Jan
12
to May 18

Transforming Matter: Incarnation, Sacraments, and Saints in Catholic Art and Devotion

A new exhibition, Transforming Matter: Incarnation, Sacraments, and Saints in Catholic Art and Devotion, opens at the Hope College Kruizenga Art Museum on Friday, January 12, and runs through May 18. The exhibition is free and all are welcome.

Transforming Matter was curated by five students from the Hope Catholics student organization working under the supervision of Professor of Religion and SBI Executive Director Jared Ortiz. The exhibition features 25 artworks that reflect different aspects of Catholic theology and religious practice. Artworks in the exhibition include paintings, prints, sculptures, and liturgical objects that range in date from the late fifteenth to the early twenty-first centuries. All of the artworks in the exhibition belong to the Kruizenga Art Museum’s permanent collection.

“The Christian religion is gritty,” explains Professor Ortiz. “God became flesh and appeared as a baby born in a barn in a forgotten corner of the Roman empire. He lived through every stage of human existence—from a little tiny embryo to a full-grown adult—in order to restore every stage of human life back to communion with God. He was killed on a cross and buried in a stone tomb, but was rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. God did this to save us, that is, to redeem us from sin and death so that we might be healed and made “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4). This is the great mystery of Christianity: God became what we are so that we can become what he is. The exhibition curated by my students explores the many ways that God enters into created reality to transform it for our salvation.”

The exhibition is divided into five thematic sections: Incarnation, Sacraments, Saints, End Times, and the Global Church. Each section contains a selection of artworks that illustrate different aspects of the section’s theme. The artworks were chosen by the five student curators both for their relevance to the themes and for their aesthetic qualities and how they look displayed together. "As a student curator, I was surprised and delighted by how much Catholic artwork was available for us to choose from,” said Karlie Platz. “The pieces we considered came from all over the world and were varied in their artistic style, reminding me of the universality and diversity of the Catholic Church. I think the artwork we chose reflects visibly the often invisible reality of a God who has entered and always continues to enter into our human condition. It was a pleasure and an honor to be part of this exhibition, and I hope visitors are as moved when viewing it as I was when selecting it."

Among the highlights of the exhibition is an astonishing engraving created by French artist Claude Mellan in 1649. It depicts the Veil of Veronica, a cloth that is said to have had the face of Jesus Christ divinely imprinted on it after it was used by a kindly woman to wipe Christ’s face as he was carrying the cross to Golgotha. The entire image of the cloth with the holy face is depicted using a single line that spirals outward from the tip of Christ’s nose, a remarkable feat of printmaking that has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Another notable artwork in the exhibition is a splendid silver monstrance—a vessel used to display the Eucharistic host—that was created by artists in the Philippines in the late eighteenth century. This exhibition marks the first time this monstrance, and several other artworks, have been made available for public viewing.

The Kruizenga Art Museum is located at 271 Columbia Avenue, between 10th and 13th streets. Public visiting hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Admission to the museum is always free.

The Kruizenga Art Museum functions as an educational resource for Hope College and the greater West Michigan community. The museum features two public galleries as well as a study room and climate-controlled storage space for its 7,000-object permanent collection. It is named in honor of a leadership gift from the late Dr. Richard and Margaret Kruizenga of Holland, both of whom graduated from Hope in 1952.

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Apr
17
7:00 PM19:00

Was Jesus an Only Child?

A BIBLICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL EXPLORATION

In this talk, Dr. Jack Mulder will discuss biblical, traditional, and philosophical ways to think of Jesus' nuclear family. Did Jesus have siblings? Was Mary a virgin throughout her life? Why do those questions matter for us? Join us to learn about and discuss these questions.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College departments of Religion and Philosophy and the Center for Ministry Studies.

