Today's American Catholic

The Question of Ourselves: A Convocation for Richard P. McBrien
2024-05-20 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
The first theological questions we ask ourselves are, “Who am I?” and “Who are we?” Every other theological question comes back to these. We cannot understand God, or Jesus Christ, or the Church, or anything else unless we come to terms with the question of ourselves.
– Fr. Richard P. McBrien
My friend, the theologian, keeps on writing.
What is the use of such a long endeavor?
Nothing, unless it’s true that bread alone
will not suffice to heal the heart’s desire.
– “My Friend, the Theologian,” Edward R. Burns
Our special thanks Fr. Michael S. Driscoll, Sally Vance-Trembath, Kern Trembath, Liza Peters, and Mária Dominika Vanková for joining us in our convocation for Fr. Richard P. McBrien on May 20, 2024. Guided by the spirit of his generosity and humanity, our panelists drew a collective portrait of Fr. McBrien that helped renew our sense of mission—not only at TAC, but in our individual and collective lives as members of the church as well. Panelists shared personal memories, ways that Fr. McBrien shaped their theological understanding, and how they feel his life and work continue to speak to us today. We also heard from attendees who knew and studied with Fr. McBrien in the early years of his vocation.

Lives of the Popes (2006 Reissue)
Lives of the Saints (2006 Reissue)

Fr. Richard P. McBrien was a son of the Archdiocese of Hartford (Connecticut), where Today’s American Catholic was founded and is still based. He authored 25 books and hundreds of weekly syndicated columns on theology. His magisterial reference work Catholicism was hailed as “the clearest and most competent guide in the English language to the Catholic Church’s origins, teaching, traditions, and developments,” while theologian Charles Curran once said of him that “no Catholic theologian in the United States has made a larger contribution to the reception of Vatican II.”
Our Panelists
Fr. Michael S. Driscoll is a priest of the diocese of Helena, Montana. He has spent the majority of his years in priesthood teaching—first at Carroll College, the diocesan college in Helena, and then at the University of Notre Dame since 1994 to the present. He entered into emeritus status in January of 2016 and still teaches. Fr. Driscoll’s writings on the liturgy have brought him into the area of social justice as the lived experience of faith flowing from the Eucharist, as seen in Sacraments and Justice (Liturgical Press, 2014).
Sally Vance-Trembath earned her MA and PhD at the University of Notre Dame. She has worked in Catholic education all her professional life and has been particularly interested in the relationships among the church, the school, and the wider society. She has published articles in Theological Studies, Consensus, and other venues. She was national vice president of Voice of the Faithful, the lay organization that was formed to respond to the abuse of children by clergy and the leadership crisis in the church, and appears frequently on television and radio to talk about Catholic issues.
Kern Trembath graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in political science. He is the author of Evangelical Theories of Biblical Inspiration and has worked as a professor and administrator. For several years he managed the digital archive of Richard McBrien’s writings. He is the founder of HelioRoast, a fully sustainable coffee-roasting company on Treasure Island in San Francisco.
Liza Peters is the director of youth and young adult ministry at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center in West Hartford, Connecticut. Prior to joining the retreat team in 2011, she served as director of religious education at a parish outside Dayton, Ohio, and worked and lived in community at the St. Peter Claver Catholic Worker House in South Bend, Indiana. She holds a BA in psychology and a Master of Divinity from the University of Notre Dame.
Mária Dominika Vanková is a writer from Slovakia. She has worked with peace-building and poverty alleviation initiatives in Southeast Asia, and is currently compiling archives of Fr. McBrien’s syndicated columns on theology. She is founder of the Club of Friendship Slovakia–Cambodia and a coordinator of humanitarian aid to Cambodia.

Image: Detail of a portrait of Richard McBrien by Luke V. Lauretano

A Model of Mutuality: A Conversation with Natalia Imperatori-Lee
2024-05-09 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Patriarchy is a habit that some say cannot change, yet those of us whose patriarchal habits have undergone transformation know it can and must be done.
– Miriam Therese Winter, The Singer and the Song
Our special thanks to Dr. Natalia Imperatori-Lee for joining us on May 9, 2024, to discuss her latest book, Women and the Church: From Devil’s Gateway to Discipleship (Paulist Press, 2024). Natalia walked us through the core tenets of feminist theology, introduced us to important distinctions between the “blueprint” and “historico-critical” understandings of the church, shared some of the ways that Catholic feminist theologians employ “creative interpretation” to recast biblical stories in more liberating ways, and inspired us to “unlock rooms in our imagination” through the rich tradition of feminist spirituality. We also touched on related issues in the contemporary church, including the Synod on Synodality and the movement for women in the diaconate.

