30 Years of Faith & Culture

A Night to Honor Fr. Donald S. Nesti, CSSP

Opening with prayer, a historic and joyful event on Oct. 17, 2024, at the River Oaks Country Club marked the 30th anniversary of the Nesti Center for Faith & Culture and honored its founder, Fr. Donald S. Nesti, CSSp.

Under the theme “Illuminating the Way,” the Nesti Center’s Annual Faithful Citizenship Dinner celebrated three decades of unwavering service and commitment to the study of faith and culture. This milestone marks 30 years of bringing the Catholic voice to the ongoing conversation about the meaning of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness held in common as Americans.

Event chairs Mary Frances Fabrizio and Mike and Lisa Waters, along with honorary chairs His Eminence Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Lois Davis, and Larry Massey Jr., presided over the evening.

HONORING THE CENTER’S FOUNDER & NAMESAKE

Recognizing Fr. Nesti for his decades of faithful citizenship acknowledges his profound impact on the Center.

UST Director of the Nesti Center, Dr. Kevin Stuart, described that impact: “Fr. Nesti is not only the founder and namesake but the exemplar of what the Center for Faith & Culture is all about. A man of strong faith, learned scholarship, and a deep love of his country, Fr. Nesti gave the Center a sense of mission that we carry into our work every single day… and for many decades to come.”

_{Photo bottom left (L to R): Dr. Kevin Stuart, Center for Faith and Culture Director; Leah Jacobson, Gender Studies Program Manager; Patti Murphy, Director of Financial Management & Events; Marion Fernandez-Cueto ’05, MAFC ’17, Director of Center for Faith and Culture Programs; and Brad Vermurlen, Center for Faith and Culture Researcher & Professor}