Fr. Kline last appeared at Duke in October 1997, when he performed an all-Bach organ recital, "Spiritual Bach," which sold out Duke Chapel and was widely covered by the media. A Trappist monk, he seldom ventures outside his abbey, so this new visit will have special meaning. In his talk, Kline will explore the concept of vocation, of the struggle to live a meaningful life.

His own life has been full of such dramatic tensions. Kline gave his first organ recital at the age of 15 in Philadephia, and went on to attend Juilliard as a student of Vernon deTar. He soon garnered praise from The Christian Science Monitor and the New York Times, and did a number of recordings. Despite his early success, he longed for deeper meaning, and in 1972 abruptly left music to join one of the most secluded monasteries around—Kentucky's Gethsemani, home of Thomas Merton. He studied theology in Europe from 1980-84, was ordained a priest in 1986, and was elected third Abbot of Mepkin Abbey in SC in 1990. He was appointed Director of the Office of Prayer and Worship for the Diocese of Charleston in March 1995.

But music wouldn't leave him alone, and so his superiors allowed him a little bit of practice time each week, a worse torture than completely quitting for one accustomed to high performance levels. Over the years Kline struggled to find the proper place for his art in his monastic vocation, and ironically has found that putting God first and foregoing a professional music career only deepened his musical understanding. Now faced with a diagnosis of life-threatening cancer, Fr. Francis is facing the greatest challenge of his life and the essence of being a monk—to learn to die well. Kline's ability to share his personal stories with students with unblinking candor, compassion, and humor, make this a lecture not to be missed.

The Reverend Regina Henderson is director of the Pathways Program, also known as the Church and Society Servant Leader Initiative. "We're honored to have Fr. Francis return to Duke for this lecture series. Students of all faiths will be inspired by his search for his true vocation."

The "Finding Your Own Path" lecture series is made possible by a prestigious grant by the Lilly Endowment Inc. Other speakers include: Rabbi Niles Goldstein, author and Jewish chaplain for the New York City Police Department and September 11 Ground Zero counselor; Fleet Maull, Buddhist founder of both the Prison Dharma Network, and the National Prison Hospice Society; Darlene Nicgorski, former Catholic nun and lifelong social justice activist; William Willimon, renowned author and Dean of Duke Chapel; and August Turak, prominent software entrepreneur and board chair of the Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation. Duke's Interfaith Dialogue Project, an initiative which fosters understanding and respect for religious pluralism and diversity, is a cosponsor of "Finding Your Own Path." Ed Cheely, Trinity '00 graduate and SKSF Director of Development, will also help coordinate the series.

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The Duke Chapel Pathways Program (www.dukeservantleader.org) nurtures and equips undergraduate students who seek to serve as leaders of congregations or other religious institutions that are engaged in ongoing service to humanity. It assists students in understanding their future work in light of their faith commitments while bringing faith into vocation, culture into communities, theological reflection into academia and worship into everyday living.

The Duke Interfaith Dialogue Project (kenan.ethics.duke.edu/links6.asp), an initiative which fosters understanding and respect for religious pluralism and diversity, is co-sponsored by the Kenan Institute for Ethics and Duke Chapel. It has sponsored special programs as well as a student-run course, "Religious Diversity in America," which examines several major faiths, and promotes respectful understanding of how Duke students express their different spiritual traditions on campus.

The Freeman Center for Jewish Life (fcjl.studentaffairs.duke.edu) provides opportunities for Jewish students to explore and celebrate their Jewish identity. The Freeman Center actively engages Jewish students by providing them with opportunities to do Jewish activities that are meaningful and appealing to them. FCJL maintains a pluralistic approach to Judaism through social, educational, religious, cultural, and outreach activities.

The Kenan Institute for Ethics (kenan.ethics.duke.edu) is a university-wide initiative at Duke University that supports the study and teaching of ethics and promotes moral reflection and commitment in personal, professional, community, and civic life. Their work is guided by the conviction that universities have a responsibility to prepare students for lives of personal integrity and reflective citizenship by nurturing their capacities for critical thinking, compassion, courage, and their concern for justice.

The Newman Catholic Student Center (www.duke.edu/web/catholic) fosters unity within the Catholic community on campus and in the surrounding area. Through prayer, worship, sacraments, and education, the CSC strengthens its communion with God; through service and fellowship, it strengthens its communion with all people.

The Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation (www.selfknowledge.org) is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit organization that encourages people to consciously develop their own personal, moral and spiritual values and to live according to them. The SKSF creates experiential learning programs and social contexts within which people can explore the deeper questions in life, developing intellectual understanding and personal character in a quest for the life worth living.