Dr. Sophia Aguirre’s Visionary Conversation on Guadalupe Network Radio

In a recent episode of “Catholic Lunch Break” on Guadalupe Network Radio, Dr. Sophia Aguirre joined host Wyatt Goolsby for a compelling conversation that highlighted her journey in Catholic Distance University’s mission, education and her innovative vision for the future of Catholic Distance University.

Dr. Sophia Aguirre, renowned for her expertise in economics and higher education brings a unique perspective to the dialogue. As an educator, author, and advocate for the marginalized, her insights resonate deeply with those seeking to integrate their faith into their daily lives and societal interactions.

They talk about the transformative potential of technology, and how CDU is pioneering the integration of AI and big data design into the curriculum, providing students with cutting-edge skills that are essential for success in the digital age. However, unlike secular institutions CDU remains deeply committed to ensuring that these advancements are guided by a Christian anthropology—a framework that recognizes the inherent dignity and worth of every human person.

CDU also prepares to launch new initiatives in online education, including an exclusively Spanish-language program on Catholic social teaching. By offering students a holistic education that integrates faith, reason, and technological innovation, CDU seeks to empower them to become leaders in their fields while remaining steadfast in their Christian identity.

In conclusion, Dr. Sophia Aguirre’s goals for Catholic education, as shared on “Catholic Lunch Break,” offers a compelling glimpse into the future of online learning. With a focus on liberal arts education, AI, Ecclesial administration management and big data design that prepares students for success in their careers. As we embark on this journey together, may we draw inspiration from CDUs vision and strive to build a world where education nurtures both minds and souls.

To listen to the full episode please visit Guadalupe Radio Network

To watch the full interview please visit Catholic Distance University (youtube.com)

Discussion Night

 

You’re Invited: Virtual Discussion Night on Home and Identity with Dr. Aguirre

Join us for an intellectual deep-dive on Creating Home and Identity with Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre, President of Catholic Distance University.
Mark your calendar for this enlightening virtual Discussion Night on February 7th at 7:30 p.m. EST on Zoom.

About Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre
With years of dedicated academic research in the subjects of home, economics, and identity, Dr. Aguirre’s insights promise to illuminate the role that home plays in shaping successful societies and fostering authentic happiness, a conversation that so desperately needs to happen in our rapidly changing society.

We’ll Explore

  • The impact and consequences of introducing new technologies into our lives and homes
  • The why and how of creating a person-centered home for forming a healthy relationship with identity and self
  • The profound impact of family dinners and relationships on the building of human and social capital
  • The significance of actions, even those within the safety and sanctuary of our own homes

Details

Date: February 7th

Time: 7:30 p.m. EST

Platform: Zoom

 

New Year Message

Joyous New Year’s To You and Yours

Dear CDU community,
As we wrap up one year and start another, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the year behind us
and extend warm wishes for the one ahead.

To you and all of your loved ones, I wish you a new year filled with the blessings and joy of the Lord. May
we all draw nearer to the heart of God and grow in holiness this year. Let us continue to pray for peace,
hope, and love throughout the world for 2024.

It has been a wonderful experience hitting the ground running and getting to know the university
community in 2023 as I started my tenure as president.

There are big things in store for the university in 2024. We look forward to sharing exciting news with
you in the coming months, including the development of new undergraduate and graduate programs
and a rebranding of the university.

I am so grateful for the blessing that you are to Catholic Distance University. Your support of our
community is immeasurable.

May God bless you in 2024. Know of my prayers for you and your loved ones each day.

New Year’s Blessings,
Sophia Aguirre

Dear CIU Board, Bishop Daly and Mary Pat Donoghue…

At this thankful but busy time of year, it was a blessing to have Bishop Thomas Daly visit CIU’s reception in honor of the U.S. Bishops during their Fall Assembly.

Bishop Daly is chair of USCCB’s Committee on Catholic Education through the November 2024 assembly when chair-elect Bishop David O’Connell assumes the position.
Many thanks to both Bishop Daly and Mary Pat Donoghue, executive director, ofthe Secretariat for Catholic Education at USCCB, for facilitating this visit and for her ongoing support for CIU and its mission.
Blessings to all

President Emeritus Honored by Holy See at CDU’s 40th Anniversary Gala

 CDU President Emeritus Dr. Marianne Evans Mount is pictured with Cardinal
Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, and Chancellor Archbishop Timothy P.
Broglio of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

At the Catholic Distance University (CDU) 40th anniversary gala on November 17, 2023,
President Emeritus Dr. Marianne Evans Mount was named a Dame of The Order of St. Gregory
the Great, the highest honor a layperson can receive from the Catholic Church.

