Challenging contemporary assumptions – Melicia Antonio

I’m proud to be a part of the Regina Apostolorum academic community -a community on the vanguard of the New Evangelization. Six years ago, I was living in Mexico working as a theology professor for the Anahuac University.  Having seen the fruits of what a solid intellectual formation can do for a person, I began looking for place to do a doctorate in theology and thus improve what I could give to my students. At the Regina Apostolorum, I found an institution that stood out for its spirit of innovation and orthodoxy, welcoming community, and beautiful, green campus on the outskirts of Rome. A university becomes a true “second home” for a student, who absorbs his worldview not just from his professors but from everything he sees and hears in his environment.  Hundreds of fascinating people pass through the Regina Apostolorum every year, from the exorcists who gather each spring for their annual convention, to the medical professionals and scientists who fly in from all over the world to attend intensive bioethics courses. Through the academic activities of the three faculties and six institutes, it’s easy for me to listen in on the great cultural debates on topics such as gender, euthanasia, and immigration, and observe how the timeless tradition of the Church rises to challenge the secular world’s assumptions. The Athenaeum also shows me that ideas are never the end of the conversation: as I contemplate our statue of the Man of the Shroud of Turin, hear a professor speak of the greatness of Therese of Lisieux, or join my American compatriots for Christmas caroling cheer during class breaks, I am reminded that the Christian spirit of giving and receiving is a lesson learned not just from books but from life. This year, I will be finishing my studies for a license in moral theology, and God willing, begin a doctorate in the fall of 2018.  I’m filled with gratitude for the benefactors who have my path possible.  Certainly, there are many good things we do that we will never see the fruits of, but I hope that in this case their generosity bears evident spiritual fruit a “hundred-fold” in their own lives and in the lives of all us here at the Regina Apostolorum.

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