2024-2025 Past Events
Peter Maurin Conference
September 6-7, 2024
St. Gregory the Great Church
The Catholic Worker, founded by Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin in 1933, is network of communities committed to nonviolence, voluntary poverty, prayer, and hospitality for the homeless, exiled, hungry, and forsaken. This day-long gathering looked closely at the life and work of Peter Maurin. His program of action consisted of roundtable discussions for the clarification of thought, houses of hospitality where the works of mercy could be performed, and agronomic universities-a return to working the land, where workers could become scholars and scholars workers. These topics were discussed in a roundtable, personalist way-- in the spirit of Peter Maurin.
Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard Screening & Discussion with Director Sam Sorich and Producer Trevor Cribben Merrill
September 12, 2024 | 7pm CDT
Damen Cinema, Lake Shore Campus
As part of the Faith in Focus series, the Hank Center screened "Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard" and facilitated a discussion with director Sam Sorich and producer Trevor Cribben Merrill. This is a timely new documentary about René Girard, the thinker who coined "mimetic desire." Offering a deeply personal portrait of Girard the man and a sweeping narrative of his unfolding thought, "Things Hidden: The Life and Legacy of René Girard" explores the French polymath's passion for intellectual discovery, his midlife religious conversion, and his quest to uncover the violent origins of human culture.
Power of the Word Conference: La Sapienza, Rome
September 16-20, 2024
Dipartimento di Studi Europei, Americani e Interculturali, La Sapienza University, Rome
The Power of the Word: bringing together scholars in literature, philosophy, theology, ethics and religion in conversation with each other and with creative writers and their works. The Hank Center proudly sponsored the Power of the Word International Conference VII, which took place from 16-20 September, 2024, at La Sapienza University, Rome.
"In Defense of Others, In Defense of Faith: The Camden 28 Trial and the Vietnam War" with Michelle Nickerson
September 18, 2024 | 4:30pm CDT
Ceremonial Courtroom, Corboy Law Center, Water Tower Campus
Historian Michelle Nickerson joined us for the debut of her new book, Spiritual Criminals: How the Camden 28 Put the Vietnam War on Trial . Defendant Kathleen "Cookie" Ridolfi (Emerita, Santa Clara School of Law) and expert witness Joseph Daoust S.J. (Red Cloud School) gave reflections.
Philip Metres: Seeking Refuge, Writing Home
September 24, 2024 | 7-8:30PM
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall
In his recent Fugitive/Refuge, Philip Metres follows the journey of his refugee ancestors—from Lebanon to Mexico to the United States—in a vivid exploration of what it means to long for home. A book-length qasida, the collection draws on both ancient traditions and innovative forms—odes and arabics, sonnets and cut-ups, prayers and documentary voicings—in order to confront the perils of our age: forced migration, climate change, and toxic nationalism.
Event video now available.
Second Annual Jesuit Lecture: "A Better Kind of Politics," Featuring Sam Sawyer, S.J. In-Person and Livestream
October 3, 2024 | 7–8:30pm CDT
In-person and livestreamed
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall, LSC
The Hank Center proudly welcomed Sam Sawyer, S.J., editor of America Media, to speak on the topic of depolarization. Taking place mere weeks before the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the second annual Jesuit Lecture came at a pivotal moment; it responded to the timely opportunity to explore the complex reality of polarization in American society, drawn as it is along political and religious lines.
Event video recording now available.
Reckoning with History: Jesuit Slaveholding and the Present Work of Restorative Justice
October 17–18, 2024
Information Commons 4th Floor, Lake Shore Campus
The Hank Center welcomed Rachel L. Swarns, longtime correspondent with the New York Times and author of The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church, as keynote speaker for this multi-day event. The objective was to examine Georgetown University as a main basis from which to reflect on the following questions: How should we as individuals, as a university, as a church approach this history? How do we remember these truths and engage with proper recognition? Who should be a part of this ongoing conversation? What steps should be taken to move forward toward restorative justice and reconciliation? How might the Catholic intellectual and social traditions serve as a resource to these topics, requirements, and questions?