Women and the Church: From Devil’s Gateway to Discipleship (Paulist Press, 2024)
The Beginnings of the Church by Rev. Frederick J. Cwiekowski
Truly Our Sister: A Theology of Mary in the Communion of Saints by Elizabeth Johnson
Catholic Women Preach
Nuns & Nones

Natalia Imperatori-Lee is professor of religious studies at Manhattan College in Riverdale, Bronx, New York. Her areas of research include the relationship between Catholic theology, sexuality, and education; the intersection of Mariology and ecclesiology; intercultural theology; gender studies; and the relationship of women, the poor, and other marginalized groups to church structure and governance. Dr. Imperatori-Lee is the author of Cuéntame (Orbis Books, 2018), which explores how narratives shape ecclesiology. She holds degrees from Fordham University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Notre Dame.
Image: Detail of fresco depicting St. Erasmus, St. Hildegard, and a bishop, ca. 1500. The Church of Our Lady, Oberwesel, Germany. Wikimedia Commons / Tilmann2007 / CC BY-SA 4.0 Deed

Reflecting the Word: A Conversation with Robert Choiniere
2024-03-14 15:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Igreja, Povo que se Liberta (“The Church, a People Going Free”)
– Motto of Third Inter-Church Gathering of Base Communities, João Pessoa, Brazil, July 1978

Our special thanks to Robert Choiniere, D.Min, the founder of Ignatian Encounter Ministry, for joining us from Rome on March 14, 2024. Robert shared his background in pastoral planning and how it has influenced his current work, provided an overview of the history and mission of Ignatian Encounter Ministry and the ways its virtual infrastructure is contributing to the Syond on Synodality and the ongoing “synodal conversion” of the church, and walked us through the process of Spiritual Conversation that is rooted in Ignatian practices. We also discussed how new kinds of conversational spaces are giving the church a deeper sense of its global identity and pondered the concept of a “circular church” in which “we all become learners.”

* Information on the “Conversations in the Spirit” Gathering with New Ways Ministry on March 21, 2024 *
Ignatian Encounter Ministry
Discerning Leadership Program
Christian Life Community USA | Christian Life Community Canada
World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations

Robert Choiniere, D.Min, is the founder of Ignatian Encounter Ministry. He has been a professor of theology at Fordham University and has served as the Director of Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Parish Pastoral Council Coordinator in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. He is also the former chair of the Conference of Pastoral Planning and Council Development (CPPCD). Dr. Choiniere holds a Doctor of Ministry from Fordham University, an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College, and a BA in Theology and Theatre from DeSales University.
Image: Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Colored engraving. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.

The Vision of the Neighborhood Church: A Conversation with Virginia Saldanha
2023-12-11 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
Each of us must please our neighbor for the good purpose of building up the neighbor.
– Romans 15:2
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.
– Ephesians 4:25
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
– Leviticus 19:18
Our special thanks to Virginia Saldanha for joining us on December 11, 2023, to discuss the history, theology, and practice of “neighborhood” small Christian communities (SCCs). Virginia shared shared from her personal experience how she became involved in work for justice and women’s empowerment within the church, and offered an engaging visual presentation on how SCCs can function as instruments of solidarity and synodality. We also heard how women in the Asian church are taking on leadership roles within “self-ministering communities” and parish substations in more remote parts of the continent.

