Lecture Benefits Samaritano

RATHERVIEW
Spring 2004

El Buen Samaritano, the Jubilee Center in South Austin, recently received $2,300 from the alumni/ae association of the Seminary of the Southwest.

The Rev. Rhoda Swanner Montgomery, chair of the association's steering committee, presented the donation to the Rev. Ed Gomez, executive director of the center, during the seminary's Blandy Lectures in mid-September. The money was gathered from ticket sales and extra donations for the first Blandy Lecture given by Joan Chittister, OSB, a leading voice in contemporary spirituality and world and church issues. More than 300 persons attended her talk at El Buen Samaritano.

The idea for the donation dovetailed with the work of the Benedictine nun Chittister, said Montgomery, associate rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Austin.

"In honor of Chittister's extraordinary work in calling all of us to care for 'the least,' the association realized it would be especially appropriate for this year's Blandy Lectures to include a benefit fundraising component outside our own organization," she said. "What a perfect blend of Gospel message, ecumenism, and cross-culturalization all coming together to support the vital work done by El Buen Samaritano."

The seminary's alumni/ae association sponsors the annual Blandy Lectures. This year marked the first time a Blandy Lecture was given off the seminary's campus.