Reflection on Rome Pilgrimage from President Shawna Cooper Whitehead, Ed.D.

When I accepted the invitation to join fellow presidents of Jesuit colleges and universities on pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi, I anticipated a time of reflection, prayer and fellowship. What I did not fully anticipate was how deeply the experience would renew my sense of purpose as I begin this journey with the Regis University community.

During our pilgrimage, I had the privilege of meeting with Pope Leo XIV and Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., Father General of the Society of Jesus. While these moments were extraordinary, what will remain with me most is not simply the significance of the meetings themselves, but the invitation they carried.

Again and again, we were reminded that Jesuit education is not measured only by what students know when they graduate, but by who they become and how they choose to serve the world. We were challenged to lead with courage, to accompany those on the margins, to pursue truth with humility and to build communities where every person is seen, valued, and called to flourish.

Those themes resonate deeply with the mission of Regis University.

As I return to campus, I do so with renewed conviction that our future will not be defined solely by enrollment, budgets, rankings or facilities, although those responsibilities matter. Our greatest measure of success will always be our faithfulness to our mission. Every decision we make should strengthen our ability to form graduates who lead with competence, compassion and conscience.

This reflection also comes at an important moment in our University’s history. Together, we are shaping a strategic direction that will carry Regis into its next chapter. The pilgrimage reminded me that strategic planning is not simply an administrative exercise. It is an act of discernment. It asks us to consider not only what we can accomplish, but what God is calling us to become.

That work belongs to all of us.

Whether you teach in a classroom, mentor students, conduct research, serve in an office, maintain our campus, support our operations or are preparing to begin your own journey as a student, each of us contributes to the mission that has guided Regis for more than 145 years.

My hope is that we approach this new chapter with both confidence and humility. Confidence in the extraordinary gifts of this community. Humility to listen deeply to one another, to remain open to new possibilities, and to place the common good above individual interests.

I returned from Rome grateful for the opportunity to represent Regis University and even more grateful to be part of a community that is uniquely positioned to answer the call that Pope Leo XIV shared with all of us: to be instruments of hope, solidarity and service in a world that needs each of them.

May we continue that work together, rooted in our Jesuit and Catholic mission, inspired by faith and committed to forming women and men for and with others.

I look forward to walking this journey alongside each of you.