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.
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).