STEUBENVILLE, OH— Franciscan University of Steubenville’s annual homecoming weekend combines Parents’ Weekend, the Alumni Reunion, and the St. Francis Festival into one grand celebration on October 3-5, 2014.

• Opening events begin on Friday evening with the Alumni Banquet and Awards Ceremony, which begins at 6:30 p.m. in the J.C. Williams Center Atrium. See honorees and register below.
• A Transitus service, which commemorates the passing from death to life of St. Francis of Assisi, will be held on Friday at 7:00 p.m. in Christ the King Chapel.
• The ever-popular Student Talent Show will also take place on Friday evening at 8:30 p.m. in Finnegan Fieldhouse.
• Saturday morning will begin with the celebration of Mass in honor of the Feast of St. Francis at 8:00 a.m. in Finnegan Fieldhouse. Mass will be followed by the Kelly Roggensack Memorial Races, which will kick off at 10:30 a.m. with the 5K Run/3K Walk and 11:15 a.m. for the 1K Kids Fun Run. Register for these events at FranciscanAthletics.com.
• Then, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., the medieval-themed St. Francis Festival will offer games, entertainment, vendor booths, and refreshments. Some of the activities include a Living Chess Match, children’s medieval-themed costume contest, a Tomato Theatre performance, and much more.
• At 2:45 Fr. Dominic Scotto, TOR, will bless pets near the Portiuncula Chapel, read more below.
• A Festival of Praise will take place in Finnegan Fieldhouse from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. followed by a free concert performed by Ceili Rain in the Piazza dei Santi beginning at 9:15 p.m.
• The weekend will also feature Baron athletic events. Both the men’s rugby team and women’s soccer team will play on Saturday at 1:00 p.m., women’s volleyball will play at 2:00 p.m., and men’s soccer will play at 3:00 p.m.
• Homecoming Closing Mass will be on Sunday at 10:30 a.m. in Finnegan Fieldhouse and will include a special blessing for parents and alumni.

For complete information on Franciscan Homecoming Weekend, please visit www.franciscan.edu/events/Homecoming/.

Awards Ceremony Recognizes Work of Seven Alumni

STEUBENVILLE, OH—Seven Franciscan University of Steubenville alumni will be honored at the annual Alumni Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Friday, October 3, in the J.C. Williams Center.

A pre-dinner reception begins in the Atrium at 6:30 p.m., followed by the banquet dinner and ceremony at 7:15 p.m. in the Tony and Nina Gentile Gallery, J.C. Williams Center. The event recognizes the professional achievements of these alumni and their service to the Church.

Register Here or call the Alumni Office at 740-284-5210.

This year’s recipients are:

• Elizabeth A. (Robinson ’98) Young, Bishop John King Mussio Award, for her service to the Church through her ministry to teenagers as the chief operating officer of Camp Veritas, which has grown from 55 campers its first summer seven years ago, to over 1,000 youth in 2014.
• Deborah L. (Campbell ’74) Cain, Dr. John J. Carrigg Award, for her work as a teacher in the Akron school system; service as president and vice president of local school boards; work as member and president of the State Board of Education; and also her work on the Board of Directors of the National Association of State Boards of Education.
• Patrick J. McNamara ’94, Alumni Citizenship Award, for his work in the public square as president and CEO of Community Partners (Housing Partnership, Inc. and Parent-Child Center) of Riviera Beach, Florida; as board member of the National NeighborWorks Association; and as a member of the Florida Community Loan Fund.
• Paul F. Pinto ’86 MBA ’91, Rose M. DeFede Faithful Franciscan Award, for his service to Franciscan University as he finishes his six-year term on the Alumni Board; as chair for the 1980s Alumni Reunion; as volunteer ambassador for the University; and as a volunteer mentor for students of the University.
• Dr. Kyle A. Beiter, MD ’00, Father Dan Egan Award, for his work in pro-life healthcare as an obstetrician and gynecologist at the National Gianna Center for Women’s Health and Fertility™, being one of few fellowship-trained NaProTECHNOLOGY™ surgeons in the United States.
• Joseph R. Morris ’93, Professor Edward J. Kelly Award, for his work as a partner at Canal Pointe Capital; and as a member of the board of directors at a number of companies, including Diamond Communications, Star Energy, First Communications, Summit Advantage, and a number of non-profit organizations.
• Jonathan D. Anderson ’06, Outstanding Young Alumni Award, for his current work as vice president of Institutional Sales for BrightScope; prior work as West Region Manager for LPL Financial Retirement Partners; for gaining his Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation and for being a C(k)P candidate; and for his philanthropic activity in founding the Jeffrey J. Anderson Business Leaders Scholarship at Franciscan University.

The event costs $30 per person for the reception and dinner, or $10 for the reception alone.

Franciscan Blessing of Animals to be Held During Homecoming Weekend

All are invited to bring their pets to receive the blessing.

STEUBENVILLE, OH— In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, Franciscan University of Steubenville will hold its annual blessing of animals on Saturday, October 4, at 2:45 p.m. during Homecoming Weekend.

The blessing will take place near the Portiuncula Chapel. University Chaplain Father Dominic Scotto, TOR, will bless the animals in a rite that includes a hymn, sprinkling with holy water, and a prayer that the pets continue to reveal God’s love and presence to the world.

All are invited to bring their pets to receive the blessing. In past years, a wide variety of animals, including dogs, cats, parakeets, lizards, rabbits, and goldfish have been blessed.

The widespread tradition of blessing pets on or near St. Francis’ feast day, October 4, imitates the example of St. Francis, who was named the patron saint of animals by Pope John Paul II in 1979.