Latest news with #XavierUniversityofLouisiana
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana leaders react after Robert Prevost elected as first American pope
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Louisiana leaders celebrated the election of Robert Prevost, the first pope from the United States. The Chicago-born Prevost took the name Leo XIV. His first words from the loggia of St. Peter's Basilica were 'Peace be with you.' He emphasized a message of peace, dialogue, and missionary evangelization while wearing the traditional red cape of the papacy. The newly elected Pope has ties to Louisiana. According to FindAGrave records, his maternal grandmother, Louise Baquie Martinez, was born in New Orleans on Feb. 9, 1868. She and his grandfather, Joseph Martinez, got married in New Orleans on Sept. 17, 1887. The couple moved to Chicago around 1911. What Pope Leo XIV's name choice may signal Gov. Jeff Landry congratulated Prevost in a post on X. 'This is a historic day. May his leadership be guided by faith, wisdom, and a deep commitment to the service of the Church,' Landry said. Attorney General Liz Murrill called Thursday 'a historic day' in a social media post. 'A historic day as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost from the United States was elected as the 267th Pope. I join Catholics across Louisiana and the world in congratulating and praying for Pope Leo XIV,' Murrill wrote. Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X, 'Congratulations to Pope Leo XIV. May God bless the first American papacy in these historic days.' Sen. Bill Cassidy wrote, 'The influence of the Catholic Church is felt throughout the world. In modern times, it has included John Paul II's advocacy for the freedom of Eastern Europe from Soviet Russia and every pope's strong stand for life. We pray that Pope Leo XIV provides the same level of moral courage and clarity for the Catholic Church and beyond.' Congressman Troy Carter released a statement celebrating Prevost's election and his family's ties to New Orleans. Read his full statement below. 'As a Black man, a proud son of New Orleans, and a U.S. Congressman honored to represent Louisiana's 2nd Congressional District — which includes the very 7th Ward neighborhood where our newly selected Pope's family once lived — I am overwhelmed with joy and pride at this historic moment. 'For many years, I have had the privilege of serving and representing this vibrant, resilient community — a place rich with Creole heritage, deep faith, and a legacy of perseverance. As someone who grew up in the Catholic faith and graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana, the only historically Black Catholic university in the world, I know firsthand the profound intersection of faith, identity, and culture that shapes our people. 'The news that the first American Pope has roots here in New Orleans, with ancestral ties to our Creole and Haitian families, is nothing short of extraordinary. It reminds the world that greatness rises from every corner — including communities that history has too often overlooked or underestimated. 'This moment is a testament not just to personal achievement, but to the enduring strength and global reach of New Orleans' diverse faith community. As we celebrate, I pray that the Holy Father leads with justice, compassion, and a commitment to uplifting the marginalized, reflecting the spirit of the people and places that shaped him. 'We rejoice as one — and we send our love, our prayers, and our pride from the 7th Ward to the Vatican.' The Associated Press contributed to this report. Conclave that elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as pope was short – but not the shortest ever Trump taps Jeanine Pirro for top DC prosecutor job These U.S. cities are slowly sinking: Virginia Tech study What We Learned: Geaux Nation recaps LSU baseball, looks ahead to LSU football season Patel appears to backtrack, says FBI will work 'on whatever budget' given Pope's brother answers burning local question: Chicago White Sox or Cubs fan? Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Louisiana universities could get ‘fail safe' for students in mental health crisis
Members of Omega Psi Phi fraternity at Xavier University of Louisiana perform a step routine Jan. 17, 2025, at a kickoff event for the school's 100th anniversary. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) The Louisiana Legislature is advancing a measure that would allow colleges and universities to contact the parents of students experiencing a mental health crisis. House Bill 202 by Rep. Delisha Boyd, D-New Orleans, would require colleges and universities to offer privacy waivers to students that would allow the schools to contact a pre-designated person in the case of a mental health crisis or situation in which the student poses a risk to themselves or other. The measure is necessary because colleges are currently not able to contact parents under privacy laws that protect adult students, Boyd said. Students would be given the option to fill out the waiver. Legislators on the House Committee on Education described the proposal Wednesday as a 'fail safe.' It comes on the heels of several high-profile deaths on college campuses. 'Just recently, we had a student at Xavier University that committed suicide about a month ago,' Boyd told the committee. 'Imagine if someone had paid attention to the change in attitude, the personality or what have you, it could have ended in a different way.' Boyd's bill will next be discussed on the House floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Four Louisiana universities receive new research designation
The University of Louisiana Monroe library, photographed from Northeast Drive. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Four Louisiana universities will receive a new research designation under revamped Carnegie Classifications. Xavier University of Louisiana, University of Louisiana Monroe, Southeastern Louisiana University and LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport will receive the new designation. In total, 218 colleges and universities received the new designation. Previously, the American Council on Education, which doles out the designation, only categorized universities as 'R1' or 'R2,' meaning they are doctoral degree-granting institutions with either 'very high' or 'high' levels of research activity. In 2023, the organization announced it would begin conferring the title of 'Research Colleges and Universities,' which can be awarded to schools that don't confer doctoral degrees. Any school with at least $2.5 million in research expenditures annually will get this label. 'A highlight of our work to modernize the Carnegie Classification is the new Research Colleges and Universities designation, which will shed light on institutions that have engaged in research but historically haven't been recognized for it,' ACE president Ted Mitchell said. 'Instead of limiting research designations to the select institutions that award PhDs, all types of colleges and universities will now be celebrated for their research contributions. LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, which was previously classified as a 'special focus' institution, is now classified as an R2 university. Louisiana's other R2s include the University of New Orleans, Louisiana Tech and Southern University. Louisiana's R1 universities are LSU, Tulane and the University of Louisiana Lafayette. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