Dr. Jack Mulder is the assistant director and co-founder of the Saint Benedict Institute. He is a native of Grand Rapids and a Hope College alumnus. Dr. Mulder studied philosophy and religion at Hope College before pursuing an MA and PhD in philosophy at Purdue University, where he wrote his dissertation on Kierkegaard. He was received into the Catholic Church while at graduate school. Dr. Mulder is the author of several books, including Kierkegaard and the Catholic Tradition, What Does it Mean to Be Catholic? (Eerdmans, 2015), and Civil Dialogue on Abortion (Routledge, 2018). Currently, he is a professor of philosophy and the chair of the Philosophy Department at Hope College. Dr. Mulder is happily married to Melissa, an Associate Professor of Spanish Instruction at Hope, and he is the father of two children, Lucas and Maria.

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Mar
22
7:00 PM19:00

Religious Vocations: What's That All About?

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to pursue a religious vocation? Could God be calling you? How would you know? Join us for two simultaneous talks, one for women and one for men, in which you’ll hear Catholic religious share their personal stories of discerning and entering their vocations. There will be time for Q&A after the talks.

Fr. Eugene Batungbacal is a priest of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. He was ordained in 2010. He currently serves as the Assistant Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Hispanic Ministry of the diocese. He is in residence at St. Alphonsus Parish in Grand Rapids.

Sr. Josetta Rose entered the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in 2020 after serving as a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) missionary at Ball State University. She is originally from Minnesota. After professing her first vows in August 2023, she joined the community’s vocation team and is pursuing an MA in catechetics and evangelization online at the Franciscan University of Steubenville. She likes rollerblading, art, being outside, and sharing Jesus with people. 

Sr. Fiat joined the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in 2016 after graduating college. Before entering the convent, she served as a NET (National Evangelization Teams) missionary ,where she discovered her love of evangelization. As a sister, she has taught middle school and now serves on the vocations team for her community. In this role, she is honored to help women discover their vocations, preach the gospel to many, and watch those she serves fall more deeply in love with Jesus! She is passionate about facilitating encounters with Jesus' kindness for others!

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Nov
16
7:00 PM19:00

The Big Bang, the Beginning, and Creation

Did the universe have a beginning? Was it created? Are these the same question? And will the universe come to an end or last forever? This talk will discuss what Christian revelation, philosophy, and contemporary science have to say about these questions.

This event is cosponsored by the Dean for the Natural and Applied Sciences, the Physics Department, the Religion Department, and the Magi Project at the Collegium Institute. It is the second lecture in the Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos series hosted by the Saint Benedict Institute in fall 2023.

Stephen Barr is President of the Society of Catholic Scientists, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Delaware, and former Director of the Bartol Research Institute. He earned a Ph.D. in physics from Princeton University in 1978. Professor Barr does research in theoretical particle physics, especially grand unified theories, theories of CP violation, neutrino oscillations, and particle cosmology. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (2011). He is the author of Modern Physics and Ancient Faith (University of Notre Dame Press, 2003).

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Oct
16
7:00 PM19:00

African American Saints in the Making with Bishop Perry

African American Catholics have a rich and complicated history. At present, there are three million African American Catholics in the United States. Six African American Catholics have active formal causes for sainthood before the Vatican. Some of these figures escaped slavery and others died as recently as 1990. Any one (or more) of them could become the first canonized African American saint. Come hear Bishop Joseph N. Perry discuss the path to sainthood for some of these important figures.

Most Reverend Joseph N. Perry, a recently retired Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago, is a professor of canon law at Mundelein Seminary, chair of African American Affairs for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the postulator for the cause of sainthood for Venerable Father Augustus Tolton (1854-1897), and a past vice-president of the board of the National Black Catholic Congress.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College Religion Department, the History Department, the Center for Ministry Studies, Campus Ministries, the Center for Diversity and Inclusion, and Hope Catholics.

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Sep
19
7:00 PM19:00

A Long Obedience: Cultivating Christian Virtue in Long-Term Illness

This event is hosted by the Girod Chair at Western Theological Seminary and co-sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute. The panel discussion will be recorded. Register to receive a link with the recording.

