The Alta Via Program is celebrating its fifth year at the University.
It was founded in 2020 by Fr. James Puglis. Alta Via is Latin for “the high road.”
It is a program for “intentionally” Catholic students who want to grow in their faith and take the next steps in their spiritual journey while attending Saint Francis.
“Alta Via has actually changed everything for me,” said sophomore Seth Cunningham.
“The friends I’ve made have helped push me to be a better person.”
Scholarships are available for students interested in the program.
Each academic year, the program focuses on one section of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and students complete a one-credit course on each section.
The first-year course is titled “Professing the Faith;” the second is “Living the Faith;” the third is “Praying the Faith;” the fourth is “Witnessing the Faith.”
“Alta Via is one of my favorite classes this semester,” said sophomore Riley Weyer. “I get to spend an hour with my friends, learning and growing in my faith.”
During the summer between Alta Via students’ junior and senior years at SFU, they go on a 10-day pilgrimage to Italy, visiting Assisi and Rome.
On the trip, the students visit many of the places that Saint Francis of Assisi spent time in during his life.
The three “pillars” of the program are intentional community; actively engaging in liturgy and devotion; and intellectual formation.
“The program is mainly about the academic and communal components, but it sometimes has events outside of the regularly scheduled weekly classes,” said Fr. Stephen Waruszewski.
Fr. Stephen took over as director of the program in 2022 following the departure of Fr. James, who is currently working on his doctoral degree in Rome.
Students interested in joining the Alta Via Program have until the end of their sophomore year to apply. For more information about the program, email campusministry@francis.edu.
