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October 30, 2023

This dean means business

La Salle welcomes Mark A. Ritter, D.B.A., as the School of Business dean, effective Wednesday, Nov. 1. Ritter brings 30-plus years of experience in education, finance, and technology to the role. Learn more about the incoming dean.  

A milestone jubilee 

The University community recently got together to celebrate 70 years of commitment to their religious vocation for Brothers Joseph L. Scheiter, F.S.C., Ph.D., and Gerard "Gerry" Molyneaux, F.S.C., '58, M.A. '59,  Ph.D. Read more about their celebration.  

Teaching abroad

Professor of Sociology Charles A. Gallagher, Ph.D., was recently named a Distinguished Visiting Professor at De Lasalle University in Manila, Philippines. Read more about his time at the Lasallian institution.  

Register to vote

Pennsylvania's 2023 General Election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 7. You can apply for a mail ballot (no later than Oct. 31 at 5 p.m.) at Vote.PA.gov/MailBallot or find your polling place at Vote.PA.gov/PollingPlace. If you would like to volunteer to become a poll worker, you can learn more here. 

If you're voting in person, La Salle's shuttle bus will stop at Widener’s driveway on Election Day. You can board the shuttle as usual at Broad and Olney.

Featured events

Mass  

Sunday, 5 p.m.  

Celebrate the 30th Sunday of Ordinary Time with Mass at De La Salle Chapel. 

Documentary screening: Sound of the Police  

Nov. 7, 5:30 p.m.  

This screening held in Founders’ Hall Auditorium is sponsored by the Department of Urban Public Health and Nutrition bXg, along with La Salle’s African American Student League, Multicultural and International Center, and the Office of Mission, Diversity, and Inclusion. The film begins at 6 p.m. followed by a discussion led by Assistant Professor of Public Health John Taylor, Ph.D., M.Ed., MACC, LPC, and MIC Director Cherylyn Rush.  

Men’s Basketball home opener  

Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m.  

Watch the Explorers take on the Drexel Dragons in their first regular season game at TruMark Financial Center.   

Digital Mural Unveiling
Nov. 8, 4 p.m.

Gather on the Union Patio for the unveiling of the digital mural. Learn more about the mural. 

Homecoming & Family Weekend 

Nov. 10-12 

Celebrate with your fellow Explorers with a weekend packed with activities. Check out the full schedule.

A time of remembrance 

Samhain and Halloween  

Celebrated on Oct. 31, Samhain was first observed by Celtic Pagans and marked the Celtic New Year, the end of summer, and the end of the harvest season. The Holiday signaled the beginning of winter, which Pagans associated with death. It was considered a time when the veil between the physical world and the Otherworld was thin, allowing spirits of the dead to visit the living. Rituals may include dancing, feasting, being in nature, and building altars to honor ancestors. Samhain is the origin of Halloween. 

Día de los Muertos 

Also known as the Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion. It is a blend of Mesoamerican ritual, European religion, and Spanish culture. It is celebrated each year from Oct. 31 – Nov. 2, with Oct. 31 being Halloween and Nov. 2 being All Souls Day in the Catholic Church. On the Day of the Dead, it’s believed that the border between the spirit world and the real world dissolves. During this brief period, the souls of the dead awaken and return to the living world to feast, drink, dance, and play music with their loved ones. In turn, the living family members treat the deceased as honored guests in their celebrations and leave the deceased’s favorite foods and other offerings at gravesites or on the ofrendas built in their homes. The most prominent symbols related to the Day of the Dead are calacas (skeletons) and calaveras (skulls). 

All Saints and All Souls Day 

In the Catholic faith, Nov. 1 is the liturgical feast of the solemnity of All Saints and Nov. 2 is All Souls Day, the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. During these early November celebrations, those of us still living (the Church militant) unite our hearts with, and in a special way remember, the faithful departed, whether they be in heaven (Church triumphant) or in purgatory (Church suffering). 

All are welcome to the All Saints Holy Day of Obligation Mass on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 1 p.m. in the De La Salle Chapel. 

Members of the University community can submit names of deceased family members and friends. These names will be placed in a basket in the De La Salle Chapel, and the University community will unite in prayer to remember them at our daily Eucharistic Liturgy and other prayer services in November. Please use this form to submit names.   

All are welcome to worship at the University's All Souls’ liturgy on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 1 p.m. in the De La Salle Chapel.