The greatest things are accomplished in silence. – Cardinal Sarah
No students arrived at the Kartause today, August 22, the day the Fall 2020 Austria Program and LCI were to begin. The difficult decision to suspend the FUS program was made in July, following the extension of restrictions on entry requirements for Austria. The impossibility of beginning the LCI program was also clear by then, as Austrian embassies have been closed, making it impossible to attain visas.
The small contingent of faculty and staff remain, teaching online classes set to begin next week and working on special projects.
The quiet atmosphere gives us a chance to reflect and refresh, to spend more time in prayer, and to respond to needs around us. By no means does the absence of students here mark the end of the work!
We believe that now more than ever in the need for LCI’s mission to evangelize and to bring young people close to Jesus Christ. This time, as all time, is in God’s hands, and we live knowing that our every thought and action matter, and that we can always respond to his invitation. God is working now, even if we can’t see his activity concretely in front of us.
Looking ahead, we draw inspiration from Cardinal Sarah’s words on silence:
Do not wisdom, artistic vision, and devotion spring from silence, where the voice of God is heard in the depths of the human heart? …Silence is more important than any other human work, for it expresses God. The true revolution comes from silence; it leads us toward God and others so as to place ourselves humbly and generously at their service.