This two-day colloquium was co-sponsored by Loyola University Chicago's Institute for Racial Justice.
Admission is free and all are welcome.
2024 Catholic Imagination Conference
October 31–November 2, 2024
University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Indiana
The Hank Center was proud to partner with the University of Notre Dame’s de Nicola Center for the Fifth Biennial Catholic Imagination Conference, "Ever Ancient, Ever New: On Catholic Imagination.” With a particular focus on the literary arts, this conference explored unique expressions of the Catholic imagination in more than 150 presentations, performances, and discussions across the disciplines including philosophy, theology, ethics, law, history, and the natural and social sciences, as well as the creative domains of film, music, theater, and the visual arts.
Blessed, Broken, and Given: Students’ Perspectives on the Eucharist and Social Justice
November 7, 2024
Palm Court, MDS Chapel, Damen Den, Ignatius House
As part of Ignatian Heritage Month, the Hank Center and Campus Ministry invites you to take part in an event investigating the connection between the Eucharist and Social Justice. The day will include two research colloquia where invited undergraduate students will present short papers on this topic, the celebration of Evening Prayer/Vespers, and dinner.
All members of the Loyola Community are invited to this event, but RSVP is required no later than October 31.
On Humility: Christopher Bellitto Book Lecture
November 12, 2024 | 7pm CST
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall, Lake Shore Campus
Humility, a cultural history and biography of the idea of humility, argues that the frightening alternative to humility has been the death of civility. In this book, Bellitto explores humility in Greco-Roman history, philosophy, and literature; in the ancient and medieval Jewish, Christian, and Muslim scriptures and sermons; in the Enlightenment; and in contemporary discussions of education in virtue and citizenship.
Catholic Media Influencer Summit 2024
November 12-15, 2024
University of St. Mary of the Lake | Mundelein, IL
This summit gathered leading voices in Catholic media and the academy to discuss the challenges of communicating for and about the Church while gathering vital information about the values and practices these influencers are bringing to the digital space. Over four days, participants heard from expert presenters from a variety of fields and engaged with questions surrounding the risks and rewards of digital ministry.
Primitive Mysteries: Performances and Post-Concert Discussion
Open Rehearsal: Aug 24, 2024 Performances: Nov 20–24, 2024 Opening Night, Performance and Post-Concert Discussion: Nov 22 The Hank Center is proud to cosponsor Primitive Mysteries, Martha Graham’s 1931 masterpiece. This multi-layered series is a production of the Dance division of Loyola’s Department of Fine and Performing Art–led by Professor Sandra Kaufmann–and is its distinct project for the fall, 2024. Please join us for a signature performance and post-concert discussion on November 22 with Professor Sandra Kaufmann, Renée Darline Roden, and Dr. Michael Murphy, Director of the Hank Center. Ticketing information is available on the Loyola Fine and Performing Arts department website.
Journeys of Dignity: A Lecture series on Migration through the Lens of Catholic Social Teaching and Jesuit Education
January 15 & February 14, 2025
Zoom Only
Sponsored by the Institute for Pastoral Studies, Mission Integration, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, The Hank Center, and the LUC Dreamer Committee.
Ken Parker Luncheon: Newman’s Cause as Doctor of Church
January 29, 12–1:15 PM | Cuneo 425, LSC
Envisioning a Livable Future: The Current State of Climate Change | Video Now Available
Laudato Si' at 10 Series
January 29, 2025 | Webinar
6:30 pm – 7:45 pm U.S. Eastern Time
What’s happening? Are we too late? Can we bend the curve even now? What has changed since 2015? Further, what needs to be done, by when, and how to do it?
This was the first of seven events in the serial conference "Envisioning a Livable Future," marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home.
