VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY NEWS
From a Papal Audience to a Spiritual Reflection, Villanova University Celebrates Catholic Mission and Vatican Connection in Rome
“This entire experience came together because two Catholic universities saw an opportunity to do something that was about much more than basketball,” said Villanova President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, ’75 CLAS, in a speech delivered before the Eternal City Tip-Off at Rome’s Palazzo dello Sport. “The games may have given us the reason to make the trip, but what brought us together is something much deeper: our faith, our shared mission and our values that we hope our students carry with them as they leave our campuses.”
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The Conversation
Young Black Men in Philly Are More Likely to be Pulled Over if Driving with Friends, Study Shows
November 9, 2026 - "Deciding whether to drive somewhere alone or with friends is typically a matter of convenience or personal preference. But for young Black men in Philadelphia, that decision may carry an additional consideration: the likelihood of being pulled over by police" ... Lance Hannon is a professor of sociology and criminology at Villanova University.
The Washington Post
Poised for Breakout Moment in Latin America, Pope Leo Faces Test of Health
November 6, 2026 - In Argentina and Peru, a pope who has not been afraid to delve into politics will find himself in a delicate dance with rightist leaders ... "He is by nature a calm and thoughtful person, and he is not going to look for an open confrontation, but I think he will be clear about the church's approach toward human dignity," said the Rev. John Lydon, director of Villanova's Mother Cabrini Institute on Immigration.
USA Today
'Defeated Goliath': Did Faith Help Democrats Flip Key Midterm Races?
November 6, 2026 - “You did see some rejection of Republicans, especially with Hispanic Catholics in Texas,” said Michael Moreland, director of the Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion and Public Policy at Villanova University in Pennsylvania. “Especially along the South Texas border, aspects of the administration’s immigration enforcement alienated a lot of voters. President Trump in 2024 peeled off a lot of those voters, but he lost them Tuesday night.”
NBC's The Today Show
Pope Leo Meets Villanova and Notre Dame Basketball Teams
November 2, 2026 - Villanova and Notre Dame traveled more than 4,000 miles to kickoff their basketball season in Rome, united by their faith and Villanova alum Pope Leo XIV. Longtime friend and Villanova president Rev. Peter Donohue brought the idea to Leo.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
Former Villanova Player, Then Priest, Helps Athletes Learn From Losing
October 31, 2026 - It's been more than 50 years, but Ed Hastings can still feel the sting of leaving the Palestra in March of 1969 after losing in the Catholic League playoffs... That loss at the Palestra prepared Hastings for what was to come: a knee injury at Villanova that cost him the chance of playing for the 1971 national title, 16 years as an Augustinian priest and now a trip to Rome to speak to a sold-out crowd a day before Villanova opens its season there.
Town and Country Magazine
How Villanova Seized Their Moment in the Spotlight
October 30, 2026 - It's no miracle that Villanova has been successful. The work to elevate the school's academics and reach began well before Pope Leo's election. Rev. Peter Donohue, the current president of Villanova University, credits his predecessor, Rev. Edmund Dobbin, with strengthening the university's academic profile and urging admissions to look beyond the northeast, including to the west coast and abroad.
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VILLANOVA MAGAZINE
With the first Augustinian pope guiding the Church, Villanova highlights what it means to live a life rooted in truth, unity and love
Villanova’s world-renowned lizard expert has built a scientific family tree —one discovery, and one student, at a time
A medieval chalice is a symbol of Villanova’s lasting relationship with Ireland