Author page at Union of Catholic Asian News
Biographical page at Catholic Women Preach
Video of presentation at “God’s Strong Daughters: Women and the Ministry in Catholicism” conference, Leipzig, Germany, September 2023
“Women’s Rights in the Church, in the Context of Sex Abuse” (Article in Asian Horizons, March 2019)
Pentecost in Asia: A New Way of Being Church by Thomas C. Fox

Virginia Saldanha is a lifelong campaigner for women’s rights in Church and Society, as well as a meaningful role for the people of God in the leadership and governance of the church in India/Asia in her role as Executive Secretary of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC) Office of Laity, Family & Women, as well as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Commission for Women. She founded the Indian Women Theologians’ Forum, and is a founding member of the Indian Christian Women’s Movement. She is author of Woman: Image of God and a featured contributor to numerous Catholic periodicals and newspapers. Virginia is currently based in Mumbai, and was a featured presenter at both the “God’s Strong Daughters: Women and the Ministry in Catholicism” conference in Leipzig, Germany, and the Spirit Unbounded lay-led global assembly this past fall.
Image: As seen in September 2020, the view from the parking lot of the apartment building at 424 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, looking toward South 9th Street (and the west steeple of the Roman Catholic Church of the Epiphany). Andre Carrotflower / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

To Be the Face of the Church: A Panel Discussion on Charles de Foucauld
2023-09-18 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
To be the Church is to render visible the tenderness of God for all. . . . We are called by God to be the “face” of the Church for all those with whom we come into contact.
– Brother Charles de Foucauld Lay Fraternity: The Little Guide (Sect. 5.13, “The Fraternity – A Cell of the Church”)
My apostolate must be the apostolate of goodness. In seeing me, people should be able to say to one another, “Since this man is so good, his religion must be good.”
– Charles de Foucauld, 1909

Our special thanks to Rosemary Peters-Hill, Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo, and Rev. Leonard J. Tighe for joining us on September 18, 2023, to discuss the life, witness, and spiritual communities of St. Charles de Foucauld (1858–1916). The panelists shared their personal encounters with “Brother Charles,” illuminated his conception of the “hidden life” of Nazareth and universal brother- and sisterhood, and looked at the history, structure, and function of the Foucauld lay fraternities. Panelists also shared how Foucauld’s practices of hospitality and interreligious dialogue can help shape a synodal, “listening” church for today.

Biographical outline of Charles de Foucauld (thanks to Rosemary Peters-Hill)
Prayer of Abandonment of Charles de Foucauld
Brother to All: The Life and Witness of Saint Charles de Foucauld by Joseph Victor Edwin, SJ, and Charles de Foucauld: Selected Writings, edited by Robert Ellsberg (Enter code CDF23 at checkout to receive a 30% discount—thanks again to Orbis Books)

Rosemary Peters-Hill is a former Fulbright scholar and the Albert and Angelle Arnaud Professor in French Heritage at Louisiana State University. Her primary area is the 19th-century novel, with a secondary specialization in the 16th century. In addition, she studies pre-colonial and colonial North Africa. Her most recent book offers the first complete translation and critical edition of Charles de Foucauld’s account of his Moroccan explorations prior to his religious conversion, Reconnaissance au Maroc, 1883–1884 (New York: Anthem Press, 2020; currently available through Cambridge University Press).
Dr. Ciriaco Piccirillo is the principal investigator at the Piccirillo Laboratory, affiliated with McGill University in Montreal, Canada. His research specializes in the regulation of immune responses mediated by Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. In addition to his work as a researcher, Dr. Piccirillo is active in the lay fraternities of Charles de Foucauld.
Rev. Leonard J. Tighe has been living, promoting, serving, and sharing Charles de Foucauld’s radical message of gospel simplicity for over 50 years. He is the editor of St. Charles de Foucauld Meditates on the Psalms (trans. Katherine Fairbanks, 2022), for which he also wrote an introduction. He maintains the Legacy of Charles de Foucauld Website and the Saint Charles de Foucauld public Facebook page.

"Come and See": Reimagining Evangelization with Michael J. Sanem
2023-04-25 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
The church doesn’t have a mission; the mission has a church.
– Bishop Raúl Biord Castillo
He said to them, “Come and see.”
– John 1:39

Our sincere thanks to Michael J. Sanem for joining us for an excellent discussion on his latest book, Becoming the Good News: A New Approach to Parish Evangelization (Liturgical Press, 2023). Michael spoke of evangelization as a form of “radical witness” and process of listening, ways of accompanying younger and disaffiliated Catholics, the importance of learning from the church of the Global South, the relationship between tradition and new expressions of the faith, and much more. We are pleased to share a recording of the event for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion, as well as some additional resources below.

