Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture

Catholic Heritage Lectures 2019-20

Cultural Contributions and Contemporary Challenges to American Catholic Life

All lectures are free and are held at 7pm in Student Center 160 (LeRoux Room) at Seattle University

The American Catholic Church is richly unique in its legacy of and continual unfolding ethnic and racial diversity. The Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture’s 2019-20 Catholic Heritage Lectures highlight the contribution of three particular contributors: Hispanic/Latin American Catholics, African American Catholics, and Asian American Catholics. While enriching the Church through continual presence over the last many centuries, these groups face particular challenges unique to their often tension-filled interaction with institutional and local parish cultures. As we hear from each speaker this year, we are invited to consider how we might mutually shape, form, and cultivate the Church of the 21st Century.

Save the Date for the Catholic Heritage Lectures:

• Series Intro: Thursday, October 3 - Thomas Landy, College of the Holy Cross
• Fall: Thursday, November 14 - Cecilia Moore, University of Dayton
• Winter: Thursday, February 20 - Hosffman Ospino, Boston College
• Spring: Thursday, May 14 - Gemma Cruz, Australian Catholic University

• Learn more about this year’s Catholic Heritage Lectures!

Current Conversations

Share the Journey

Pope Francis has called on us to join him in the “Share the Journey” initiative to highlight the plight of migrants and refugees around the world who have been driven from their homes. He asks us to love our neighbor and travel with them as they seek the lives of dignity and fulfillment that God intends for us all. Visit sharejourney.org to find a diverse collection of resources that will help you and others gain insight into the migration experience. These resources include suggestions on how to engage your community on these topics during Mass, school, and community gatherings.

"Poverty has a face, and it also has a voice."

But that voice often does not penetrate the wall of fear, misconception and prejudice that can separate people who are poor from those of us who have what we need. The voice of poverty can be drowned out or ignored in the halls of government, where other legitimate demands for resources also resound.>

In our listening sessions, we heard “the cry of poor” (Psalm 34). We are writing this pastoral letter to all people of good faith and to political leaders because we heard in the voices of people who are poor both a plea for mercy and a desire to participate fully in the life of their communities."

--from A Pastoral Letter from the Catholic Bishops of the State of Washington.

Seattle University Joins Statement of AJCU Presidents on Undocumented Students

As Presidents of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities we feel spiritually and morally compelled to raise a collective voice confirming our values and commitments as Americans and educators. We represent colleges and universities from across our nation with more than 215,000 students and 21,000 faculty, and over 2 million living alumni.

Grounded in our Catholic and Jesuit mission, we are guided by our commitment to uphold the dignity of every person, to work for the common good of our nation, and to promote a living faith that works for justice. We see our work of teaching, scholarship and the formation of minds and spirits as a sacred trust.

"I want to help connect and heal people."

Read more about what the ICTC has meant to Victoria, Nursing, class of 2017.

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