By OSWALD T. BROWN
WASHINGTON, D.C., December 12, 2023 – Bahamas Prime Minister Philip E. Davis delivered the 17th annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture yesterday at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.
Held at the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater at St. John’s University, the speech was followed by a discussion with the Prime Minister Davis led by history professor Dr. Brittany Merritt Nash.
In a December 5 article on its website, when it was announced that Prime Minister Davis would be the speaker at the historic lecture, the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s said Mr. Davis “is expected to talk about the unique relationship between the College of Saint Benedict and SJU. He will also share his point of view on climate change, economics and other challenges and opportunities related to The Bahamas.”
In its introductory paragraph, the article stated: “Never in the 166-year history of Saint John’s University – let alone the 110 years since the College of Saint Benedict was founded – has a sitting head of a national government ever visited campus. But that will change on Monday (Dec. 11), with the guest of honor coming from a country more intertwined with the two schools than any other.
“Prime Minister Philip Davis of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas will lead an entourage of about a dozen dignitaries to visit Saint Ben’s in the morning and Saint John’s in the afternoon, culminating with his appearance as the speaker for the 17th annual Eugene J. McCarthy Lecture on Monday night in the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater. The lecture, followed by a question-and-answer session with Brittany Merritt Nash, an assistant professor of history, is free and open to the public; however, a ticket will be required for entry.”
Continuing, the article added: “While The Bahamas still recognize King Charles III of the United Kingdom as monarch and head of state, Davis’ appearance coincides with the 50th anniversary of Bahamian independence and highlights roots that run much deeper. In 1891, Fr. Chrysostom Schreiner was sent from Saint John’s to become the first Catholic priest assigned to The Bahamas. He and others who followed opened Catholic schools, and some students from those schools went on to further their studies at Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s. Some became priests and nuns, returning to perform parish duties and teach throughout the islands, launching a cyclical synergy that continues today in a country of about 400,000 people that encompasses a 500-mile chain of islands east of Miami.
“Saint Ben’s alumna Telzena Coakley ’62 co-founded Benedictine University College, which operated there from 1974-2000 and provided a way for Bahamians to take much of their curriculum at home but also spend a semester or year at CSB and SJU to graduate from the institutions. More than 1,600 natives of The Bahamas have earned degrees from Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s – by far the most of any nation outside the U.S. Currently, there are 57 Bahamian students on campus hoping to follow in their footsteps. And Nash is in the process of writing a book about more than 130 years of history between CSB and SJU and The Bahamas.”
The annual McCarthy Lecture seeks to inspire a new generation of young people to pursue fresh ideas, challenge the status quo, effect positive change in their communities, and lead with honesty, integrity, and courage, according to the article.
Dr. Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D became the first person to serve as President of both the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University on July 1, 2022. He is responsible for leading two strong, respected Catholic, Benedictine, residential liberal arts institutions with distinct but supporting missions.
Dr. Bruess recently served as the 8th President of St. Norbert College, a nationally renowned Catholic liberal arts school with over 2,000 students in De Pere, Wisconsin.
