Lectures - Saint Thomas More Chapel and Center at Yale

Rev. Robert L. Beloin Lecture on Contemporary Theology | 2024 Focus: Black Catholicism

February 25, 2024 • Shannon Wimp Schmidt

Join Shannon Wimp Schmidt for her lecture: "Awake, O Sleeper: A Black Catholic’s Journey of Decolonizing and Reconstructing Faith". Shannon Wimp Schmidt is Parish Vitality Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Chicago, author and co-host of the podcast Plaid Skirts and Basic Black. Shannon holds a M.A. in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union. She has more than a decade of experience in youth and pastoral ministry and has served in various capacities, including director of RCIA, adult faith formation coordinator, diversity educator, interfaith ministry leader, and theology teacher. She co-authored "Fat Luther, Slim Pickin’s: A Black Catholic Celebration of Faith, Tradition, and Diversity" (Ave Maria Press, 2022) with Marcia Lane-McGee and is a regular contributor to FemCatholic and the National Catholic Reporter's Sunday Scripture video reflections. Her work has been featured on CatholicTV’s "This is the Day" and in "The Catholic Moment" and "Common Horizon". She is the founding member of Catholics United for Black Lives.

More House Lecture | Kristin Colberg ’00 M.Div, Ph.D. | Feb 18, 2024

February 18, 2024

Join our guest speaker, Kristin Colberg ’00 M.Div, Ph.D., for her lecture on "The Synod on Synodality: An Insider's View. Dr. Colberg earned an M.Div. from Yale University Divinity School and a Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame. Her doctoral work focused on systematic theology with an emphasis in ecclesiology and her dissertation examined the relationship between Vatican I and Vatican II. She serves as the only theologian from the United States on the theological commission supporting the current Synod on Synodality and has worked on the Synod at every stage on the local, national, continental, and universal levels. She is also active in ecumenical dialogue and was appointed by the Vatican to the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). Dr. Colberg is the author of Vatican I and Vatican II: Councils in the Living Tradition (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, 2016) along with an edited volume and numerous scholarly articles on Vatican II, ecumenism, and major developments in Catholic thought. She is a member of the official Reformed-Catholic dialogue in the United States.

Latinx Lecture | Neomi DeAnda, Ph.D. | Dec 3 @ 6PM

December 3, 2023

Neomi DeAnda, Ph.D. speaks on Eucharist and World Hunger: Mary, Breast Milk, Synodality, and Lo Cotidiano. Neomi De Anda, is a tenured Associate Professor in the University of Dayton Department of Religious Studies. She earned M.A. in Theology from the Oblate School of Theology and a M.A. in Educational Leadership from St. Mary’s University, San Antonio. She also earned a Ph.D. in Constructive Theology from Loyola University, Chicago. Dr. De Anda’s intersectional scholarly research focuses on Latinx Christology; theology and breast milk; chisme; the intersection of race and migrations in conjunction with the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative Immigrant Justice Team; and a border theology at the intersections of the environment, migrations, labor and women. She has served as “Scholar in Residence” for the North American Center for Marianist Life (NACMS).

Thomas E. Golden, Jr. Fellowship in Faith & Science | Fr. Edward Foley, OFM Cap.

November 12, 2023

Fr. Edward Foley, OFM Cap. presents: "Preaching with the Sciences: The Neuroscientific Turn" Father Edward Foley is a Catholic priest, educator, preacher, theologian and author, and a member of the Capuchin Franciscan Order. He received two master's degrees and a Ph.D. from Notre Dame University. He is the Duns Scotus Professor Emeritus of Spirituality and Professor of Liturgy and Music at Catholic Theological Union, where he was the founding director of the Ecumenical Doctor of Ministry Program. An award-winning author and celebrated preacher, he has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from national and international organizations and is a recent recipient of a major grant for preaching from the John Templeton Foundation. His most recent book is Eucharistic Adoration after Vatican 11 (Liturgical Press, 2022).

Mary Field and Vincent DeP Goubeau Lecture on Women's Contribution to Church & Society

November 5, 2023

Elizabeth Donnelly M.T.S. presents: Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church Elizabeth A. Donnelly is the Co-Founder of and Preacher Coordinator for the website Catholic Women Preach and co-editor of Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church, Cycle A. She earned a Master of Theological Studies in Christian Social Ethics from Harvard Divinity School and conducted doctoral research at Harvard in the field of international political economy and ethics, writing extensively on the Catholic Church's contribution to the movement for debt relief for heavily indebted low-income countries. Elizabeth is a member of a group of female foundation leaders who have engaged in dialogue with top Vatican officials on the role of women in the Church and is a frequent speaker and writer on Catholic affairs.

40th Anniversary Celebration of the STM Soup Kitchen | Food & Faith

October 29, 2023

Our Keynote Speaker, Dr. Carolyn Woo, is the former President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS). She was born and raised in Hong Kong and immigrated to the United States to attend Purdue University where she received her bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees. Currently Dr. Woo serves on the corporate boards of AON (UK), Arabesque (Germany) and on the International Advisory Group of Equinor (Norway). In 2013, Dr. Woo was cited by Foreign Policy as one of the Five Hundred Most Powerful People on the Planet and one of only thirty-three in the category "A Force for Good." She was one of five presenters in Rome at the release of Pope Francis' encyclical on the environment in June 2015. Her faith journey and work at CRS are recounted in her book, Working for a Better World (Our Sunday Visitor Press, 2015).

