Embracing the Catholic Imagination: UIW Hosts Inaugural Lilly Artful Worship/CHARISM Speaker Series Presentation

On Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, the launch of CHARISM: Catholic Higher Education Alliance of Rising Institutions in Service and Mission, was announced. This ambitious partnership between the University of the Incarnate Word (UIW), Dominican University, University of Mount Saint Vincent and Universidad del Sagrado Corazón seeks to develop high-impact student experiences, new education pathways, faculty collaboration, joint research, cross-registration opportunities and shared co-curricular initiatives.

It is in that spirit of collaboration that on Monday, March 23, 2026, the inaugural Lilly Artful Worship/CHARISM Speaker Series presented "The Glass Slipper and the Cross: A Catholic Reading of Cinderella," a presentation that analyzed how the classic fairytale Cinderella reflects Christ's biblical qualities including sacrifice, humility and grace. Rev. Yamil Samlot-Rivera, OP, from the Universidad del Sagrado Corazón joined the UIW Broadway campus community via a virtual meeting from San Juan, Puerto Rico to deliver his presentation. In collaboration with LuElla D'Amico, PhD, associate professor of English, UIW and Universidad del Sagrado Corazón were able to put CHARISM into practice - bridging the distance between the two institutions with the purpose of providing new insights to their students and communities.

"We (D'Amico and Samlot-Rivera) talked about UIW's World Literature class, which is about the Catholic imagination," noted D'Amico. "UIW also has the 'Artful Worship: Inspiring Children's Faith Through the Catholic Imagination' program, funded through Lilly Endowment's Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer Initiative, which is about children's literature and the arts. So, we've been working on combining these two together to create this awesome lecture series."

During his presentation, Samlot-Rivera expressed his appreciation for his favorite childhood fairytale Cinderella, and invited attendees to recall their own initial introductions to the beloved tale. Whether it was the Walt Disney film, a bedtime story or a theatrical production, it was apparent that Cinderella is a well-known story that bridges many cultures.

Samlot-Rivera gave a chronological history of Cinderella, noted its many renditions, analyzed the character of Cinderella and examined central messages and themes conveyed through the story. Then, taking it a step further, he considers how the character of Cinderella demonstrates Christ-like qualities that allow him to give a Catholic reading of the beloved fairytale.

"I am going to limit myself now to Charles Perrault's version of the story, as well as Disney's original film version, to establish a parallel between the story of Cinderella and the Paschal Mystery of Christ - between the fairy tale and the grace that sanctifies and saves us," explained Samlot-Rivera. "The title of my talk is 'The Glass Slipper and the Cross' because I will try to understand with you how Cinderella and Jesus share the same characteristics of being as certain synecdoche of Christ's sacrifice and the grace it translates to us."

Attendees were able to consider similarities between Cinderella and Jesus, including their intentions to remain good natured, choosing to make sacrifices in the face of cruelty and holding forgiveness for others even in their worst moments. From Cinderella being comforted by her Fairy Godmother after enduring abuse, to Jesus being comforted by an angel as he feels disheartened, the characters undoubtably shared similar events during their respective trials.

"Fr. Yamil's lecture was an exemplar of this first year of our Lilly Artful Worship program. As part of the pilot for World Literature, it helped students see how a familiar story like Cinderella can reveal deeply Catholic truths-what G. K. Chesterton described as the idea that 'the humble can be exalted,'" shared D'Amico. "At a Catholic institution, we are called to form students in a sacramental vision-one that recognizes God's grace in the ordinary, material and imaginative. This event demonstrated how literature can become a site of formation, enriching both our University community and the communities our students are already a part of."

"The launch of the Lilly Artful Worship/CHARISM Speaker Series did not disappoint!" expressed Eva Fernández, PhD, UIW Provost. "Fr. Yamil's engaging analysis of the Cinderella story provided an insightful way for us to engage with this well-known narrative, and to reflect upon our Catholic identity. I look forward to what this creative collaboration will bring next and thank Dr. D'Amico and Fr. Yamil for their innovation."