President's Blog: The Critical Path of Teneor Votis

Published: October 14, 2021

Teneor votis (“I am bound by my responsibilities”) is the motto of Holy Family University, but how does it manifest itself in our daily lives? First and foremost, we believe our responsibility is to our community, whom we consider our family. How can we help our family grow and prosper?

As an institution, it is our responsibility not only to serve as an economic driver, but also to ensure access to education—both in and out of the classroom, to serve as a resource, and to enhance civic engagement. We must use our platform to be a voice for those who may not have one.

As a leader in the community, it is the University’s responsibility to instill in all the principles of service. While most educational institutions have some form of service learning, at Holy Family, where so many of our students are from the Philadelphia region, we truly are giving back to our own neighbors and uplifting those who learn from us.

As educators, it is our responsibility to provide the tools to ensure that our students are empowered to use their knowledge to become contributing members of society. While it may be cliché it is true that with knowledge comes power—and we want our students to feel empowered to create change.

For students, we believe it is their responsibility to take what they have learned and the opportunities they have received to, in turn, create opportunities for others. We challenge our students to question the status quo and to search out meaningful engagement to make a difference.

The idea of ‘responsibility’ can mean different things to different people in changing circumstances. By first acknowledging our shared responsibility to each other and then living each moment with an eye on how we honor those responsibilities to improve others’ lives, and thus, benefit our overall community, those responsibilities become a privilege and a blessing. How are you honoring that opportunity?