Inside the Core: Maribel Landrau

Inside the Core this week we are grieving the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Maribel Landrau, who worked with me for four and a half years in administering the Core, though she had been teaching with us as an adjunct for several years prior to that. I will not repeat all the details about her life and legacy at Seton Hall overall, as they are told in the general announcement of her passing and in her obituary. But I want to focus on what she meant to us, specifically, in the Core and express not only our grief but our gratitude for her life and a celebration of all she meant to us. 

Maribel brought light and life to every situation she met. A devoted mother and grandmother, she knew how to expand love outwardly without ever losing that intimate touch of family. Colleagues became friends, and soon a kind of extended family. People have commented on the sense of community we have in the Core. Well, Maribel had a great deal to do with that. Her arms were welcoming to all. Her deep Catholic faith caused her to love papal encyclicals and systematic theology (her major for her master’s degree), while at the same time being the impetus of her loving outreach to others, no matter what their faith or lack thereof. A proud Latina, she loved and respected people of all backgrounds. Rooted in who she was, she helped others (particularly her students) discover who they were and wanted to be. 

Working with her, with our shared vision, was an absolute joy. She loved to create venues for fellowship, where she delighted to bring in large trays of home-cooked food for the Fellows, our student workers and me to enjoy. (She would usually cook something meatless for me with her kind courtesy). Always ready to laugh and having a wonderful sense of humor, she was serious to her core about what really mattered to her–her faith, her vocation, her colleagues and her many devoted students. She was a wonderful teacher and deeply committed to planning and coordinating our many Core events, like the last one we held together in November of 2024, when we had Martha Hennessy, Dorothy Day’s granddaughter, give a talk on campus. We brought Bryan Stevenson to campus in 2021 and coordinated many other events, all of which Maribel poured her heart and soul into planning. In August of 2021, Maribel and I participated with several others (Ines Murzaku, Monsignor. Dick Liddy and Greg Floyd, former Core Fellow) in the Catholic Studies Conference at Duquesne University, where Maribel presented a paper on St. Oscar Romero and Pope Francis. In fact, after the conference, she published an article based on her talk, entitled “Two Latino Leaders, One Message of Love and Hope," in Today's American Catholic.

I could go on about how much she will be missed and how I value her, but I asked a few others to share their thoughts about Maribel. I know many others could add to these comments, but they are representative of the various people whose lives she touched, from those in the priest community to her students. To begin, Father  Jim Worth, Pastor, St. Joseph Parish and adjunct faculty member in the University Core, knew Maribel for over thirty years. She brought him into the Core.

He describes her:

A faith-filled woman who rose above difficult circumstances to achieve her master’s in theology as a single working mother. Her contribution to Seton Hall and the students is substantial. Her legacy of devotion and love of the saints will live on well into the future.

Sister Mary John Bosco Ebere Amakwe, adjunct faculty member in the Core, first met Maribel when Sister applied for a job in the Communication Department and Maribel was secretary there. I met Sister Bosco through Maribel, and for the last five years or more, they have worked together as faculty in the Core.

She says:

For me Maribel was a valued friend, colleague, a sister and a spiritual daughter. I will miss her.

She was a blessing to our Core Fellows, as expressed by Todd Stockdale, Core Fellow and Coordinator of Core II:

Maribel was a gift to Seton Hall. She brought so much life to the Core through her animated presence, her passionate spirit, her devout faith and her relentless courage. We loved her.

Colleagues from the Communication Department also loved Maribel, and Jon Radwan, long-time friend and the person who first encouraged Maribel to teach in the Core, says this:

Maribel Landrau was a wonderful co-worker and a genuinely caring person. She already had an established career as Secretary for our very large Communication department when I was hired in 2001, and when she began working on degrees in theology we discovered that our research interests aligned and we became very close. At some point she started calling me her mentor. I was never 100% comfortable with that title because she was also a friend and colleague, roles that are more oriented toward equality than direction. As I helped Maribel learn to teach and to conduct research, her career gradually advanced into CORE leadership, and she made extra sure that everyone along the way knew that I was her mentor. We never discussed it directly, but I know she knew I wanted her to take credit for her own accomplishments. She consistently, humbly, refused. Maribel knew that each of us requires caring others to help build us up. To honor her memory, please acknowledge and celebrate your own mentors, and if it makes them a little uncomfortable say it again louder.

Another dear friend from the Communication Department, Christine Krus, has this to say:

My bond with Maribel Landrau surpassed our shared professional experiences; we emboldened each other whenever needed. I am honored to have been included in Maribel's journey and witnessed her courage, dignity and grace, never wavering in her faith or the belief that she would overcome. Her loss will always be felt.

Finally, we want to include remarks from some of Maribel’s many devoted students. Several of them were recruited by her to work in the Core Office, and I will close these remembrances with expressions of love from four of these students.

Kelly Pereira, now a junior, whom Maribel met in her Core I class two years ago and has worked for us since that first year, describes her in this way:

Maribel was the heart of the University Core, always guiding and supporting us like a true mother, ensuring everyone stayed on track and felt cared for, even on her toughest days. Her kindness and dedication will be deeply missed, but her impact will never be forgotten.

Ciara Rodriguez, who had Maribel last year for Core I and continues to work in the Core office, recalls Maribel in these words:

Maribel had a heart of gold, radiating kindness and generosity in everything she did. Her infectious humor could lift even the heaviest of hearts and her presence brought light and warmth to every room she entered, leaving an unforgettable mark on those fortunate enough to know her.

Grant Movsesyan recalls:

I met Professor Landrau during my first semester at Seton Hall in her CCD class. In that short time, her kindness and dedication to her students left a lasting impact on me. I am forever grateful to have known her not only as a professor but also as a friend.

Giselle Pineda, now an alumna, worked with Maribel first as a work study in the Communication Department and then came, at her invitation, to work with her in the Core when Maribel took the position here. She had her as a professor in four classes (Core I, Core II and two CAST courses—Modern Women of Faith and the Church in Latin America). Through her influence, Giselle, majoring in biology, decided to double major in Catholic Studies and went on to become the President of the Catholic Studies Club. After graduating two years ago, she has gone on to get her master’s degree in Healthcare, Administration and Policy and has remained in close contact with her former professor.

She says:

The Gospel of Matthew tells us 'let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven'—that is exactly what Maribel Landrau did. She would light up a room with her presence and laughter; you could truly feel God’s love and light within her. As someone who was blessed to get to know her both in and out of the classroom, I can confidently say Maribel was passionate about bringing others to God and showing them kindness. Maribel was more than just a professor to me, she was also my mentor, my closest friend at Seton Hall, my voice of reason and the someone who I could always count on no matter what. She would do anything and everything she could to help those in need, especially her students. Maribel’s light will live on in our memories of her.

We in the Core are deeply grateful for the light Maribel shone for us during the years she was with us. And I truly believe she continues to pray for us now in heaven with the Lord and the saints she loved so much.

Categories: Faith and Service