By Charles Igwe
Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio, is expanding its reach with the creation of a new program in Washington, D.C., thanks to a generous $10 million donation from Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald. The new hub, known as the Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald Franciscan University Homeland Mission (FUHM), is part of the university’s “Encounter” initiative, aimed at extending the Franciscan mission beyond its Ohio campus.
With a $3 million property on Massachusetts Avenue in the nation’s capital, the FUHM will offer residential and learning opportunities for students. The initiative is designed to prepare students to positively influence U.S. government policies and principles, aligning with the global missionary cause of the university.
University president Father Dave Pivonka, TOR, emphasized that the program will focus on the Franciscan charism of ongoing conversion, calling everyone to draw closer to Christ. FUHM will be centered around three key pillars: Evangelization and Joyful Presence, Intellectual and Personal Formation, and Support for Human Dignity. Pivonka said these elements are crucial for the mission’s success, helping to invite others to deeper conversion.
Stephen Catanzarite, executive director of Encounter, will lead FUHM in collaboration with the university’s political science department and other academic partners. The program aims to bring Gospel values and Catholic social teaching into Washington, D.C.’s political and social arenas. By engaging with the legislative process, it seeks to inspire systematic change that prioritizes human dignity.
The Fitzgeralds, who are members of the Trustees to the Papal Foundation, see their donation as part of their mission to serve as vessels of the Holy Spirit. Kathy Fitzgerald remarked that their participation with Franciscan University is a gift from God, emphasizing that all they hold belongs to the Lord.
The program will begin student rotations in Washington, D.C., on a limited basis this fall, with full operations expected by spring 2025.