Modern Christian stories of “the good life” often assume faithful obedience leads to healthy, happy lives. Christians who are ill become recipients of prayer and care to buoy them back to health. However, despite medical advances, sometimes illness remains mysterious or untreatable. In addition, many patients with other forms of long-term illness receive benefits from medical treatment, yet continue to live with chronic pain, fatigue, and other types of physical and mental distress.

What does faithful and fruitful Christian discipleship look like for believers enduring long-term illness? For centuries, Protestant and Catholic theologies of “the virtues” have described the Spirit’s work through particular habits and dispositions to conform believers into the image of Christ. This panel explores the question: What resources and implications does the Christian virtue tradition have for believers and congregations when illness is chronic and ongoing? How might this tradition provide a pathway for chronically ill Christians and their communities to grow more deeply into “the good life” as redefined by Christ, and bear witness to the good news in a hurting world?

Join the Faith and Illness Initiative for this evening panel event, featuring Dr. Matthew Levering, James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, University of Saint Mary of the Lake; Dr. Rebecca Konyndyk DeYoung, Professor of Philosophy, Calvin University; Rev. Wendy Haack, Healthcare Chaplain, Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital; and Dr. Peter Jaggard, M.D., NorthShore University Health System; moderated by Dr. J. Todd Billings.

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Sep
17
4:00 PM16:00

Bishop Barron on the Catholic Intellectual Tradition

Presented by our friends at the Harvard Catholic Forum and co-presented by the Harvard Catholic Center

Live-Streamed Event

Bishop Robert Barron, founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, explores some foundational themes in the Catholic intellectual tradition, including God, the human person, sin and grace, society, and freedom. All flow from Christology, our understanding of Jesus, so that, as St. Bonaventure said, Christ is truly found at the center of all the disciplines pursued in the university.

This event is made possible through the support of grant #62372 from the John Templeton Foundation, “In Lumine: Promoting the Catholic Intellectual Tradition on Campuses Nationwide.”

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Sep
7
7:00 PM19:00

What Is Man that You Are Mindful of Him?

EVOLUTION, ECOLOGY, AND FAITH

One of the polarizing questions in today’s culture is the question of evolution and its relationship to faith. Many presume an antagonism between the theory of evolution and the Christian faith and find it difficult to conceive of a harmonious relationship between them. This lecture will address this apparent disjunct and consider the theory of evolution in light of the resources of the Catholic tradition. It will do so in the context of the implications of the debate for Christian anthropology and for a holistic understanding of the unique role of humans in creation as stewards and mediators.

This event is the first in our Creation, Evolution, and Our Place in the Cosmos series taking place in fall 2023.

Sister Damien Marie Savino, FSE, is a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist who has served as the Dean of Science and Sustainability at Aquinas College since 2016. She holds a doctorate in civil (environmental) engineering and a master’s degree in theology from the Catholic University of America, as well as a master’s degree in soil science from the University of Connecticut and a B.S. degree in biogeography from McGill University. She has lectured and written widely on questions at the interface between science and theology and ecology and faith. Sister Damien Marie is the director of the new “Educating for Laudato Si’ Initiative” sponsored by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.

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Apr
16
3:00 PM15:00

Divine Mercy Holy Hour

  • St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Our parish is holding a bilingual service on Divine Mercy Sunday that will include adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy is a recent devotion in the Catholic Church. It is founded on the revelations received by Saint Faustina Kowalska (1905-1938), a Polish nun, about the mercy of God. The chaplet consists of a set of prayers, commonly prayed with the help of a Rosary, but easily done without one due to its simplicity.

On April 30, 2000, Pope Saint John Paul II proclaimed the Second Sunday of Easter as "Divine Mercy Sunday" for the entire world. In 2002, the pontiff established that Divine Mercy Sunday be enriched with an indulgence.

