Father Don Willette Catholic Studies Program

Father Don Willette Catholic Studies Program

Fr. Don Willette Chair of Catholic Studies

Joel Bacon

  • Professor of Music
  • Stewart and Sheron Golden Chair in Organ and Liturgical Studies
  • Fr. Don Willette Chair of Catholic Studies

In 2019, Father Don Willette established an endowment at Colorado State University to provide a space for students, faculty, and staff at Colorado State University to engage in academic pursuits and open conversations about the history and rich theological tradition of the Catholic Church. For Fr. Don, an important part of life was asking questions of ourselves: how to get along with people; how to be accepting; how to live a more meaningful life. It was Fr. Don’s hope that this position and program will be a catalyst for dialogue and conversation that will enrich the “humanness” of students and faculty on campus and engage the greater Fort Collins community through lectures and other initiatives. The Willette Chair of Catholic Studies is housed in the College of Liberal Arts.

Upcoming Events

  • November 13
  • 4 p.m.
  • Smith Alumni Center of the Stadium
  • Wyatt Olivas (University of Wyoming)

Synodality in the Catholic Church: Learning to Listen

The Synod on Synodality has been called the most important Catholic event since the Second Vatican Council and the “biggest consultation exercise in human history.” In 2023, Wyatt Olivas, an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming, became the youngest official delegate to Synod meetings at the Vatican. In this presentation he will tell what it was like to be the youngest voice at the table, and how delegates from extremely diverse backgrounds were able to listen to each other and find common ground. While “synodality” (from the Greek for “journeying together”) has become an essential concept for Catholics, the synodal process offers potential lessons for all people seeking fresh ways of listening and dialoguing across difference.

  • November 16
  • 4 p.m.
  • First United Methodist Church

Things Visible and Invisible: Organ Works on the Nicene Creed

Joel Bacon will present an organ recital of music based on the Nicene Creed. Works will include: J. S. Bach’s Wir glauben all an einen Gott, BWV 680; Olivier Messiaen’s “Offertoire (Les choses visibles et invisibles)”; Arvo Pärt’s Annum per annum; and Otto Olsson’s Credo Symphoniacum, mvt. 1.

  • December 2
  • 7 p.m.
  • Lory Student Center, Never No Summer Room

Christian Ecumenism and the Legacy of the Council of Nicaea

The 1700th anniversary year of the Council of Nicaea has provided an opportunity for Christian leaders and theologians to reflect on the state of ecumenism today. How do various branches of so-called “Nicene Christianity” recognize the unifying potential of their common creed? Has this year been an occasion for real progress towards shared goals of Christian unity? The speakers in this theological panel discussion will address these and other issues from the perspective of their own Christian traditions.

Course(s)

LB 393-003: Catholicism and the AI Revolution
Spring 2026 | T/R 11:00–12:15

An interdisciplinary survey of Catholic and other religious perspectives on the ethical, social, theological, and philosophical significance of the artificial intelligence revolution.

Instructor: Dr. Joel Bacon (Fr. Don Willette Chair of Catholic Studies; Stewart and Sheron Golden Chair of Organ and Liturgical Studies)
Joel.Bacon@colostate.edu

In May 2025 the newly elected Pope Leo XIV identified artificial intelligence as one of the most urgent issues facing humanity, and placed it high on his agenda for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

This course will ask the questions: What can the Catholic intellectual tradition contribute to conversations about the use of artificial intelligence? As world governments and global technology companies struggle to articulate ethical concerns about AI, can religious perspectives inform how we think about what it means to replace or replicate human persons? How will technological advances change religious practices and beliefs?

This course will feature evening events with guest speakers as well as an ecumenical panel discussion on religious responses to AI.

Advisory Board Membership

The Advisory Board provides guidance and feedback to the Willette Chair and the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts on the progress and direction of the program. It supports the Chair holder in planning and implementing program activities including events, curriculum development, and communication initiatives, while also helping to shape the program’s long-term vision and structure.

  • Joel Bacon, Chair
  • Rick Miranda
  • Joseph Britton
  • Heather Bellotti
  • Enrique Mercado
FrDonWillette-signing

About Father Don

For 10 years, Father Don Willette served as pastor at St. John XXIII University Parish in Fort Collins, CO. During this time, he provided oversight to a multi-faceted program in campus ministry, facilitating up to six missionaries with Fellowship of Catholic University Students and missionary trips to developing countries, along with a variety of other outreach efforts. Prior to entering studies for the priesthood, Fr. Don served for 15 years in the U.S. Air Force with three tours in Vietnam. After ordination in 1984, he served an additional 15 years as a chaplain in the Colorado Air National Guard and Reserves, earning the rank of colonel in retirement. Father Don passed away in May 2023. Read about Fr. Don is this article, Not Your Everyday Priest, Not Your Everyday Gift.

To Donate

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