Serving as Pope Francis’ personal representative, Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio
to the United States, presented the award to Dr. Mount at the Army Navy Country Club in
Arlington, Virginia. University Chancellor Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the Archdiocese for
the Military Services, USA, initiated the award nomination with the Holy See.

Fewer than 10 women have received this honor since the Order of St. Gregory the Great began
admitting Dames in addition to Knights in 1994. Other notable recipients of the award include
Eunice Kennedy Shriver, founder of the Special Olympics; Mexican actor Ricardo Montalbán;
Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson; and American publisher, philanthropist, and diplomat Walter
Hubert Annenberg.

Dr. Mount currently serves as a consultor to the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education
in recognition of her many contributions to the innovative realm of Catholic distance education.
“Dr. Marianne Mount is a jewel in the crown for Catholic education,” said trustee Hon. Susan R.
Malone. “She’ll be remembered for being the first. She had a vision for the future, for Catholic
education.” Hon. Malone is also a first: in 1973, she was one of the first two female FBI agents.

Cardinal Pierre presented Dr. Mount with an eight-pointed cross, suspended from a red and
gold ribbon and a crown of laurel. The center of the cross bears an image of St. Gregory on the
obverse and on the reverse the motto Pro Deo et Principe, “For God and Ruler.” She also
received a diploma written in Latin bearing the signature and seal of the Cardinal Secretary of
State.

Pope Gregory XVI established the Order of St. Gregory the Great in September 1831; it is one of
five orders of knighthood of the Holy See. Admittance is bestowed upon Roman Catholic men
and women—and rarely, non-Catholics—in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See
and to the Roman Catholic Church, through their unusual labors, their support of the Holy See,
and their excellent examples set forth in their communities and their countries.

Dr. Mount’s “unusual labor” was the growth of CDU from a catechetical institute offering
correspondence courses to an exclusively online, highly-rated accredited university that enrolls
students worldwide. “This is an example of the mustard seed parable lived out magnificently,”
said trustee Kelly McGinn.

During Dr. Mount’s 40-year career at CDU, she held various leadership roles, finally serving as
president from 2008 to June 30, 2023. Speaking of the institution’s founding, Dr. Mount said,
“We had a lot of opposition. No one really thought you could form people by correspondence.
It had to be face-to-face, and we proved them wrong.”

Since offering its first accredited degree program in 1996, a Master of Arts in Religious Studies,
the university has educated thousands of students, and many continue to serve the Church.
Most alumni are employed in a wide variety of fields, including education, business, healthcare,
medicine, and law, and some have become deacons, priests, and religious.

Speaking of CDU in a video presented at the gala, Father Robert J. Spitzer, founder and
President of the Spitzer Center, said, “You’ve not only educated generations of people in faith
and reason, you’ve formed a cadre of evangelists through that education that’s going to extend
your mission far beyond what you ever dreamt of.”

Dr. Mount, who joined CDU in 1983, is credited with being the driving force behind the
university’s growth and success.

“Marianne took that football and ran to a goalpost that was far beyond what anyone
expected,” said longtime CDU supporter Treena Rinaldi, who is the niece of Bishop Thomas J.
Welsh, the first Bishop of Arlington who established CDU and recruited Dr. Mount to be one of
two initial staff members.

When Dr. Mount retired in 2023, the university had launched a new program in Catholic Social
Teaching, both in Spanish and English, with support from a nearly $1 million grant from the Lilly
Endowment. Under her leadership, the university, which had been accredited by the Distance
Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC) since 1986, also secured accreditation from the
Higher Learning Commission in 2022, and The Association of Theological Schools in 2020.

With the university’s third president, Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre, at the helm, CDU is positioned
to become the “university of the future.” Dr. Aguirre seeks to greatly expand the university’s
degree offerings into new disciplines, to advance a research agenda that will seek to foster
synergies across faculty and students of different countries across the sciences, and increase
the university’s global expansion.—Mary Kate White, Catholic Distance University

CDU Celebrates 40 years, honors the past, and looks to the future

Catholic Distance University celebrated 40 years of its mission to communicate the mind and heart of the Church in a digital world. The annual CDU gala was held at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia. A symbolic way to celebrate 40 years, the Catholic Diocese of Arlington is the founding diocese of CDU. It was a night to remember when Dr. Michael P. Warsaw, the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of EWTN Global Catholic Network, was honored with the Founders Award, the university’s highest distinction.