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Apr
13
7:00 PM19:00

The Radical Doctrine of One God

Reading the Nicene Creed in Context

The Nicene Creed begins with the seemingly bland statement, “I believe in one God.” This claim is so familiar to us that we have lost sight of how truly shocking, radical, and controversial this doctrine was. In the early Church, Roman authorities saw the Christian teaching about one God as a threat to the social order, and Christians had to defend their belief even, at times, to the point of death. In this talk, Jared Ortiz will explore the opening line of the Nicene Creed by situating it in its historical context. The talk draws on his forthcoming book The Nicene Creed: A Scriptural, Historical, and Theological Commentary (Baker Academic) co-authored with Daniel Keating.

Jared Ortiz joined the faculty at Hope College in 2012. He teaches Catholic theology in the Department of Religion and is founder and executive director of the Saint Benedict Institute. Dr. Ortiz teaches courses on the Incarnation, church history, Catholic Christianity, the theology of the human person, and early Christianity.

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Mar
29
7:00 PM19:00

We Hold These Truths: The History of Abortion in America

  • Bultman Student Center, Hope College (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Our friends at Hope College Students Cherishing Life are excited to host a speaker on campus on Wednesday, March 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the Bultman Student Center auditorium. Michael Kenney, President of Pro-Life Partners Foundation, will share a presentation titled "We Hold These Truths: The History of Abortion in America." We hope you will join us for this important discussion!

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Feb
16
7:00 PM19:00

What Do You Want? Pilgrimage and Desire in a Faraway Place

  • Fried-Hemenway Auditorium, Martha Miller Center, Hope College (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

In asking his contemporaries what they wanted, Jesus points the way to an understanding of human beings as creatures ordered to desire. St. Augustine famously locates the center of our desire in the heart, and the proper object of our desire in God. But how well do we understand our desires, our wants, our longings? Not well enough, and perhaps not at all. In this talk, author and Hope College professor Richard Ray will tell the story of how a sacred journey to a sacred place resulted in a sacred purpose: the reordering of his desires and the reshaping of his heart.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College Departments of Kinesiology, Religion, and World Languages and Cultures, as well as the Fried Center for Global Engagement.

Richard Ray has been a member of the Hope faculty since 1982. During that time he also has served as the college’s chief academic officer (2010–2016), dean for the social sciences (2008–2010), and chair of the Department of Kinesiology (2003–2008). He was the college's head athletic trainer, and he developed the academic program in athletic training at Hope. He teaches courses in the athletic training program, First-Year Seminar, and Senior Seminar. In 2016 he completed a 500-mile walking pilgrimage on Spain’s Camino de Santiago. He teaches a Senior Seminar on pilgrimage and presents on this subject to church and community groups. He is the author of two books on his pilgrimage experiences, The Shape of My Heart: A Pilgrimage Remembrance and Walking Gratefully: A Camino Story.

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Feb
9
6:00 PM18:00

Men of Hope (Student-Only Event)

Practical Advice for Living and Dating as Christian Men

Dinner Provided
DeVos Fieldhouse 2A07/08
Scan the QR code to sign up!

This event is open to the young men of Hope College! Please join the Saint Benedict Institute and Campus Ministries for a night of panel Q&A with the men of Hope Athletics for a discussion on living out your Christian faith, how you are called to treat women as a man of God, and practical advice on dating and marriage. Coaches include:

  • Dave Blahnik – Men’s Soccer

  • Connor Fowler – Men’s Soccer

  • Andrew Hawken – Football 

  • Scott Lokers – Men’s Golf

  • Greg Mitchell – Men’s Basketball

  • Brian Morehouse – Women’s Basketball

  • Mark Northuis – Cross Country/Track & Field

  • Moderated by Tim Schoonveld – Athletic Director

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Oct
24
7:00 PM19:00

The Hong Konger Documentary

The Saint Benedict Institute is co-sponsoring an event hosted by the Markets & Morality student organization at Hope College and Western Theological Seminary: a screening of the documentary “The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom,” followed by audience discussion with one of the film’s producers, Dr. Stephen Barrows, on Monday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre.

The public is invited.  Admission is free.  The event will also include free concessions.

