Lumen Magazine_Winter 2020

Catholic Studies News

N icole B ernardi who served on the College of Arts and Sciences Advisory Board from2015-18 and the Catholic Studies Advisory Board from 2004-18, passed away on Aug. 18. She is survived by her husband of 29 years, Luigi ’85, ’89 MBA ; and daughters Francesca ’16 and Antonella ’18 . “Nicole and Luigi Bernardi have been exceedingly good to St. Thomas. They are exceedingly good people,” says President Emeritus Father Dennis Dease. “Nicole cared. She was kind, gracious, effervescent, and a woman of deep and committed faith. We shall miss her, but never forget her.” The Bernardis are the namesakes of the Iversen Center for Faith’s Nicole and

Luigi Bride’s and Groom’s Suites. They also funded the recent restoration of the Mary Peace Garden. And thanks to Luigi’s parents Antonio and Cecilia Bernardi, the Bernardi Campus in Rome opened its doors in 2000. “There is a Latin phrase that catches the spirit of Nicole Bernardi, ‘via pulchritudinis’ – the way of beauty,” says Naughton. “She had an eye for the beautiful. Nicole brought a great conviction to the arts and she also brought this beauty to the deepest realities of life such as faith and human relationships.”

St. Thomas Catholic Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences has a newwebsite!We encourage you to visit stthomas.edu/catholicstudies to see the newwebsite, which includes more links to videos, virtual events and alumni story highlights.

St. Thomas Lumen Winter 2020 Page 9

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