Spiritual pilgrimages are important. Over the past 4 years, I’ve intentionally undertaken annual summer pilgrimages to European, medieval-era cathedrals - something that has allowed me to visit and pray in some of the largest and oldest European cathedrals from Switzerland to Germany to Luxembourg to France to Belgium to the Netherlands to my most recent trip to the United Kingdom just a couple of weeks ago ...

by. Jason Burkett (US Army veteran and M.A. in Peace & Justice student) I joined the Army twice. The first time (1989-1996), I was a junior in high school, the summer before my senior year. My dad was a truck driver, my mom was a teacher, and we didn’t have much money. I knew my parents couldn’t afford to send both my sister and me to college, and back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, it was all anyone talked about: college, college, college. My dad had served in Vietnam. My

My guiding motto is simple yet life-giving: “There is no peace that can be brought to earth through the barrel of a gun, but only by sitting around the table, deepening our understanding of the ‘other,’ pulling down the walls that divide us, and building bridges that connect us.” True peace can never be won through fighting, but only through dialogue, compassion, understanding, and reconciliation.

I want to congratulate you all, every single one of you, students and friends, spouses, alumni, teachers, administrators, children, parents, all of you. Everyone. Congratulations to all of you who are graduating on the hard work and the met deadlines and the missed deadlines, and the anguish and the joy and the, “What am I doing this for?” And the, “I’m not good enough,” and, “What do I do with it now?” And, “What comes next?”

Pilgrimage is the dedicated annual documentary journal of St. Stephen’s University.

When I began my Master’s journey at SSU, I did not come as a blank slate. I came as a South African...

On October 1, St. Stephen’s University hosted an event to honour and celebrate Chief Hugh Akagi of the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik and his community, in which the Chief received a Doctorate of Humanities (honoris causa). His nomination for this honour came by way of SSU's Board Chair Judith Moses , who serves as the university's Indigenous Kahn-tineta . You can view the entire celebration below.

On October 1, St. Stephen’s University hosted an event to honour and celebrate Chief Hugh Akagi of the Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik and his community, in which the Chief received an honorary Doctorate of Humanities. In the words of SSU’s principal, Dr. Bradley Jersak, “‘Doctorate of Humanities’ is a technical term. In my heart, you’re a Doctor of Humanity.”

Kenarchy Journal: Volume 7, "Perfecting Love"

2025 Commencement Address: "A Journey of Indigenous Values and Spirituality Today"