By Mary McCarthy
Herald Staff Writer
(From the issue of 11/27/03)

Catholic Distance University (CDU), based in Hamilton, celebrated its 20th anniversary last weekend at Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the pontifical council for social communications. Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde served as homilist. Also concelebrating was the founding bishop of Arlington, Bishop Thomas J. Welsh. Following Mass, 200 supporters gathered for the annual gala dinner.

Just as Jesus said to Pilate in the Gospel, "I was born for this, I came into the world for this, to bear witness to the truth;" Bishop Loverde said all who follow Jesus must also be witnesses of the truth. (Jn 18:37).

"Those who belong to the kingdom of which Jesus is the king are those who listen to his voice and witness to him in word and deed," he said. "We cannot authentically witness unless we are responding to the call of Jesus."

For this reason, he said, CDU holds such an important role in the world. "Through CDU hundreds of thousands of people have been equipped to be living witnesses of the Gospel."

CDU is not like many other schools, though. Marianne Evans Mount, executive vice president, remarked at the opening of the dinner, "CDU’s definition of a school is not a place, but a journey."

"You don’t need to convince me of the value of distance Catholic education," Archbishop Foley said.

With the falling number of clergy and religious, he remarked, "How can we find the catechists we need?"

Archbishop Foley first experienced distance learning while in the seminary at St. Charles Borromeo in Wynnewood, Pa. As a seminarian there, he helped organized home study courses. Archbishop Foley related stories about a Swede in Barcelona who wanted to become Catholic, but because everyone in Barcelona was already Catholic, they didn’t know what to do with the Swede. He learned from the seminarians.

Also learning through home study, and recognized at Saturday’s dinner, was CDU student, John Feegel. Feegel went on the pilgrimage to Rome with the school earlier this year. Because of an infirmity, Feegel was able to sit close to the Holy Father during the papal audience. When he returned from the trip, his son picked him up at Dulles Airport, and he said to his son, "The Holy Spirit is with me." Although his son did not understand this at the time, a few days later he knew that the Holy Spirit was indeed with his father following the trip because he died just a few days after returning.

John Feegel’s son, John, was present at the dinner to receive an honorary master’s degree on behalf of his father.

"Angels can only fly cause they take themselves lightly," said Bishop Welsh in his remarks, quoting G.K. Chesterton. "Never forget that the devil fell by force of gravity." "We have to always be looking from the vantage point of eternity," he said.

Bishop Welsh’s remarks focused on the leaders and supporters of CDU who have died in the last several years, namely Jesuit Father William Keifer, who was honored at last year’s gala, and the recently deceased Msgr. James W. McMurtrie, who will be honored at next year’s dinner.

Next fall, CDU will be taking a pilgrimage to Ireland under the spiritual direction of Archbishop of Military Services Edwin F. O’Brien. For information visit www.cdu.edu or call Guido Adelfio of Bethesda Travel Center at 301/656-1670.