Abbot Michael Brunner and Bishop James Conley with St. Paul’s Boys Choir (Humanitas 2022)

The Portsmouth Institute, under the leadership of new executive director Darryl De Marzio, continues to develop its array of programs to foster “faith and culture.” As an apostolate of Portsmouth Abbey, the Institute’s outreach includes not only friends and oblates of the monastery, and not only the School with its faculty, students, parents, and alumni. While originating within this broad circle often named “the extended monastic community,” the Institute has gained a voice in the wider church community and in the contemporary world. Exploring some of the programs it has offered, one discovers several tailored primarily to students, some that are more regional in their appeal, and some for faculty and those in secondary or higher education. While many of these programs draw people here to our monastery, others engage us beyond our own grounds, and even send students, faculty, and monks abroad to engage internationally in the “study and prayer” that define monastic life.

The Insitute’s Lauren Revay and Darryl De Marzio meet with Ben Kelly of FOCUS (center)Several examples of upcoming events highlight this diversity and growth. The “Culture Club” at the School “invites Abbey students to encounter our rich cultural and spiritual heritage through experiences of art, music, performance, and conversation.” On October 27, students and faculty will travel to Boston, attending Mass at St. Paul’s and hearing its renowned Boys Choir. The group will have time to explore Cambridge, Massachusetts, attend a concert of the Boston Symphony Chamber Players, and visit the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. The Institute is able to play an integral role in helping shape such trips for students, engaging the younger generation in its mission and cultivating an appreciation for culture in the context of faith. And on November 8, in an event open to the School’s faculty and students, acclaimed director Sam Sorich will join the Portsmouth Institute for a special screening of “Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard.” This award-winning documentary explores the life of René Girard, who coined the expression “mimetic desire,” developing its philosophical import. Following the viewing, Duane Armitage of the University of Scranton will join Sorich in a discussion of the film’s topics and message. Sorich, a freelance filmmaker and creator of Glass Darkly Films Inc., “is passionate about cinema and its potential to move audiences and create works of art,” the Institute’s website notes. Professor Armitage has authored several books, including Philosophy’s Violent Sacred: Heidegger and Nietzsche through Mimetic Theory (Michigan State University Press, 2021).
Members of the monastic community attending Collegium Ancora concert (Humanitas 2023)Such events targeted at the School are mirrored in programming open to a wider audience, while of particular interest to educators, such as the Pietas retreat. Pietas has invited teachers “from all educational backgrounds and disciplines” engaging them in an extended retreat with reflection guided by the School’s faculty as well as leaders from outside the School. This opens an opportunity for a “contemplative celebration of the Catholic intellectual life. Participants encounter the best in literature, philosophy, and theology in a communal, monastic setting.” In addition to classroom and seminar format discussions, participants join in the Divine Office with the monastic community, as well as finding moments for extended informal conversation. In addition to such programming focused on students and educators, the Institute retains its original gathering, an early summer conference now entitled the “Humanitas Summer Symposium.” Participants gather here at the Abbey “for a memorable weekend of learning, fellowship, and prayer,” joining conversations on important and contemporary issues “at the intersection of faith and culture,” guided by presentations by Catholic leaders and public intellectuals. From its inception, the Portsmouth institute has sought to situate these conversations in a monastic context, framing them by participation in prayer of the Divine Office and liturgical life. The community sense of the event is enhanced by small-group discussion sessions, with ample time allowed to carry the conversation further independently. Humanitas, while designed by experts, is not designed for experts, and has been fruitfully joined by participants with wide range of education and life experience, simply sharing a “love of learning and desire for God.” Portsmouth has also appreciated the partnership shared with Providence College in offering this program.
Fr. Augustine Wetta, OSB, of St. Louis Abbey with student group in Oxford (2022)While the Pietas and Humanitas programs bring participants to the Portsmouth grounds, the Oxford Summer Program “invites students to embark on a pilgrimage of learning and adventure,” traveling to the “city of dreaming spires.” This 10-day opportunity introduces students to the historic culture of Oxford and includes visits to ancient churches as well as “famous locations of film and story.” The Summer Program creates its own temporary community, enabling students and faculty, together with guest lecturers from Oxford, to experience collegiate life at one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world.
Executive Director Dr. Darryl De MarzioWhile the efforts outlined here have constituted the core offerings of the Institute, they by no means are the full extent of its work. The annual “Providence Symposium” has offered an evening of reflection drawing a number of renowned participants. The “Center for Science and the Liberal Arts” has developed both student and faculty programing, and sought to cultivate interdisciplinary research to link contemporary scientific efforts to faith and to the humanities. The “Junior Fellows” program has worked to extend initiatives such as the Oxford Program into students’ ongoing academic lives, to foster their learning to strengthen the community of prayer and learning created in that experience. The Institute has also been involved in various additional “ad hoc” events, such as lectures, work with publishers, or student trips, remaining open and fruitful in its engagement in fostering “faith and culture.”

The Portsmouth Institute has been well-served by its leadership, and not only in the guidance offered through its Steering Committee and Academic Advisory Council. Founded through the effort and vision of James MacGuire ’70, who led the Portsmouth Institute from 2008-2013, the Institute’s initial vision focused on the summer conference and on developing the awareness of Portsmouth and its beautiful location and utilization of its available facilities. The success of these efforts led to its expansion and included publication of articles generated by the conference. Chris Fisher, the next Executive Director, who departed for San Francisco to lead the school system of the archdiocese, further expanded the Institute into its present wide range of programming. The Institute recently welcomed its third Executive Director, Darryl De Marzio, Ph.D., who takes the helm as the Institute moves into its 17th year. A product of Blair Academy, Drew University, and Montclair State University, Darryl completed his doctoral studies at Columbia University. He has also worked for many years as an educator, teaching educational theory and philosophy at the University of Scranton, serving as Chair of the Education Department and Director of Undergraduate Programs. We look forward to the Institute’s future programing, grateful for its continued fruitful work.
Eucharistic Procession highlights the 2023 Humanitas Symposium