Calabresi Fellowship in Faith & Law | Norman Silber ’78 Ph.D.

October 1, 2023 • Norman Silber ’78 Ph.D.

Norman I. Silber is a professor of law and the Associate Dean for Intellectual Life at the Maurice A. Deane School of Law, Hofstra University. He holds an undergraduate degree from Washington University, a J.D. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in history from Yale University. Professor Silber teaches and writes in areas that relate to consumer law, commercial law, legal history, and nonprofit corporations. He joined the Hofstra law faculty after practicing with the New York City law firm of Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler. He is an interviewer for the Columbia University Oral History Research Office. His most recent work includes Outside In: The Oral History of Guido Calabresi (Oxford University Press 2023), a two-volume work, chronicling the life of Guido Calabresi.

100th Anniversary Closing Celebration | Timothy Shriver, Jr. '11

April 30, 2023

Join our 100th Anniversary Closing Celebration. Keynote: Timothy Shriver, Jr. '11 Tim Shriver is currently a third-year law student at the University of Virginia. While at Yale, Tim co-founded “Spread the Word to End the Word,” a campaign to end the casual and pejorative use of the R-word. The campaign continues and is now known as “Spread the Word >> Inclusion.” After college and before beginning law school, he led a youth-development and mentoring program in urban public high schools as a Dream Director with The Future Project. Tim then served as President of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, the nation’s oldest Catholic full-time service organization.

Congratulations on 100 Years of Catholic Chaplaincy at Yale

April 30, 2023

Congratulations on 100 Years of Catholic Chaplaincy at Yale from STM community members.

The Reverend Robert L. Beloin Lecture in Contemporary Theology | Fr. Dan Horan

April 16, 2023

Join us with Fr. Dan Horan for The Reverend Robert L. Beloin Lecture in Contemporary Theology Podcasting as Public Theology: Exploring Theological Reflection in New Media

The More House Lecture: Sr. Helen Prejean C.S.J. | Apr 2, 2023

April 2, 2023

Our guest, Sr. Helen Prejean C.S.J. presents The More House Lecture: River of Fire: A journey into the Gospel of Justice. Sister Helen Prejean C.S.J. is a leading American advocate for the abolition of the death penalty. She has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on capital punishment and in shaping the Catholic Church’s vigorous opposition to all executions. Her best-selling book, Dead Man Walking, is based on her experiences with two convicts on death row for whom she served as spiritual adviser before their executions. She is the founder of “Survive,” a victim’s advocacy group in New Orleans, and continues to counsel not only inmates on death row, but the families of murder victims, as well. She has served on the board and as Chairperson of the Board of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. She is also a member of Amnesty International and an honorary member of Murder Victim Families for Reconciliation.

The Judge Guido Calabresi Fellowship in Religion & Law: George E. O’Brien, Jr. | Feb 26, 2023

February 26, 2023

George E. O’Brien, Jr. will present: "Working for the Railroad: Unscholarly Lessons About Faith and Labor Law" George O’Brien is the founding member of Littler Mendelson P.C., a U.S.-based law firm that handles labor and employment litigation as well as global mobility and immigration issues. O’Brien earned his B.A. from Princeton University and his J.D. from University of Connecticut School of Law. After law school he served as law clerk in the District of Connecticut for Chief U.S. District Judge T. Emmet Clarie. He has litigated cases and practiced labor and employment law for more than 40 years – the last sixteen with Littler Mendelson, the world’s largest employment law firm.

The Legacy of Pope Benedict: A Conversation with Ross Douthat and Christopher Ruddy | Feb 9, 2023

February 9, 2023

Please join us for a lively and insightful conversation with New York Times Columnist Ross Douthat and Christopher Ruddy, Ph.D., associate professor of systematic theology at The Catholic University of America, on the life and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. The guests will share their thoughts and analyses of Benedict's long life of service to the Church: his early years as Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, university and seminary professor; his rise as one of the leading theologians of the Second Vatican Council; his ministry as an archbishop; his elevation to the College of Cardinals and his appointment as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith during the papacy of Pope Saint John Paul the Great; his 8 year multi-faceted papacy as Benedict XVI, including its challenges and controversies; his unexpected retirement; and the ever-popular comparisons with his successor to the Chair of Saint Peter, our Holy Father, Pope Francis.

Mary Field & Vincent DeP Goubeau Lecture on Women’s Contribution to Church & Society

December 4, 2022

Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Art of Solidarity. Nichole Flores is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Director of the Health, Ethics and Society minor at the University of Virginia. She earned an M.Div. from Yale University and a Ph.D. in theological ethics from Boston College. Her research in practical ethics addresses issues of politics, migration, labor, family, gender, bioethics, race and ethnicity as well as ecology. She is the author of The Aesthetics of Solidarity: Our Lady of Guadalupe and American Democracy (Georgetown University Press, 2021).

Black Catholic Lecture | Shannen Dee Williams, Ph.D.

November 6, 2022

Confronting America's Real Sister Act: Black Catholic Nuns in United States History. Shannen Dee Williams is the Albert Lepage Assistant Professor of History at Villanova University and a historian of the African-American experience with research and teaching specializations in women’s, religious and black freedom movement history. She earned an M.A. in Afro-American Studies from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and a Ph.D. in History from Rutgers University. Her first book, Subversive Habits: Black Catholic Nuns in the Long African-American Freedom Struggle, was published by Duke University Press last spring. Dr. Williams is also a Distinguished Lecturer for the Organization of American Historians.