It was great to see so many of you at our Christmas Party on Wednesday. I hope everyone enjoyed the food, decorations and gifts. Thank you to those who helped to organize the event: Meghan Huff, Joseph Torma, Reilly Fangman, Chris Grenert, Connie Varga, Wendy Walker and Shelley Arrendondo-Rice. 

Many of us will pause in the coming days before 2024 counts down to look back at the calendar year and to think about what 2025 may hold for us. 

We can find wisdom in the words of Pope Francis, who designated 2025 to be a Jubilee Year for the Catholic Church.

The Jubilee Year, which occurs every 25 years, begins on Christmas Eve when the pope opens the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. It is a time for forgiveness and reconciliation in a world torn by war, disease, violence, extreme poverty and the climate crisis. Pope Francis declared the theme to be "Pilgrims of Hope"— a journey of renewal of faith and hope in Christ, and a resolution to bring hope to a despairing world:

“The coming Jubilee will thus be a Holy Year marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God. May it help us to recover the confident trust that we require, in the Church and in society, in our interpersonal relationships, in international relations, and in our task of promoting the dignity of all persons and respect for God’s gift of creation. May the witness of believers be for our world a leaven of authentic hope, a harbinger of new heavens and a new earth (cf. 2 Pet 3:13), where men and women will dwell in justice and harmony, in joyful expectation of the fulfillment of the Lord’s promises.”

Pope Francis’ words remind me of Father Bob Dowd’s inspiring inauguration speech, where he spoke of the University’s charge to be a bridge-builder in a world of widening chasms:

“If we are to journey toward truth together, and stay true to our mission, then we must hone our skills as bridge-builders and form the kinds of leaders we need in our world today:

People who know how to listen to others to ensure that all voices are heard in the search for truth.

Critical thinkers equipped with a clear moral framework to face life’s challenges.

Compassionate, servant leaders who can navigate complex issues with conviction and with courage, and bring out the best in others, with humility and humanity.

We owe each other as much. We owe our wider society as much.”

Mendoza College of Business has followed the charge of being a bridge builder since its founding. In this past year alone, these efforts have included the Powerful Means Initiative’s help in building a childcare center in Uganda, Frontlines in America’s work with the Summit Lake Paiute to restore economic sovereignty, ND Elevate’s support of leadership development for women and the International Business Fellows’ trip to Poland to explore firsthand the intersection of faith and business.

Our research continues to bridge the gap between scholars and practitioners to create benefits for society, exploring a broad range of current issues from gender bias online to ethical considerations of AI. To cite just a few examples: Alfonso Pedraza-Martinez’s research employed humanitarian logistics to find solutions to climate disasters of increasing magnitude. Ann Tenbrunsel applied her research expertise on ethical blind spots to the Holocaust, one of the most demonstrable examples of ethical failings in human history. CARE’s Accountability in a Sustainable World Quarterly bridges academic and practitioner expertise to new ideas about addressing climate change from a business perspective.   

This inspiring work is being done in the College every day to uplift those in greatest need and bring light where the challenges are the most daunting. I am thankful for all that you do.

May your year ahead be filled with hope and purpose. May we be bridge-builders in a world of need.

Merry Christmas to all.

In Notre Dame,

Martijn