by Molly Vincent |
Holy Cross Founder Blessed Basil Moreau’s mission was to “make God known, loved and served.” Every year, nine lay collaborators of the Holy Cross are honored with the award.
To celebrate the Solemnity of Our Lady of Sorrows on Sept. 15, the provincial superior of the U.S. Province of Priests and Brothers named Karen Eifler as UP’s recipient of the Spirit of the Holy Cross Award. She splits her time between teaching an education class and beginning her third year as co-director of the Garaventa Center for Catholic Intellectual Life and American Culture.
The Holy Cross order welcomes laymen and women into their apostates in missions, schools and parishes, and relies on them to carry out its mission.
“It’s always been absolutely necessary for us to have lay people who embrace our work and enable the Holy Cross works to actually happen,” Fr. Charlie Gordon said. “It is a way that we acknowledge people who really embody the Holy Cross way of doing ministry.”
Gordon, Eifler’s co-director at the Garaventa Center, believes that she has truly carried out the mission of the Holy Cross.
Members of the Holy Cross community at UP are asked by Fr. John Donato, associate vice president of Student Development and religious superior of Holy Cross Community at UP, to nominate people for the Spirit of the Holy Cross Award. Once nominations are in, the local Council of Superiors and Special Committee of Holy Cross narrow down the nominations.
The nominations then go to the provincial superior of Holy Cross, and he and his council make the final decision.
Eifler’s hard work made her a perfect candidate. She has worked closely with priests and Holy Cross brothers and feels like a natural fit spending time with them.
“I always think of these guys as my brothers so it felt tremendously affirming to be recognized… for being your very best self,” Eifler said.
Dean of the School of Education John Watzke explained that Eifler views her positions as co-director of the Garaventa Center and professor of education not only as work, but as a vocation.
Junior education major Hannah Schoen has sat in on a few of Eifler’s lectures in the past.
“She is a very passionate speaker, and I think she shows a lot of what being an educator really is about,” Schoen said.
In addition to being a teacher and mentor, Eifler has been engaged in programs serving the community and was awarded the Judith Ramaley Faculty Award for Service-Learning in 2007.
Eifler has also co-edited several books, including “A Month of Mondays,” which aims to inspire Catholic school teachers to show the presence of Christ in their classrooms.
“She’s very good at drawing parallels and experiences of being a teacher between our experiences as learners and what it means to be a teacher,” Watzke said.
He believes that being a writer and co-director of the Garaventa Center allows her to explore new talents and areas of learning.
UP’s Provost Dr. Thomas Greene echoed this, and said that Eifler’s creativity, energy, passion and communication skills have served her well during her time at UP.
“She lives the many charisms of the Holy Cross out in her work, certainly she has been an influential person on campus,” Green said.
Eifler will be honored at a mass and dinner on campus in January 2016 as well as receive a signed proclamation by Provincial Superior Fr. Tom O’Hara. Molly Vincent is a reporter for The Beacon. She can be reached at vincentm17@up.edu.
