Photo Provided Franciscan University of Steubenville purchased a single floor of a Massachusetts Avenue property in Washington, D.C., which will house its new Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald Franciscan University Homeland Mission.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Oct. 11, 2023, Franciscan University of Steubenville celebrated the launch of its expanded $110 million Rebuild My Church capital campaign. A portion of those funds would help establish a “mission of some type” in the U.S. capital city, in the words of the Rev. Dave Pivonka, TOR, university president — though the nature of that “mission” had yet to be fully realized.

A year and three months later, the university has raised more than $125 million through its campaign, and the Washington mission once proposed in theory has come closer to reality.

Dubbed the Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald Franciscan University Homeland Mission, Franciscan’s initiative is made possible through a multimillion-dollar gift from the Fitzgerald family. The university has acquired a property centrally located in the nation’s capital, which will house students during short trips and internships.

FUHM’s purpose is to provide experiences and opportunities for students who are considering a career in public service or government, according to Franciscan’s Stephen Catanzarite, who’s spearheading the program.

“The vision is to create a space so that Franciscan University of Steubenville students can discern a call to working in and around the public square,” Catanzarite said. “Our goal … is to create varied, rich experiences where students can see firsthand what that type of calling and that type of mission entails.”

FUHM is part of Franciscan’s new Encounter initiative, a release from the university states. The Encounter initiative “works to bring together and leverage the university’s academic, administrative and evangelizing resources to extend its mission and impact far beyond its Steubenville campus.”

Catanzarite serves as executive director, which he likened to extension programs in traditional higher education — extending the university’s programming educationally and physically. Having earned his master of education from Franciscan, Catanzarite brings his experience leading educational start-ups, including two performing arts charter schools in Western Pennsylvania.

The idea of a university extension in Washington dates as far back as three years, Catanzarite said. It became possible through Ward and Kathy Fitzgerald, who donated $10 million to further the outreach and evangelization facet of Franciscan’s capital campaign.

Through support from his wife, Ward Fitzgerald founded Exeter Property Group, and he serves as CEO of the international real estate development and operating company EQT Exeter. The two center their philanthropy on causes such as Catholic education, homelessness, poverty, addiction, child abuse and trafficking and medical research, according to Franciscan.

“Prior to a visit they paid to the university just this past October, they actually had never set foot on campus,” Catanzarite said of the Fitzgeralds. “They knew of Franciscan by reputation. … They knew of Franciscan and the types of students that are attracted to come here and the types of students which graduate from here, and just felt this call to make sure more and more young men and women like that have the opportunity to at least discern a call to working in and around the public square, in particular in the federal government.”

Catanzarite, who started with Franciscan in April 2023 as its executive director of graduate and online enrollment, found the possible Washington mission intriguing and was eventually given the opportunity to advance it.

Of the Fitzgeralds’ total donation, $3 million was used to purchase one floor of a property on Massachusetts Avenue to house the mission. Across from the Marriott Marquis and within walking distance of the White House and Capitol Hill, the residential space can accommodate around 30 students in dormitories, as well as visiting faculty and staff in small studio apartments.

Catanzarite helped acquire the property and has spent time getting it iready for students.

Also, Catanzarite has been busy developing and nurturing relationships that will benefit students in the mission.

The Washington metropolitan area boasts a large network of Franciscan alumni who work in government. Many inquired about assisting with the mission as soon as they caught wind of it, Catanzarite said. Those are the type of individuals who will contribute to mission programming, along with other Catholic organization partners, Newman Guide schools, Catholics in the public square and others who simply support Franciscan’s mission.

Although still in development stages, programming will hopefully consist of various mission trips, Catanzarite said. That includes short-form trips — roughly three days, offering planned activities to teach students about government and connecting them with professionals in the field who can provide an insider look. Longer trips are also planned, granting students more immersive experiences for a week or more.

Additionally, students who obtain an internship in Washington — whether it be with a government agency, think tank or other organization — may stay at the property throughout the term. One student, senior theology major, Spencer LeStrange, resides in the space while he completes an internship with the Heritage Foundation.

When individuals hear the word “mission,” Catanzarite said, they often think of humanitarian aid or intentional evangelization. Spreading the gospel is innate to Franciscan students wherever they may be, he added, but that’s not the primary intention of FUMH.

“The goal is for Franciscan students to have an impact on our nation’s capital and the work of our federal government. It’s not for Franciscan University, per se, to come down here and be advocating or lobbying or even evangelizing. … We want our students to have the opportunity to come and be able to discern that calling (to public service) … and to provide the temporal, spiritual, academic and logistic support for them to pursue that fully.”

Catanzarite has been working closely with Caleb Henry, chair of Franciscan’s political science department, to develop a “pipeline” for students to leverage FUMH’s opportunities. He’s also begun collaborating with Fernanda Psihas, a new assistant professor of computer science and physics at Franciscan, who could contribute her experience of advocacy on Capitol Hill.

“This is not just limited to poly sci students or even primarily political science students,” Catanzarite said. “We want all students from Franciscan — whether they’ve been studying software engineer, catechetics, theology, whatever it may be — who feel they have an interest in working here in Washington and making a positive impact on our federal government to have the opportunity to do that as well.”

Franciscan will dedicate the FUMH space Feb. 28, following the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast, Catanzarite said. Some students will be on hand for the dedication and partake in some planned talks with Franciscan alumni over the weekend.

A pilot group of students will embark on a “Mission D.C.” trip over the spring break in March, Catanzarite added.

“We have a lot of plans on paper and a really strong direction, but we’re also … seeing how things develop and are open to responding to the demand we may have for the different types of opportunities. The thing that is cast in stone is that our primary, No. 1 goal and priority is to create these rich and deep experiences for Franciscan University students …”

Catanzarite, who’s spent more and more time in Washington as FUMH develops, said of the mission: “I think it’s very exciting. It’s something very new for Franciscan, and I think it really does resonate well with what was the theme of the capital campaign Rebuild My Church, which had a very strong element in it of Franciscan University being called to do more, being called to go out from that hilltop campus, wherever we may be called, and to have an impact of bringing our values of encounter, conversion and community.”