SUMMER  CATHOLIC  REFLECTIONS 2011 Speakers Series

Sponsored by: St. Anthony's, East Falmouth ~  Our Lady of Victory, Centerville  and Christ the King, Mashpee
Presented at Christ the King Parish Hall, Mashpee

click for DIRECTIONS  

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of our completed series in the order they presented.
Fr. Robin Ryan, Dr. Thomas Groome & Dr. Sandra Keating

Tuesday June 21, 7:00 PM ~ "Prayer in Times of Suffering"

How do you pray when you feel overwhelmed by suffering? How should we conceive of God's relationship to suffering in the world? What does it mean for Christians to share in the cross of Jesus Christ? In this presentation we will reflect on questions such as these as we grapple with the mystery of suffering from the perspective of Christian faith.

Fr. Robin Ryan is presently Vice-Provincial of the Passionist Congregation in the eastern United States. Previously he taught systematic theology for six years at Catholic Theological Union (Chicago), where he was also the founding director of “Catholics on Call”, a national vocation discovery program for young adult Catholics. Before that, he taught systematic theology at Saint John's Seminary in Boston. He has also engaged in retreat ministry as a priest.

click for a printable PDF of Fr. Robin's handout.

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Thursday July 14, 7:00 PM ~"What Keeps us Catholic"

Even in the best of times people need to continue to mature in their faith, to ask and remember what keeps them "moving along" in their faith journey.  In difficult times this is all the more needed.  To figure out "what keeps us Catholic" we must go to the fresh waters of this tradition, to the life-giving streams of truth and grace that have made up this great river of faith called Catholicism for some two thousand years.  Jesus promised the Samaritan woman at the well - and to Christians ever after - that his Gospel would always be fresh and life giving waters for every time.  It can surely be so for ours.

Dr. Thomas Groome is Chair of IREPM Dept. and Professor, Theology and Religious Education at Boston College. Professor Groome's publications include his most recent book “What Makes Us Catholic: Eight Gifts for Life”, “Educating for Life, A Spiritual Vision for Every Teacher and Parent”, “Christian Religious Education: Sharing Our Story and Vision”, “Language for a "Catholic" Church”, and “Sharing Faith: A Comprehensive Approach to Religious Education and Pastoral Ministry”. Professor Groome is also the primary author of various religion textbook series from W.H. Sadlier, most recently, the “Coming to Faith” series.

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Monday August 8, 7:00 PM ~ "The Road Toward Understanding: Relations between Catholics and Muslims Ten Years after 9/11"

Relations between Muslims and Catholics have undergone dramatic changes since the Second Vatican Council, with significant moments occurring in the past ten years. This talk will explore some of these changes, emphasizing current events and suggesting questions and issues that will be of importance to the Church and the world in the next decade.

Dr. Sandra Keating is an Associate Professor of Theology at Providence College.  She received her Ph.D. in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of America.  Among the courses she offers is “Introduction to Islam”.  Dr Keating is the author of “What Catholics Should Know about Islam”.

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