Catholic University

The newly installed president of Catholic University, Christian Brother who grew up in Baltimore, has pledged to work against rising tuition rates, pare program duplications and tackle the special educational needs of a new wave of immigrants.Brother Patrick Ellis, 64, became the 13th president of the Roman Catholic university in ceremonies on its Northeast Washington campus Tuesday. He succeeds the Rev. William J. Byron, who held the position for 10 years.Born in Baltimore, Brother Patrick received his high school education at Calvert Hall College before attending Catholic University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his doctorate in English in 1960.

Elinora Bowdoin Bolton, a former French teacher who had been a celebrated 1940s women's tennis player, died of heart failure in her sleep Tuesday at the Keswick Multicare Center. The former Howard County resident was 93. Family members said she was born Elinora Bowdoin in the family home at 1106 N. Charles St., which now houses the Brewer's Art restaurant. Her father moved his family to Somerset Road in Roland Park after he became displeased with the construction of the Monumental Life Insurance building across Charles Street.

The ninth American Cardinals Dinner, an annual fund-raiser benefiting Catholic University in Washington, will be held this year for the first time in Baltimore, archdiocesan officials said yesterday.The $1,000-a-plate, black-tie dinner is held each year in a city whose archdiocese is led by a cardinal and is expected to attract prominent Catholics from across the country. It is scheduled May 1 at the Baltimore Convention Center.This year's dinner will honor the eight cardinals who serve in U.S. archdioceses: Baltimore's William H. Keeler, Washington's James A. Hickey, Boston's Bernard Law, New York's John J. O'Connor, Philadelphia's Anthony J. Bevilacqua, Los Angeles' Roger Mahony, Detroit's Adam J. Maida and Chicago's Francis E. George.

One of my most conservative friends is Catholic, but he is not a "conservative Catholic. " In my book, he'd only be a conservative Catholic if he opposed the death penalty (he supports it), opposed abortion (he believes women should have the right to chose) and engaged in natural family planning (he appreciates the fact that all women he's had sex with, including his wife, used the Pill or another artificial contraceptive to avoid unwanted pregnancy). His opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriage puts him in agreement with the leadership of his church.

Marilyn Neeley Gerle, a pianist who had been chairwoman of the piano division at Catholic University of America's school of music for more than three decades, died Wednesday of pneumonia at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring. The former Catonsville and Washington resident who lived in Hyattsville was 69. Marilyn Neeley, who played professionally under her maiden name, was born and raised in Los Angeles. "Her mother was a piano teacher, and she'd sit under the piano listening while she gave lessons," said her son and only survivor, Andrew Gerle, a musical theater composer who lives in New York City.

IMMOKALEE, Fla. - On pool-table-flat farmland where peppers, tomatoes and sod have been grown, Thomas S. Monaghan, 65 and one-time fast-food magnate, is pursuing what might be the last phase of his life's work: the saving of souls. "My No. 1 priority now is to help as many people get to heaven as possible," said the founder of Domino's Pizza and former owner of the Detroit Tigers. "I believe the best way to do that is education." The result, if Monaghan's vision and an artist's conceptions are translated into reality, will be the first new Roman Catholic university in the United States in a generation, built from scratch on what is now rich agricultural land near the Everglades of southwestern Florida.

Robert E. Hunt, a former Roman Catholic priest who became known nationally in the 1960s for his public disagreement with Pope Paul VI's teaching on birth control, died Thursday at his Homeland residence of acute myeloid leukemia. He was 65.A North Baltimore resident since 1984, Mr. Hunt was born and raised in Newark, N.J. After graduating from Seton Hall University in 1954, he studied for the priesthood at the Vatican. He was ordained in 1957 and spent three years in Rome earning a doctoral degree in sacred theology.

One of my most conservative friends is Catholic, but he is not a "conservative Catholic. " In my book, he'd only be a conservative Catholic if he opposed the death penalty (he supports it), opposed abortion (he believes women should have the right to chose) and engaged in natural family planning (he appreciates the fact that all women he's had sex with, including his wife, used the Pill or another artificial contraceptive to avoid unwanted pregnancy). His opposition to the legalization of same-sex marriage puts him in agreement with the leadership of his church.

BOSTON -- Despite rising incomes, Roman Catholics are far less willing to dig into their pockets to support their churches than members of other religious denominations, according to a recent report.The average Catholic family contributes $386 annually to its church, compared with $1,696 for families in the Assemblies of God, the denomination with the highest level of giving, according to studies by Catholic University in Washington.Average annual family contributions for the other three denominations included in the report were $1,154 for Southern Baptists, $1,085 for Presbyterians and $746 for Evangelical Lutherans.

