Lectures named for three well-known saints and a Lenten meditation series highlight the spring semester calendar of events announced by the newly formed Office of Mission and Ministry and the Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies at the College.

The Office of Mission and Ministry was established by College President Rev. Brian J. Shanley, O.P. ’80 on July 1, 2005. The office oversees the Office of the Chaplain/Campus Ministry and the Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies.

The center’s first program, The Aquinas Colloquium, took place on January 25 in honor of the feast of St. Thomas Aquinas. Entitled “The Church, the Laity, and Ecumenism: The Influence of Yves Congar, O.P. on the Papacies of Blessed John XXIII, Paul VI, and John Paul II,” the colloquium featured presentations by the center’s director, Rev. Thomas D. McGonigle, O.P., associate professor of history and special lecturer in theology; Dr. Aurelie A. Hagstrom, associate professor of theology; and Rev. David L. Stokes, assistant professor of theology.

The next program is scheduled for February 4 during Upperclassman Parents’ Weekend. Rev. Joseph J. Guido, O.P., vice president for mission and ministry, assistant professor of psychology, and a counseling psychologist in the Personal Counseling Center, will give a talk entitled “Between Heaven and Earth: The Religious Journey of College Students Today.”

The St. Joseph Lecture and the St. Catherine of Siena Lecture are scheduled for March 15 and April 26, respectively. The St. Joseph Lecture is entitled “The Dominicans in the Eastern United States: Reflections on the 200th Anniversary of the Province of St. Joseph.” The title of the April 26 lecture is “Dominic de Guzman and Catherine of Siena—Models of Dominican Mission and Ministry.”

In addition, the Center for Catholic and Dominican Studies will conduct a series, “The Lenten Journey: Meditations on Fasting, Prayer, and Almsgiving,” on February 22, March 22, and March 29. All of the above presentations will be led by College faculty members.

For the full calendar of events, click here.

Center renovations continuing
In related news, work is continuing on the new center, which will be located in the former Aquinas Chapel. According to Rev. Kevin D. Robb, O.P. ’71, associate vice president for mission and ministry and associate treasurer, renovations are expected to be completed late in the spring semester, with the dedication of the center tentatively planned for September.

Fundraising efforts for the center are under the direction of the Office of Institutional Advancement and are being led by Bill Nero ’55, David Webster ’55, and Ed Scanlon ’55, along with other members of the Class of 1955. Approximately 100 class members have made commitments totaling nearly $1,756,000.