In addition, President Emeritus Marianne Evans Mount, Ph.D., was presented with the Vatican’s Dame of St. Gregory Cross by Papal Nuncio, His Eminence Cardinal Christophe Pierre, and the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, President of the USCCB. This distinction is highly deserved. Dr. Mount has a storied history of supporting Catholic education and evangelization. Since the establishment of the Order of St. Gregory the Great on September 1, 1831, only 25 people have been awarded the Grand Cross. The honor is bestowed upon individuals in recognition of their personal service to the Holy See and the Catholic Church, their extraordinary labors, and the examples they set in their communities and their countries.

The gala drew guests from all across the world to join the Convocation Mass, including graduates, faculty, staff, supporters, friends, and family.

 

Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre named CDU’s next president

After announcing her retirement last year, Dr. Marianne Evans Mount passed the reins of the Office of the President to someone new. Dr. Mount was involved in CDU leadership in many capacities before becoming president in 2008. Her passion to see the university succeed has influenced her to remain involved in the university, including by becoming a trustee of the Board.

Following a wide search full of talented candidates at the top of their field, Dr. Maria Sophia Aguirre was selected as the new president of CDU in June 2023. A dynamic, leading-edge addition to the university, Dr. Aguirre is a visionary who is equipped and ready to carry the university into the future.

 

The premier Catholic online university of the future

Dr. Aguirre’s remarks at the gala called to mind the opportunity that higher education has at this moment in time. She announced that program offerings will expand and diversify in the next five years to include disciplines in Artificial Intelligence, virtual reality, education, economics, and big data – all taught through a theologically sound lens. The university will also begin to offer more programs in Spanish and its first program in Italian in its efforts to grow in both Latin America and Italy.

“There is a great need to prepare people capable of engaging in new technologies while being firmly rooted in a sound Christian anthropology and a solid intellectual and spiritual formation. Scientists who are working in these fields see the need for a university such as ours to fill this void, and they are excited about collaborating with us. The new degrees will help our students widen their impact by preparing them to take leadership roles in fields that are in great need of recuperating the meaning of the human person, of social life, and culture,” Aguirre said.

In addition to the new programs, the university is planning to create a new center for research dissemination.

“We will seek to reach a wider audience, thematically and geographically, with our unique online model,” Aguirre said. “We will expand so as to meet a demand in high-growing markets that thirst for what CDU has to offer. If we don’t seize the moment now, it will be gone.”

 

Catholic Distance University renamed Catholic International University to align with the evolution of the institution

It was also announced that the university’s name will be changed to Catholic International University to more closely align with the future evolution of the mission of the college. “We are person-centered, we want every interaction to be a point of encounter because we see the “I” and the “you” in everything we do.”-commented Aguirre.

 

High achievement for the university

This year, CDU was ranked fourth among the top online theology programs by Forbes, CDU being the top Catholic online theology program. The Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts degree was ranked 17th out of 3,000 online programs by Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for higher education program rankings and planning. The gala highlighted all of these achievements and more, all while celebrating the class of 2023 graduates.

Theology Faculty Member David Bonagura, Jr., Publishes New Book

David Bonagura, Jr., recently published Jerome’s Tears: Letters to Friends in Mourning, making these poignant letters of consolation to friends mourning the loss of spouses, children, relatives, and friends available for the first time in English. Pope Benedict considered St. Jerome the Church’s greatest doctor.  He translated the Bible from Greek to Latin around 400 AD, while taking care to correct the Old Testament using the Hebrew original.

Mr. Bonagura first read St. Jerome’s letters while working on a thesis for his graduate degree. “I thought Christian readers of all kinds could really benefit spiritually from Jerome’s approach to grief,” he says. Consolatory letters were a literary genre developed by the ancient Greeks, and in his letters, St. Jerome builds upon that framework, bringing the Christian worldview and the hope offered in Christ’s resurrection to the forefront.

The letters follow a format. “St. Jerome first urges unwavering confidence in Christ’s resurrection that has conquered death. Second, he says that mourners should not focus on the loss of the deceased, but on the gift that they had in that person. Third, he urges the bereaved to overcome their grief by pursuing a new path in Christ,” Mr. Bonagura says.

