NOEMY BANUELOS
STAFF WRITER
Franciscan University of Steubenville’s inaugural Theology on Tap for this fall semester was held on Thursday, Sept. 20 at Froelich’s Bar and Dine at 7 p.m. The topic for the event was beauty through the channels of faith, hope, and love.
Speaker Jennifer Holmstrom intrigued the roomful of eager graduate and non-traditional students by opening her talk with the question: “What is beauty?” She continued by expanding on the objectivity of beauty found in the transcendent experiences of life through the tangible.
Holmstrom, coordinator of artistic development for the Catechetical Institute, said that she was approached to give a talk on beauty and “found it fitting because it is naturally something that I have a passion for.” When asked about her thoughts on the event, she said, “It is inspiring for me to see how the words the Lord has given me inspire others … the participants I spoke to were very supportive, which made it that much more enjoyable.”
The much-anticipated event was filled with joy and beauty for the graduate/non-traditional students, otherwise known as the GNT community. Marianne Guarnieri, this year’s GNT outreach coordinator, said, “We need to have events such as these that draw young adults together in a community where they are exposed to topics that might be on their hearts but cannot find outward expression in them. This is one way for them to find likeminded people.”
After Holmstrom shared her love of beauty with the GNT students, Laura Gallant, workshop development coordinator for the Catechetical Institute, accompanied the talk with a somber yet melodious tune on her violin, which captured the essence of beauty found through musical encounters. It evoked a sense of gratitude for students such as Mark Tirona, a graduate theology student, who said, “I realized that whatever love I have or hope for is exceeded by God 10 million times over.”
Overall, this event was an opportunity of enrichment that allowed students to draw together in fellowship with others who appreciated and valued their same ideals. Theology on Tap is held once a month on a Thursday. For more information on dates for this event please contact Marianne Guarineri at [email protected].