs. Reverend Sara Smith, pastor of United Congregational Church in Bridgeport, has joined the department part time. One of her specialties is sexual orientation, and she does a lot of work for the LGBTQ community. She works at Sacred Heart one day a week; as do Rabbi Marcelo Kormis and Imam Gazmend Aga.

“Being a Catholic University, we are deeply rooted in our Catholic identity, a large part being how we relate to other religious traditions, as well as to contemporary moral issues,” said Ciorra. 

Photo caption: From left are Valerie Kisselback, Fr. Saji Thengumkudiyil, Ami Neville, Rev. Sara Smith, Rob Johnson, Fr. Anthony Ciorra, Patrick Turner, Rabbi Marcelo Kormis, Annie Wendel, Imam Gazmend Aga and Arlete Perez Paez.