The event video is now available
Graham Ward Luncheon: On the Christian Literary Imagination
February 13, 12–1:30 PM | Cuneo 425, LSC
Closed Meeting
Envisioning a Livable Future: The Contribution of Catholic Social Thought | Video Now Available
Laudato Si' at 10 Series
February 17, 2025 | Webinar
6:30 pm – 7:45 pm U.S. Eastern Time
Ten years after the publication of Laudato Si’, what are, or ought to be, the growing edges of Catholic social thought? What does it have to contribute to our understanding of the climate crisis and the development of an ecological conscience?
The second of seven events in the serial conference "Envisioning a Livable Future," marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home.
The event video is now available
The 2025 St. John Henry Newman Lecture: Abigail Favale
February 19, 7-8:30PM
Information Commons, 4th Floor, LSC
This year’s lecturer was Dr. Abigail Favale of the McGrath Center at the University of Notre Dame. Her story brings to life the wrenching tumult of conversion--a conversion that began after she entered the Church and began to pry open its mysteries. There she discovered the startling beauty of a sacramental cosmos, a vision of reality that upended her notions of gender, sexuality, identity, and authority. This is a thoroughly 21st century conversion, a compelling account of recovering an ancient faith after a decade of doubt. As Dr. Favale writes, "There are events in life that leave you changed forever, right down to the very roots and heart of your being, because they go 'into the deep.'”
Envisioning a Livable Future: The Political Economy of Climate Change
Laudato Si' at 10 Series
March 11, 2025 | Webinar
5:30 pm – 6:45 pm U.S. Eastern Time
How do we move from what Pope Francis has called an “economy that kills” both people and planet to an economy that is truly sustainable and just? What are the levers of such a system change, and what are the obstacles to it?
The third of seven events in the serial conference "Envisioning a Livable Future," marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home.
Laudato si’@ 10 events at the Climate Change Conference: Panel and Reception
March 12–15: Climate Change Conference
March 15: Panel & Reception: Laudato si'@ 10: Pope Francis and Caring for Our Common Home Today
The Hank Center has supported the annual Climate Change Conference from its inception and is proud to host a special panel this year: Laudato si'@ 10: Pope Francis and Caring for Our Common Home Today. This event includes a hosted post-panel reception with beer, wine, and heavy hors d'oeuvres and is one of the free sessions offered by the conference.
This panel is free and all are welcome; registration for the conference is not required to attend this final session.
There is a concert that follows the reception and we hope you are able attend that as well. The concert is a ticketed event, which can be purchased here.
Teilhard de Chardin S.J. Lecture
“Is Catholicism's 'Woman Problem' a History Problem?” Teilhard de Chardin Lecture featuring Dr. Bronwen McShea
March 20, 2025
The Hank Center is honored to welcome the Spring, 2025 Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J. Fellow in Catholic Studies, Dr. Bronwen McShea, to offer this year’s Teilhard lecture.
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The Pleasures of Pseudepigraphy Conference
March 30-31, 2025
Loyola University Chicago | Lake Shore Campus
Building on a growing body of recent scholarship on ancient pseudepigraphy and the varied ways in which ancient writers attributed texts to others, this conference will center the genre of the letter with an examination of epistolary fictions. We will consider what features particular to a letter make it particularly well suited for ancient pseudepigraphy, such as the ways it mediates presence across distance and associates itself with a particular personality.
Envisioning a Livable Future: Environmental Politics
Laudato Si' at 10 Series
April 9, 2025 | Webinar
6:30 pm – 7:45 pm U.S. Eastern Time
What are practical, effective forms of political action to counter the climate crisis and build both solidarity and momentum? Are all the winds countervailing, or are there promising movements and trends?
The fourth of seven events in the serial conference "Envisioning a Livable Future," marking the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis's encyclical Laudato Si': On Care for our Common Home.
Living Tradition Award Luncheon: Honoring Fr. Dan Hartnett, S.J.
April 15, 2025 | 11:30am–2:00pm
Each spring the Hank Center presents the Living Tradition Award to a retired Loyola University Chicago faculty member who has exemplified the integration of Catholic thought into their work. This award commemorates extraordinary lives of scholarship, research, service, and teaching in specific fields of expertise. This year we honor Fr. Dan Hartnett, S.J., an exemplary practitioner of Catholic Jesuit education and service--and a key voice in the foundation of the Hank Center.