“Jerome does not hesitate to deal out ‘tough love’ to these recipients in their grief,” Bonagura says. “In every letter, he exhorts the recipient to let go of his or her grief and seize a new opportunity to serve the Lord more devoutly now that the deceased has passed on.”

What strikes him most about the letters is that they balance narrative, imagery, elegance, and precision. “He brilliantly wields Scripture in every letter, offering persons, images, stories, and wise sayings from both the Old and New Testaments to help comfort the bereaved,” Mr. Bonagura says.

In addition to teaching for CDU, Mr. Bonagura is also an adjunct professor of classical languages at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Yonkers, N.Y., and a Latin teacher at Regis High School in New York City. He was named a Eucharistic Fellow by The Cardinal Newman Society in September.

Jerome’s Tears: Letters to Friends in Mourning was published by Sophia Institute Press and can be purchased on Amazon or from Target.

Catholic School Teacher Reflects on the Fruits of a CDU Education

Melissa Reyes, a Catholic middle school teacher in California, recently earned her MA degree in Theology and Educational Ministry. She says that CDU helped her to grow into the theologian she has always dreamt of becoming. “I’m so thankful to God for CDU and all the faculty and staff who helped me achieve my degree,” Melissa says.

“What I most enjoyed was being able to encounter the genius of each of my professors,” she says. “Each one offered something so unique to my theological inquiries and taught with such insight and depth of each branch of theology.”

Melissa says that God, and the youth of today, inspired her to become a Catholic middle school teacher. She wanted to accompany her students in their education and help them through the difficulties of life by teaching them good study skills and providing them with ample opportunities to grow in their faith through fervent prayer to God and theological reflection in a Catholic-Christian community.

“My journey from theological studies at CDU to my work as a Catholic middle school teacher at a Dominican elementary school was the fruit of my prayers, those who supported me, and the countless holy men and women I encountered throughout my lifetime,” she says. “Being raised in a Catholic household helped me to remain faithful to my faith and family, and my Catholic education truly made a difference in my life as a teacher and lifelong learner.”

“I most enjoy teaching students and praying with them,” Melissa says. “Seeing their faith grow throughout the school years is such a humbling experience. They teach me about virtue by their example of humble submission to the Will of God and holy trust in God’s divine providence.”

Like any teacher, Melissa faces the challenges of disobedience and lack of respect from students in the classroom. She takes these challenges into prayer at daily Mass and throughout the day. “I find that God answers me clearly in the same students who are either misbehaving or are rumored to be prone to misbehavior, and this is a blessed grace,” Melissa says. “I also find a holy reassurance in God’s abiding presence among us in people going through the same circumstances as my students or myself,” she adds.

Melissa says that her education taught her Truth in God, and that she is the messenger of Jesus, who is the Teacher. “I am able to pass on to my students the study habits and truths of our Catholic faith in a safe academic environment, where God is first, and where education is key to attaining truth, beauty, and goodness.”

She says, “Studying at CDU allowed me to develop a greater love for God by becoming a better informed Catholic-Christian who is able to witness to Christ’s love for us in the world, and a more faithful student of Jesus, who is my divine and primary Teacher.”

“Thank you for helping make my dreams as a Catholic school teacher a beautiful, good, and true reality,” Melissa says. “I always remind my students that God lives in our hearts and will never leave us. As long as we breathe, we breathe God’s life; as long as we learn, we learn God’s truth; and as long as we pray, we pray and earnestly ask God to allow our life with Him on Earth to become an ever-living reality with Him forever in heaven.”

Undergraduate Programs Receive Top Rankings

Catholic Distance University recently received top rankings for its AA and BA degree programs. Forbes Advisor ranked CDU #4 in “Best Options for Theology Bachelor Degrees Online” for 2023. Intelligent.com ranked CDU #17 in “Best Online Associate in Liberal Arts Degree Programs” for 2024. These accolades confirm the great value and high quality of a CDU education.

To determine rankings, the Forbes Advisor Education team sources data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and pulls information from reputable professional organizations and education providers’ websites. They scored the four accredited, nonprofit colleges ranked using 16 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes, student experience, and application process. The rankings use a strict methodology to determine the best schools and programs for each category, and an expert advisory board of experienced professionals and educators reviews and verifies Forbes Advisor Education content to ensure accuracy and completeness.

