Translated and Republished in International Journal

A groundbreaking scholarly article by three Seton Hall faculty members has been translated into Albanian to be republished in a leading international journal, Revista Lente Sociologjike (Sociological Lenses).

The article, originally published as "Centering those on the periphery: Mother Teresa as exemplar of Catholic Social Thought (CST) and social work core commitments to dignity, service, and justice," was authored by Dawn Apgar, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of Social Work; Ines A. Murzaku, Ph.D., professor, Department of Religion, director, Catholic Studies Program; and Anthony Nicotera, J.D., D.S.W., assistant professor, Department of Social Work. It was first included in the spring of 2023 in the Journal of Vincentian Social Action, published at St. John’s University in Queens, New York.

Featuring Mother Teresa as an exemplar of the application of CST, this article shows how the CST in Action Academy integrates the disciplines of Catholic Studies and Social Work in an interdisciplinary program that advocates for those on the periphery. This innovative program, a joint venture between the Department of Social Work and the Catholic Studies Program, was established as an academy in November 2021 through the Provost’s Office and the Office of Grants and Research Services Innovation Challenge Grant to deepen research.

The CST in Action Academy has been led by Apgar, Murzaku, and Nicotera and supported by a core group of students. The work of the academy has been highlighted at both national and international conferences. The academy has been held up as a model for interdisciplinary programs that include service-learning components at Catholic universities worldwide.

"The translation of this article into Albanian and inclusion of the article in Revista Lente Sociologjike brings the article full circle, in a sense," said Murzaku. "Mother Teresa herself was of Albanian heritage, and her entire life’s mission was to embrace and promote the God-given dignity of those on the peripheries. We are so pleased that our article is being shared in this prestigious journal, thereby extending the influence of both Mother Teresa’s legacy and the wonderful work being done here at Seton Hall in the CST in Action Academy."

Categories: Faith and Service, Nation and World