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SLIDE PRESENTATION
Women as Pillars of Faith: A Marquette Campus Pilgrimage
RECORDED ON THURSDAY, MAY 27, 2021
Presented by: Dr. Laura Abing, Grad ’88, ’97, Senior Communication Specialist, University Advancement, Marquette University; Dr. Kathy Coffey-Guenther, Arts '85, Grad '88, '98, Senior Mission and Ignatian Leadership Specialist, University Advancement, Marquette University
May is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the epitome of God’s faithful servant. And like our Holy Mother, Joan of Arc and Mother Teresa of Calcutta answered God’s call to serve, earning recognition as saints for their faith without limits.
Learn how each of these three holy women is foundational to Marquette’s mission pillar of faith by exploring three sacred spaces at the core of our campus — a built corridor representing both the physical heart and spiritual center of the university.
Join Drs. Kathy Coffey-Guenther and Laura Abing for a reflective and historical pilgrimage that starts at the recently created Marian Grotto, continues with a tour of the adjacent St. Joan of Arc Chapel, and concludes with a visit to the Mother Teresa Memorial just west of the grotto. The campus community is blessed to feature what truly is a “power alley” dedicated to three incomparable women of faith. We welcome the opportunity to share these empowering spaces with you.
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More about this session
Dr. Laura Abing has worked as a proposal writer/senior communication specialist in Marquette University’s Advancement Office for more than 20 years. She has a special love for Marquette, where she met her husband, Kevin, while both earned their master’s and doctorates in history from the university. Laura genuinely enjoys working on behalf of Marquette because she feels privileged to promote the mission and capacity of a university known for providing academic excellence in the Catholic and Jesuit traditions. As she’ll tell you, “I believe in all these values. They not only shape our students as professional leaders and change agents, but also make Marquette a truly special place to work.” To help ensure it remains so, Laura has represented fellow staff across the university as a member of the University Staff Senate for nearly a decade and has regularly helped prepare documentation critical for the university’s reaffirmation of accreditation. In addition, Laura considers it an honor to have participated in developing Marquette’s Sacred Spaces campus tour, lending her passion as a historian to help visitors learn the historical context behind these special sites.
Dr. Kathy Coffey-Guenther currently serves as the Senior Mission and Ignatian Leadership Specialist in University Advancement at Marquette University. Additionally, Kathy serves/has served as adjunct faculty for undergraduates and clinical adjunct faculty for graduate students at Marquette University. Kathy received a Ph.D. in counseling psychology from Marquette University and a certificate in spiritual direction from the Aquinas Institute of Theology. For many years, Kathy has worked with a particular emphasis in Ignatian spirituality as a means for healthy spiritual and emotional living. Kathy has also served as a spiritual director, speaker and consultant to religious congregations, clergy and religious, and parishes focusing on the work of community building, conflict resolution and spiritual growth. Kathy serves as current consultant for diaconate formation in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and served as the past Co-Chair of the Community Advisory Board for Clergy Abuse in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.