Diocese of Gary

“A Catholic institution of higher learning informed by the values of its founding religious community, the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, the mission of the Calumet College of St. Joseph is to cultivate the academic, spiritual, and ethical development of our students by affirming the inherent dignity of all people, promoting social justice and an ethic of service, and providing opportunity and empowerment.” - From the CCSJ Mission statement

WHITING – Considered an “educational outpost” for Northwest Indiana when it was established by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in East Chicago in 1951, Calumet College of St. Joseph has served the Diocese of Gary and the surrounding Chicagoland area in honor of its patron St. Joseph: selfless, hardworking and devoted to family.
    
In church basements and empty storefronts, the small but dedicated faculty, including Missionaries of the Precious Blood priests and brothers, educated the sons and daughters of millworkers and first-generation college students. Offering the Calumet Region’s first bachelor’s degree, the college changed lives, and after 75 years, it still does. That is why students, alumni, faculty, staff and their families gathered on Sept. 19 to celebrate its growth and success.
     
The only Catholic college in the Diocese of Gary, CCSJ found a permanent home that offered room for expansion with a move to Whiting when, in 1973, Standard Oil Company donated a six-story “vertical campus” that has grown to include Rittenmeyer Athletic Center, Clark Hall student dormitory, and a planned outdoor athletic field and park.
     
The 75th anniversary celebration began this summer when alumni were invited to share photos and memories in honor of the milestone, helping tell the story of CCSJ through images that reflect experiences, friendships, and defining moments on campus that were featured in the Bernard Gallery’s commemorative exhibition, “Grit & Gratitude – Celebrating 75 Years,” that ran Aug. 10 through Sept. 19, closing with a reception open to the public just after a 75th Anniversary Mass celebrated by Father Timothy McFarland, C.PP.S., director of Mission and Ministry at CCSJ. Father Dennis Chriszt, C.PP.S., a member of the CCSJ board of trustees, came from Ohio, where he serves as a worship director for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood retirement home, to concelebrate.
     
“Today’s Gospel story of the workers in the vineyard is the exact story of Calumet College of St. Joseph on its 75th anniversary,” Father McFarland told the congregation. “Rather than judging people by human standards, we have an extraordinary example of Jesus’ mercy in today’s parable. Steelworkers came to this area to make a living … and for 75 years they have infused this college with a deep understanding of Christ’s love.
     
“No one is an outsider, everyone has inherent dignity,” said the homilist. “We can stand at the gate and grumble when others are let in, but instead we have to go out into the marketplace and invite others in. Let us continue this divine generosity and service for generations to come.”
     
Among those expressing gratitude at the Mass were Rosemary Wojdyla, of Hammond, and Carolyn Mulac, of Chicago. Alumnae from the CCSJ class of 1973, the two women met in the school library, then in East Chicago, as freshmen, and have remained friends for 57 years.
     
“Our parents even became friends, and over the years we have taken trips together, gone to concerts together, and supported each other through difficult times,” said Mulac, a St. Francis de Sales High School graduate. “Where did all the years go?”
     
Wojdyla, a Bishop Noll Institute graduate, recalled that she and Mulac had a lot of classes together, and while all the furniture and equipment was recycled, “We had wonderful teachers. The school was so accessible, and we ate at local pubs because there was no cafeteria. A lot of the students were the first in their family to attend college.
     
“It’s amazing that we stayed friends all this time; the college gave us a wonderful gift as well as a good education,” added Wojdyla.
     
After Mass, the evening continued in the Dennis and Leslie Rittenmeyer Athletic Center, built in 2009 and named to honor a former CCSJ president and his wife. Hundreds of supporters gathered for a meal that included a slider, tacos and pierogi to reflect the ethnic diversity of the campus area, as well as snacks, live music, inflatable games and souvenirs.
     
Mark Kalwinski, who received two bachelor’s degrees from CCSJ (in 1976 and 1977), said he remembers several outstanding instructors who provided him with an education that led him to a life of public service. A Hammond city councilman for 23 years, he is the 2025 recipient of the college’s Br. Gerard Von Hagel Alumni Award for his exceptional community advocacy, service, and leadership, as well as the recipient of the St. Joseph the Worker Award.
     
“I remember a course, “The Immigrant Experience,” taught by Ed Zivich, and we had to interview and write about an immigrant. I wrote about my parents, and I learned things I never would have known otherwise,” Kalwinski said. “We had a quality faculty, and I received good life lessons.”
     
Joining the CCSJ staff this year as campus minister, Dr. Steven Torres, also on the staff of Catholic journal “Commonweal,” has already come to appreciate “the social justice aspect of the campus and the spirituality of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.” Having recently earned a master’s in Catholic Studies from St. Mary University in Minnesota, he enjoys meeting one-on-one with students, and said the “organizational leadership of CCSJ is strong.”
     
Also finding a welcoming environment upon joining the administration this year is Dr. Ron Tulley, who became CCSJ president on July 1, succeeding Dr. Amy McCormack, the CCSJ leader for eight years before her retirement.
     
“I was welcomed from day one; they live our mission,” said Dr. Tulley, who holds a Ph.D. in English from Case Western Reserve University, master’s degrees in English, curriculum and instruction, health informatics, and business administration, and bachelor’s degrees in both English and history. He previously served for 12 years as dean of the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Service at the University of Findlay in Ohio, but hails from the south side of  Chicago.
     
“This felt like coming home; it feels like God had a hand in bringing me to this place,” he said. “This is such a unique opportunity.”
     
Also happy to be at CCSJ is Carrie Hutton, who joined the mathematics faculty 12 years ago and recently became the interim provost. “I love everything about it,” she said. “I love the family environment, and the way it is invested in the students. We are a big part of the surrounding community, sharing athletic space with (Whiting and Hammond). I’m really thankful to be here; it’s a really great place.”

Caption: Rosemary Wojdyla (left), a 1973 graduate of Calumet College of St. Joseph, shows her senior class yearbook to Linda Kalwinski, who wanted to look up her husband, Mark Kalwinski, also a CCSJ alumna, during the Whiting school’s 75th Birthday Bash on Sept. 19. Hundreds of students, alumni, faculty, staff and their families attended. (Marlene A. Zloza photo)