Last Updated: Wednesday - 01/05/2011

Potworowski installed at Newman

New president welcomed by college

EDMONTON — Archbishop Thomas Collins installed Christophe Potworowski as the eighth president of Newman Theological College, Oct. 6.

Presidents of other religious colleges in Alberta and Saskatchewan as well as faculty, staff and students of Newman College attended the simple ceremony, held at the college chapel.

"Education has something to do with reality," said the 48-year-old president.

"As Christians we believe that Christ is the answer, meaning and substance of all reality," he added.

The presence of Christ is an event that can be encountered within human experiences by virtue of his incarnation, Potworowski said.

In his homily, Collins said that "At Newman and at other institutions we know, we don't master divinity. We do not grasp or earn it. It is a gift."

Potworowski holds a doctorate in theology from St. Michael's College in Toronto. Before coming to Newman he was professor of theological studies at Concordia University in Montreal for 13 years.

"I hope to make Newman as vital an institution as possible, to make its presence felt within the community here in Edmonton within Western Canada and the Canadian Church," Potworowski told the WCR.

Jo-Ann Badley, a professor of Scripture and biblical theology, said Potworowski "is a delight to work with."

"We look forward particularly to a very academic leadership. He is undoubtedly a gift to the college," Badley told the WCR.

"When you have a transition from one age to the next, you always look for new gifts to help build on the strength of what was here before," Badley added.

Students' President Matthew Hoven told the WCR that Potworowski is interested in the students' needs.

"He's interested to see where the students are at and see how he can help us out and make the college run better," Hoven said.

"He is a very down to earth man and he cares for the people here and wants to make Christ be present in the day to day life of the college," Hoven added.

Lyn Boire, a student from Victoria, appreciates that a lay married person is the new president for the college.

"I think a lay person brings a different perspective and he is very strong with his Christian faith," Boire said.

Boire said the first time Potworowski spoke, he talked about sacrifices.

"He talked about the sacrifices that his wife and child had to make while he was studying and how much he appreciated that," Boire said. "That really struck me."

Potworowski has a forthcoming book called Contemplation and Incarnation: The Theology of Marie-Dominique Chenu.

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