President's Blog: From the Heart

By Eric F. Spina

Dear University of Dayton Family,

Happy Easter! Karen and I wish you and your loved ones a joyful day filled with an abundance of blessings.

For Christians, the Resurrection of Jesus is a sign of God’s love and a promise of hope.

As I reflect on the virtue of hope, my mind fills with the headlines of the day. We yearn for peace, but the horrific images from the warfront in Ukraine test our spirit. As we move toward normalcy, the uncertainty of the pandemic lingers. Yet St. Thomas Aquinas reminds us that we must dare to hope, to lean on God and each other as our guides.

Hope is a gift God bestows upon us, and it gives us the confidence that we can persevere and heal the brokenness in life through love, compassion, justice — and the very example of our lives of faith. Together, we can build a stronger, more inclusive, more resilient community — let’s commit to do that here at the University and where we live.

For our Jewish and Muslim brothers and sisters, respectively, celebrating Passover and observing Ramadan, and to all of differing faith traditions, we extend peace and happiness during this Holy season.

On this Easter, I wish you God’s grace, the love of Mary, and the hope embodied in the Resurrection.

Warmly,

Eric F. Spina
President

Resurrection print produced by Poor Clares Monastery in Roswell, New Mexico. From the Marian Library's Marian print ephemera collection, University of Dayton.