Marquette University alumni Nancy and Bill Stemper, president of Comcast Business, are donating more than $1 million to support Catholic faith formation programs at their alma mater.
The gift will fund the Bill and Nancy Stemper Endowment for Excellence in Catholic Faith Formation at the Jesuit university.
“With this gift, Nancy and Bill are profoundly infusing campus faith formation throughout Marquette,” said Michael Lovell, president of Marquette. “Our Catholic, Jesuit identity guides us forward and is foundational to our strategic plan, Beyond Boundaries. The Stempers’ remarkable generosity and vision will now broaden the opportunities for more and more students to experience our faith-based activities, retreats, sacred spaces and service trips.”
All four of the Stempers’ children attended Marquette. Through their experiences, the Stempers learned of students who weren’t able to participate in retreats or service projects because of finances.
“Your degree conditions you for your career; faith becomes your guiding star forever,” said Bill, a 1977 Marquette graduate. “To have that anchor and fortification helps you better use the gifts you’ve been given. We hope these faith formation activities can strengthen the depths and hearts of Marquette students.”
“If there is one more student – or 10 more students – who might discover these experiences that touch them, it’ll have a life-changing impact not only on those individuals but on everyone they touch,” said Nancy, who earned her bachelor’s degree in 1978 and her master’s the following year. “College is a fun, exciting, crazy time. We wanted to provide Marquette with resources to share faith in ways that encourage students to be together on the same journey.”