By Invitation Only
"Images and Likenesses: Immigration, Dignity, and the Soul of America" | 2025 Annual Cardinal Bernardin Lecture featuring Bishop Mark Seitz
April 22, 2025 | 7–8:30 pm
McCormick Lounge, Coffey Hall, Lake Shore Campus
The Hank Center is excited to welcome Most Rev. Mark J. Seitz, Bishop of El Paso and Chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, to deliver the annual Cardinal Bernardin Common Cause lecture.
Immigration is a particularly critical issue at the present moment in the United States. In the midst of the contentious public dialog, Catholics find themselves at an important theological and moral crossroads. This is especially true in light of Pope Francis’ recent letter to the United States calling for all bishops to work closely with migrants and refugees, and for all Catholics to reject narratives that discriminate and dehumanize. Just as Pope Francis has been a consistent and firm voice on the infinite dignity of migrants over the past decade, so too has Bishop Seitz.
In addition to being outspoken on the duty to care for immigrants, Bishop Seitz has served migrant families and refugees face-to-face in El Paso with compassion, solidarity, and love. Yet as Bishop Seitz’s ministry models, the gospel obligation to welcome the stranger with openness is not just the work of a ‘border bishop’ like himself, but rather it is for all who are part of a true ‘border church,’ which, in the vision of Pope Francis, exists to go out to the margins.
Panel and Reception at the North American Patristics Society Annual Meeting
May 24 | 4:00-6:00 PM
Lewis Towers, Water Tower Campus
This year marks the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicea, the first ecumenical council of the Church. Convened by the first Christian Roman Emperor, Constantine I, the council’s legacies are as contentious as they are historically and theologically signficant. Seventeen centuries later, what does it mean to teach Nicea? How do we approach it as simultaneously an historical document, a creed, a confession of faith, a cultural artifact, and an eccesial event? The Hank Center is hosting special panel session and reception to end the NAPS annual meeting.
This event is free & open to the public.
Flannery Abroad: A Conference in Celebration of Flannery O'Connor's Centenary
June 6-8, 2025 | 7pm CST
Fordham University London, 2 Eyre St Hill, London, EC1R 5ET, United Kingdom
Call For Paper Proposal Deadline: February 14, 2025
Flannery O'Connor famously didn't like to travel. Nonetheless, in the tradition of the previous International Flannery O'Connor Conferences, we are taking O'Connor abroad in honor of her 100th birthday and to celebrate O’Connor’s influence on European writers, thinkers, and artists.
Sponsored by Fordham's Curran Center for American Catholic Studies, Loyola Chicago's Hank Center, Georgetown University, The Flannery O'Connor Trust.
American Catholic Philosophical Association, Annual Meeting
November 14–17, 2024
InterContinental Chicago Magnificent Mile
The Hank Center was proud to co-sponsor the 2024 Annual Meeting of the American Catholic Philosophical Association. The conference, hosted by Loyola University Chicago, was held at the InterContinental Chicago on the Magnificent Mile. This year’s conference -- with the theme “Male and Female He Created Them” -- focused on questions of gender, though other topics in the Catholic philosophical tradition were also be considered. The program included keynote addresses, contributed papers, satellite sessions, and posters. For more information, please visit https://acpaweb.org/
Catholic Studies Consortium, Annual Meeting, Seton Hall University
September 5–7, 2024
Seton Hall University
The Catholic Studies Consortium grew out of a small network of Catholic Studies scholars seeking to be a resource to each other and the growing movement of Centers and Programs in the country. As a movement that explicitly aspires to such an integral and integrating education, Catholic Studies has a vital role to play in the future of Catholic higher education and seeks to cultivate growth of students in the fullness of their being and the integration of knowledge in every discipline and realm of study. The Hank Center is proud to serve on the leadership team of the CS Consortium and provide support for its exciting, needed endeavors.