Going, Going, Gone: The Dynamics of Disaffiliation in Young Catholics (St. Mary’s Press)
Complimentary issue of Give Us This Day (Readings, resources, and reflections for daily prayer, featuring contributions from Michael)

Michael J. Sanem lives in Kansas City with his wife and three sons. A former Bernardin Scholar at Catholic Theological Union, he is the author of Your Church Wants to Hear from You: What Is the Synod on Synodality? (Liturgical Press, 2022) and works in evangelization ministry at the Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kansas. He writes regularly at incarnationiseverywhere.com.
Image: Detail from W. J. Morgan, Philip and Nathanael, 1910.

God’s Quad: A Panel Discussion on Small Christian Communities on Campus and Beyond
2023-03-21 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
We need to make a preferential option for the young.
– Synod report of the Antilles Episcopal Conference
Only one way to be a disciple—grow young again.
– Jean Sulivan, Morning Light

Our sincere thanks to panelists Kevin Ahern, Paulina Halley, and Fr. Joe Healey, and to all of our attendees and participants, for a rich and generative discussion on March 21. We looked at the current state of campus ministry, including the role of synodality and small Christian communities, possibilities for inter-generational dialogue, and other ways of rebuilding the path of the “student church.” A recording is available for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion. We’ve also assembled links to resources that came up during the event and other items of interest below.

God’s Quad: Small Faith Communities on Campus and Beyond (Orbis Books, 2018), edited by Kevin Ahern and Christopher Derige Malano and featuring a contribution from Fr. Joe Healey (Reminder to use the code CON30 at checkout for a 30 percent discount—thanks again to Orbis Books)
Small Christian Communities Today (Orbis Books, 2006/Paulines Publications Africa, 2017), edited by Fr. Joe Healey and Jeanne Hinton (eBook version available here)
“How to Reach Catholic Young Adults Today,” remarks and quotations from Fr. Joe Healey
“Young people lead the way in campus ministry,” article by Kevin Ahern for U.S. Catholic (August 17, 2021)
Christus Ministries
Young Adult Seekers (Catholic Church Reform International)

Kevin Glauber Ahern, PhD, is a theological ethicist and public theologian. His research focuses on the significance of Catholic institutional ministries and Christian social movements. He is an associate professor of Religious Studies at Manhattan College and the past director of the Peace and Justice Studies and Labor Studies programs. He is the author of Structures of Grace: Catholic Organizations Serving the Global Common Good. He has edited several books, including the award-winning Visions of Hope: Emerging Theologians and the Future of the Church, The Radical Bible, and the award-winning Public Theology and the Global Common Good. He is a past-president of the International Movement of Catholic Students (IMCS-Pax Romana).
Paulina Halley is a recent graduate of Yale University and former participant in Leadership Roundtable’s ESTEEM (Engaging Students to Enliven the Ecclesial Mission) program.
Fr. Joe Healey, MM, is an American Maryknoll missionary priest who has 50 years of experience working with small Christian communities in Africa and elsewhere. He has taught “Small Christian Communities as a New Model of Church in Africa Today” at Tangaza University College in Nairobi and a similar course at Hekima University College in Nairobi. He is co-author of Small Christian Communities Today: Capturing the New Moment (Orbis Books and Paulines Publications Africa) and author of Building the Church as Family of God: Evaluation of Small Christian Communities in Eastern Africa, among other titles. He serves as moderator of the Small Christian Communities Global Collaborative Website.

Sheltered in the Letter: A Conversation with Mahri Leonard-Fleckman and Amy Ekeh
2023-02-28 18:00 - 19:00 (America/New_York)
“Do not venture to understand the teaching of the mysteries and dogmas of Holy Scripture by means of simple reading, without first praying and seeking God’s help, saying: ‘O Lord, grant me the ability to understand the spiritual power contained herein.’ Always keep in mind that prayer before reading is the key to the true concepts sheltered in the letter of Divine Scriptures.”
– St. Isaac the Syrian

Our sincere thanks to Mahri Leonard-Fleckman and Amy Ekeh for sharing their time, wisdom, and experience of contemplative Scripture study and the prayer life with us on February 28. Mahri and Amy discussed Ponder, their award-winning series of Bible study guides from Little Rock Scripture Study and Liturgical Press. Along the way, we looked at the relationship between the mind and the heart in sacred reading, the role of practices such as lectio divina and Ignatian contemplation, and what Catholics can learn from other traditions in their engagement with the Scriptures. We’re pleased to present a recording of the presentation below, along with links to items of interest.