Intelligent.com, a trusted resource for higher education program rankings and planning, evaluated a total of 3,000 programs before naming CDU’s online AA degree in Liberal Arts  program #17 of the top 35. Each institution was ranked on a scale from 0 to 100 across six categories that include quantitative measures such as academic quality, graduation rate, cost and ROI, and student resources. The top picks are highly regarded, affordable, and offer the tools and resources students need to successfully graduate and excel in their  fields. Recognized institutions in this category offer online programs that expose students to a wide range of disciplines, fostering critical thinking, creativity, and global awareness essential in the 21st century.

New President Appointed

The Honorable Maria Sophia Aguirre, Ph.D., a distinguished Ordinary Professor of Economics and researcher in the field of finance, family, and economic development, was appointed the third President of Catholic Distance University on July 1, 2023. The university’s Board of Trustees unanimously elected Dr. Aguirre following a national search launched after longtime President, Dr. Marianne Evans Mount, announced her wish to retire at the end of the 2022–2023 academic year.

A tenured faculty member at The Catholic University of America, Dr. Aguirre has 30 years of teaching and research experience, while holding leadership positions at the academic program level, department and school levels, as well as the university at large. She was a Fulbright scholar in 2012–2013.

After completing Accounting and Business Administration degrees in Argentina, Dr. Aguirre worked in accounting and commodities trading in Chicago for several years before earning an M.A. and then a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Notre Dame with concentrations in monetary and fiscal policies and international financial markets. She has represented countries, including the Holy See, in international organizations, and served the U.S. President and Secretary of State as a presidential appointee confirmed by Congress in the capacity of Commissioner and Adviser for two presidential terms. Dr. Aguirre has testified before Congress in the U.S. and in several other countries, and has lectured and published extensively both domestically and internationally.

Since leaving government, Dr. Aguirre has worked to develop and implement Integral Economic Development (IED), an interdisciplinary approach to economic analysis that recognizes the role of social relationships—first manifested by the family—as key drivers of economic activity. Dr. Aguirre’s research, and the two master’s degree programs in Integral Economic Development she founded, have led to successful collaboration with a variety of business leaders, academicians, technologists, and policy makers on six continents, improving the lives of millions of people in the developing world. She is currently on leave at the University of St. Thomas in Houston conducting research on the application of IED to artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

“In searching for a successor to our great President, Dr. Marianne Mount, CDU struck gold in recruiting Dr. Aguirre,” said CDU’s Board Chair, Stephen Pryor. “Sophia Aguirre is a visionary academic leader with a track record of successful academic innovation, as well as pioneering economic research that is Catholic Social Teaching (CST) in action. As CDU implements its new CST curriculum in the U.S. and Latin America, her international experience, fluency in Spanish, and research background will be game changers,” Mr. Pryor said.

Marianne Mount Lauded for Leadership

President Dr. Marianne Evans Mount has served CDU for 40 years. Under her leadership, CDU has grown from a catechetical institute with a staff of two to the world’s only exclusively online Catholic university, with accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission and The Association of Theological Schools. Dr. Mount served as Education Director from 1983 to 1985, Executive Director from 1985 to 1996, Executive Vice President from 1997 to 2008, and as President since 2008 after earning her Ph.D. at Virginia Tech.

Under Dr. Mount’s leadership, CDU is implementing an innovative new curriculum in Catholic Social Teaching, enabled by the largest grant received in the university’s history, as well as new academic partnerships that will foster enrollment growth and offer students an expanded range of academic programs.

In reflecting on the contributions of President Mount, Mr. Pryor noted that “Marianne Mount has been a remarkable servant leader who has devoted her entire professional career to advancing the mission of CDU. Under her leadership, CDU has built a reputation as a pioneer in online theological education that is completely faithful to the teachings of the Church. Dr. Mount was recently appointed as a consultor to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education in recognition of her many contributions to the innovative realm of Catholic distance education. As she hands over the reins to Dr. Aguirre, the CDU community looks forward to an exciting future as a global trendsetter in online Catholic education.”

Dr. Aguirre’s vision for CDU builds on the foundation laid by her predecessor. “Under the leadership of Dr. Mount, the university has forged an impressive path and is now positioned for growth that will include curriculum development in mission-related fields, a larger global footprint, and a new agenda of institutional research through CDU’s proven online pedagogy. I am honored, grateful, and humbled by this opportunity to lead CDU on the next stage of its journey,” she said.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Mary Kate White, Director of Communications, Catholic Distance University, 300 S. George St., Charles Town, WV 25414 mwhite@cdu.edu; 304-724-5000, ext. 717. To learn more about CDU, visit cdu.edu.

 

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