Rowena Daly, formerly of Baltimore, MD, daughter of Edith C. Daly and the late Robert J. Daly, will marry Sean Andrews on Saturday, May 13, 2006 in Central Park's Conservatory Gardens. Rowena is a graduate of Western High School and Catholic University of America and Sean is a graduate of Bates College, and in the fall will receive his Masters at Columbia University. The couple resides in NYC.

The Rev. Walter John Paulits, a long-time Baltimore-area priest and theology scholar, died June 4 from natural causes at an assisted living residence in the Pasadena area. He was 88. In a career that spanned decades as an educator, religious scholar and priest, he founded and served as pastor of Our Lady of the Chesapeake Roman Catholic Church in Pasadena in 1980 and, although he retired in 1991, was still heavily involved with the church until about a year ago. Both his academic pursuits and a practical sense informed his priesthood, according to those who worked with him. He invited experts in seminary, liturgy and ecumenical outreach to visit and share knowledge, while at the same time empowering his flock with a you-can-do-it attitude.

Anthony John Ipsaro, former superintendent of parochial schools for the Archdiocese of Baltimore and a noted organizational consultant and psychological counselor, died May 25 of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease, at his Fells Point home. He was 79. The son of Italian immigrants, Dr. Ipsaro was born and raised in Cleveland, where he graduated in 1950 from Cathedral Latin High School. He was a 1954 graduate of the University of Dayton, and three years later earned a master's degree in educational administration from St. John's University.

Danuta Mostwin, an author, psychologist and sociologist who had been a member of the Polish underground during World War II and whose fiction chronicling the experiences of Polish emigres earned her two nominations for the Nobel Prize in literature, died Monday of Parkinson's disease at her Ruxton home. She was 88. She was born Danuta Pietruszewski in Lublin, Poland, and she completed high school in Warsaw in 1939. She had planned to be a playwright, but turned her attention to studying for a medical career after the outbreak of World War II. After Germany occupied her homeland, Dr. Mostwin had to study at an underground medical school held at the University of Warsaw.

Danuta Mostwin, an author, psychologist and sociologist who had been a member of the Polish underground during World War II and whose fiction chronicling the experiences of Polish emigres earned her two nominations for the Nobel Prize in literature, died Monday of Parkinson's disease at her Ruxton home. She was 88. She was born Danuta Pietruszewski in Lublin, Poland, and she completed high school in Warsaw in 1939. She had planned to be a playwright, but turned her attention to studying for a medical career after the outbreak of World War II. After Germany occupied her homeland, Dr. Mostwin had to study at an underground medical school held at the University of Warsaw.

The Rev. Jerome M. Hall, a Jesuit priest who once was a Peabody Conservatory and Maryland Institute College of Art chaplain, died Wednesday of internal bleeding at Georgetown University Hospital. He was 59. Born in Baltimore, he was a 1966 graduate of Mount St. Joseph's High School, where he was class president, student council president and a National Merit Scholar. He entered the Society of Jesus at age 16 in 1966. He had a master's degree in voice and a doctorate in sacramental theology from the Catholic University of America.

Some college students go to Cancun or Daytona Beach for spring break. Ryan Mullen and J.P. Mikolajczyk started theirs inside a cavernous metal shop in Glen Burnie, helping to build an altar for Pope Benedict XVI to use next month when he visits the nation's capital. The architecture students from Catholic University of America won a competition to design the altar, chair and pulpit for the pontiff when he celebrates Mass at the new Nationals Park on April 17. Construction began last week on the papal furnishings, with four Maryland companies playing key roles in the process - and with the students forgoing a trip home to monitor the work.

A Mass of Christian burial for the Rev. Carleton M. Sage, S.S., who taught at Catholic University, at St. Mary's Seminary and in Guatemala, will be offered at 11 a.m. today at Our Lady Queen of the Angels Chapel, at what is now the Charlestown Retirement Community at 715 Maiden Choice Lane.Father Sage, who was 86 and lived at St. Charles Villa, the retirement home of the Sulpicians, died Friday at St. Agnes Hospital after an illness of several months.He retired in 1978 after teaching in seminaries and helping in parishes in Guatemala since 1965, when he completed studies in Spanish at the University of Arizona and in Mexico.

The Rev. Jerome M. Hall, a Jesuit priest who once was a Peabody Conservatory and Maryland Institute College of Art chaplain, died Wednesday of internal bleeding at Georgetown University Hospital. He was 59. Born in Baltimore, he was a 1966 graduate of Mount St. Joseph's High School, where he was class president, student council president and a National Merit Scholar. He entered the Society of Jesus at age 16 in 1966. He had a master's degree in voice and a doctorate in sacramental theology from the Catholic University of America.