Information about Ponder from Little Rock Scripture Study/Liturgical Press
Little Rock Catholic Study Bible
The New Oxford Annotated Bible

Mahri Leonard-Fleckman is assistant professor of Hebrew Bible in the Religious Studies Department at the College of the Holy Cross. She is a contributor to Give Us This Day, the co-author of Ruth in the Wisdom Commentary Series, and the author of The House of David: Between Political Formation and Literary Revision (Fortress Press). She has years of experience as a lectionary-based Bible study facilitator at her home parish in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Amy Ekeh currently serves on the faculty of the New England Catholic Biblical School and is an adjunct professor at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut. She is the director of Little Rock Scripture Study, a series of Bible study resources published by Liturgical Press. Her work can be found in a variety of Catholic publications, including St. Anthony Messenger, The Bible Today, and Give Us This Day, and she has published three volumes in Little Rock Scripture Study’s Alive in the Word series.
Image: Detail from Edmund Körner, In der Klosterbibliothek, c. 1910.

The Way of Saint Phoebe: A Conversation with Ellie Hidalgo of Discerning Deacons
2022-10-05 12:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York)
Our sincere thanks to Ellie Hidalgo, co-director of Discerning Deacons, for an informative and wide-ranging discussion on the history and mission of the organization and its active discernment about women in the diaconate. We looked at the role of deacons within parish communities, how women could uniquely contribute to the pastoral, practical, and spiritual aspects of diaconal ministry, and ways in which Discerning Deacons is advancing the work of synodality. Ellie also shared details of her recent pilgrimage to Mexico City and the Amazon, where she accompanied Catholic religious and lay women who are ministering to their small faith communities.
We’re pleased to present a recording of the presentation for those who were unable to attend. Links to items of interest and ways to get involved with Discerning Deacons are below.

Discerning Deacons website
Blog of Deacon William T. Ditewig
The Letter: A Message for Our Earth (documentary featuring Pope Francis)
Ellie’s reflection on her pilgrimage to the Amazon
Discerning Deacons Synod synthesis report

Deaconesses were a firm part of the tradition through the early centuries of the Church. The very fact that women are denied the privilege but men are not, now that the practice has been revived [since Vatican II], is indicative of a basic and primitive and non-Christian attitude toward women. Unlike the question of priestly ordination, where sincere concern for tradition is at least a plausible question, the role of deaconess is well established and simply denied. In view of the rising consciousness of women and their manifest and continuing commitment to the ministry of Jesus, no pastoral agenda is complete without this question.
– Joan Chittister, Women, Ministry and the Church (1983)

Hope in the Wilderness: A Conversation with Dr. Jessica Coblentz
2022-03-30 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Our sincere thanks to Dr. Jessica Coblentz for an insightful and engaging presentation on her new book, Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression on March 30, 2022. Dr. Coblentz spoke of how we should conceive of and understand depression, ways of accompanying depression sufferers individually and as a church community, and the concept of depression as a “wilderness experience” that resonates with scriptural resources. She also touched on the importance of the imagination in “holding a place” for people who have suffering in their lives and envisioning new images of hope. Note that the recording began just after our brief introduction, so Dr. Coblentz’s bio is below. We’ve also included links to items of interest discussed during the presentation.

Dust in the Blood: A Theology of Life with Depression (Liturgical Press, 2022)
“Doctors face a stigma against seeking mental health care” (Op-ed by Seema Jilani, New York Times, March 30, 2022)
NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
Hagar’s first wilderness experience (Gen. 16:1–16)
Hagar’s second wilderness experience (Gen 21:1–21)

Jessica Coblentz is an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Theology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, where her research and teaching focuses on Catholic systematic theology, feminist theologies, and mental health in theological perspective. She is a graduate of Santa Clara University and Harvard Divinity School, and received her PhD from Boston College. She was previously a resident scholar at the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville, Minnesota, and has taught at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California.
Image: Detail from Hagar in the Wilderness, Camille Corot, 1835. Metropolitan Museum of Art/Public Domain

