University of Dayton Fitz Center wins Uniservitate global service award

University of Dayton leadership accepts global service award in Rome

The Fitz Center for Leadership in Community at the University of Dayton has been named the inaugural winner of the 2026 Uniservitate Global Service Program Award for the North American Hub. According to a personal account published by the University of Dayton, the award was presented by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities and Uniservitate, marking the first time this specific honor has been bestowed.

The recognition follows a 25-year legacy at the Fitz Center, an institution built upon the vision of Brother Ray Fitz to engage with communities in transformative ways. To accept the award, a representative from the center traveled to Castel Gandolfo, the papal residence, to participate in a global symposium that brought together educators and students from diverse international backgrounds.

The symposium served as a platform for global service-learning projects, showcasing work from several continents. Students from Peru presented creative design projects developed alongside rural artisan communities, while those from Ukraine shared efforts to preserve historical and cultural memory in war-affected regions. The event also featured presentations from Palestinian students regarding support for orphaned and abandoned children in Gaza, as well as restorative justice initiatives from San Diego and psychological support programs for incarcerated individuals from Malawi.

A chaotic dash to the papal audience

While the primary purpose of the trip was the award ceremony, the experience culminated in a high-stakes moment during a papal audience with Pope Leo. The University of Dayton representative described a scene in St. Peter’s Square where the North American Hub contingent became separated from the colleagues holding their special seating tickets during the security process.

As the ceremony approached its start, the group faced the prospect of missing the audience entirely. The representative recounted a frantic moment where colleagues, having finally cleared security, urged the group to run through the crowds and across the Roman cobblestones to reach their designated platform seats. This dash was completed in heels, navigating past Swiss Guards who were required to verify tickets and account for the group members before they could take their places just as the music began.

The representative noted that the brief encounter with Pope Leo allowed for the delivery of gifts on behalf of the University of Dayton and the Catholic Haitian community in Springfield, Ohio. These gifts included a volume of essays titled Curiosity for the Common Good, written by UD faculty and staff, and items provided by children in Springfield.

Reflecting on the necessity of the group’s coordination to reach the platform, the author connected the experience back to the core philosophy of the Fitz Center. The realization was that the group reached their destination only because they acted in unison—carrying the tickets, counting the members, and running together—embodying the principle of being “in and with community.”