San Damiano Scholars
USF San Damiano Scholars and the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition
In 2001, the English-speaking conference of the Order of Friars Minor and the English speaking Franciscan Theological school’s of the world, committed to promoting the renewal of THE FRANCISCAN INTELLECTUAL TRADITION. The University of St. Francis immediately joined in this effort. The first task was to establish a group of USF scholars who had a passion and curiosity about USF patrons St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi.
Therefore, the USF Office of Mission Integration established the San Damiano Scholars. Since 2001 the USF San Damiano Scholars (12 USF professors) have done research in Franciscan literature. During the past four and a half years, the best of the San Damiano Scholars surfaced in many projects: a year dedicated to across-the-campus study of the scholarly work of the Franciscan scientist Roger Bacon; studied selected works of St. Bonaventure; a study of the works of Venerable Duns Scotus; traveled to Duns, Scotland and then onto Oxford to follow the writings and spirituality of Duns Scotus and the early English Franciscans; traveled to Rome and Assisi to study the lives and times of Francis and Clare, in addition examined the beauty of the art in the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi; delved into Dante’s writings on Francis; prepared a (3) credit course in Franciscanism; and will be publishing a book on how to teach the essence of Franciscanism; wrote and had poetry published; also published papers in distinguished Franciscan publications; attended The Franciscan Federation summer study week; and one USF Scholar is presently involved in grant-writing with colleagues from St. Bonaventure University/Viterbo University and USF for a possible expansion of a Franciscan department at each of their universities; and participated in a number of book review roundtable discussions using primary Franciscan sources as well as current writings on the Franciscan theme.
The USF/Franciscan Intellectual Tradition Colloquium: A Kaleidoscope is the first presentation of its kind since USF received the ‘call’ in 2001 to do serious research on the Franciscan Intellectual Tradition. Sr. Rosemary Small, VPMM