A Synodal Church in a Plural World: A Conversation with Mark Guevarra
2022-01-12 18:00 - 19:30 (America/New_York)
Our sincere thanks to Mark Guevarra for joining us on January 12, 2022, to discuss the origins, processes, and possibilities of the 2023 synod on synodality. Mark’s presentation explored the history of synodality, Pope Francis’s vision for a synodal church, and some of the internal work we can all do in preparation for participation in the synod. We also discussed the synod as a prophetic sign of unity, communion, and fraternity so essential to our church and civic spaces today. We are pleased to share a recording for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion. Links to other resources of interest—including Mark’s notes for the event, which he has graciously made available to us—are listed below. Note that the brief introduction to the event was unfortunately not recorded, so we’ve added Mark’s bio below for reference. Thank you also to the Democratic Socialists of America’s Catholic Subgroup, an affiliate of the DSA’s Religion & Socialism Working Group, for cosponsoring this event with us.

Official Synod 2021–2023 website
“Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church,” a 2018 study by the International Theological Commission
Synod resources and information from Voice of the Faithful
Mark’s notes for the event with additional resources

Mark Guevarra (he/him) was born in Vancouver, Canada. He was raised in a devout Catholic family and attended Catholic schools through the 12th grade. He has served as an educator, college instructor, and pastoral associate with a special focus on LGBTQ+ ministry. He is currently completing his doctoral studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, where he is completing a dissertation on synodality. He is a member of Call to Action’s 2020 Re/Generation Cohort.

"Fratelli Tutti" and the Culture of Encounter: A Conversation with Marcus Mescher
2021-10-06 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York)
Our sincere thanks to Dr. Marcus Mescher for an informative, engaging discussion of Fratelli Tutti and its messages of compassion, mercy, and solidarity on October 6. Marcus helped us unpack various aspects of the document, from its historical and social context, to its use of the parable of the Good Samaritan as an interpretative key, to practical ways we can begin building the “culture of encounter” Pope Francis envisions. We’re pleased to share a video recording for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion. Links to books, articles, and other references of interest are below.

Complete text of Fratelli Tutti
The Ethics of Encounter by Marcus Mescher
The Study Guide to Fratelli Tutti by Marcus Mescher
“A year after ‘Fratelli Tutti,’ it’s time for the church to move from dreaming to doing” (National Catholic Reporter, October 4, 2021)
The New Rhetoric: a Treatise on Argumentation by Chaïm Perelman and Lucie Olbrechts-Tyteca (on the “rhetorical notion of presence“)
“Joseph Prabhu’s Anatomy of Wisdom” (Profile by Ruth Broyde Sharone, The Interfaith Observer, December 15, 2016); TAC essays by Dr. Prabhu here and here

The Case for Commitment: A Conversation with Pete Davis and Elias Crim
2021-09-01 19:00 - 20:30 (America/New_York)
Our sincere thanks to Pete Davis and Elias Crim for the wonderful conversation on September 1! We took a look at Pete’s new book, Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing, and some of the ways that its themes of rootedness, “long-haul” commitments to particular causes, and robust civic participation correspond with our faith tradition. We’re pleased to share a video recording for those who were unable to attend or who may wish to revisit the discussion. Links to some of the organizations referenced throughout the evening are below.

Solidarity Hall
The Democracy Policy Network
Nuns and Nones
Michael Martin and the Center for Sophiological Studies
Mutualism by Sara Horowitz
Strong Towns
The Economy of Francesco
The Ekklesia Project

Presentation by James Carroll
2021-04-08 19:30 - 21:00 (America/Halifax)
We would like to thank everyone who attended our Zoom presentation with James Carroll on April 8. It was an engaging and inspiring discussion, and left us all with much to pray on, act on, and hope for.
We have received a lot of positive feedback on the event and are now pleased to share a recording for those who may wish to revisit it. Please note that the recording begins a few minutes into the presentation as James is discussing theologian Hans Küng. (The text of the brief introduction that was not recorded is available here.) Also note that the video moves from speaker to gallery view at around the 21-minute mark, though this does not impact the audio. An audio-only recording is available upon request.
Special thanks to everyone who helped put this together, especially Beverly Brazauskas for her quick thinking in hitting the record button and James Carroll for sharing his time and insight, and for honoring each of our questions or comments in a unique and individual way.