Jimmy Lai was arrested in 2020 for his role in pro-democracy protests opposing China’s policies in Hong Kong and is currently in prison. As described in the film’s promotional materials, “When Hong Kong’s basic freedoms come under attack, media tycoon Jimmy Lai finds himself in the crosshairs of the state and must choose between defending Hong Kong’s long-standing liberties, or his own freedom.”

Lai had fled Maoist revolutionaries in China as a twelve-year-old in 1959 and began a new life in Hong Kong as a textile worker. In 1981, he founded Giordano, an international clothing retailer. He founded Next Media in 1990 in response to China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, and in 1995 founded the Apple Daily newspaper. Sovereignty over Hong Kong was transferred from the United Kingdom to China in 1997. The film’s materials continue, “As China retreated from its ‘one nation, two systems’ policy and began installing pro-Beijing leaders in Hong Kong, Jimmy became a leading voice against repressive policies.  Jimmy could have fled but he chose to stay, marching alongside millions of his fellow Hong Kongers in defense of freedom and democracy. He was soon arrested and jailed. International banks froze his assets. Apple Daily was raided and key executives arrested. In June 2021, Apple Daily printed its final edition and shut its doors.”

“The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom” was developed by the Grand Rapids-based Acton Institute in association with Crossfire Productions and Iron Light Labs. Barrows is the institute’s chief operating officer. Prior to his work at Acton, he served as the executive vice president, provost, and dean of faculty at Aquinas College, where he was also a tenured associate professor of economics.

The Markets & Morality student organization aims to support and celebrate freedom of expression in the context of the liberal arts by hosting speakers and films on topics spanning the economic, political, and cultural aspects of human civilization, with a special concern for human flourishing as understood in Christian perspective.

Western Theological Seminary prepares women and men for Christian ministry around the world as pastors, chaplains, non-profit leaders, and church planters. Students and community members are encouraged to take a keen interest in the social, political, and economic events that affect the world, especially those that impact religious freedom or threaten to diminish the value of the individual created in the image of God.

Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.

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Oct
17
7:00 PM19:00

The Economics of the Parables

Father Robert Sirico, who is president emeritus and co-founder of the Acton Institute, will relate timeless biblical wisdom to contemporary issues through the address “The Economics of the Parables.”

The event is co-sponsored by the Markets & Morality student organization at Hope, the Saint Benedict Institute, and the Corpus Christi Foundation. The public is invited, and admission is free.

The lecture will be based on Sirico’s book of the same title, published this past May.  As described in the overview of the book, “In The Economics of the Parables, Rev. Robert Sirico pulls back the veil of modernity to reveal the timeless economic wisdom of the parables. Thirteen central stories — including ‘The Laborers in the Vineyard,’ ‘The Rich Fool,’ ‘The Five Talents,’ and ‘The Faithful Steward’ — serve as his guide, revealing practical lessons in caring for the poor, stewarding wealth, distributing inheritances, navigating income disparities, and resolving family tensions.”

In his capacity with the Acton Institute, Sirico lectures at colleges, universities, and business organizations throughout the U.S. and abroad. His writings on religious, political, economic, and social matters have been in publications including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the London Financial Times, the Washington Times, the Detroit News, and National Review. He is often called upon by members of the broadcast media for statements regarding economics, civil rights, and issues of religious concern, and has provided commentary for CNN, ABC, the BBC, NPR, and CBS' 60 Minutes, among others.

Sirico received his Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America following undergraduate study at the University of Southern California and the University of London. During his studies and early ministry, he experienced a growing concern over the lack of training religious studies students receive in fundamental economic principles, leaving them poorly equipped to understand and address today's social problems. As a result of these concerns, he co-founded the Grand Rapids-based Acton Institute with Kris Alan Mauren in 1990.

In April 1999, Sirico was awarded an honorary doctorate in Christian ethics from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and in May 2001, Universidad Francisco Marroquin awarded him an honorary doctorate in social sciences. Sirico, who holds dual Italian and American citizenship, is a member of the prestigious Mont Pèlerin Society, the American Academy of Religion, and the Philadelphia Society, and is on the Board of Advisors of the Civic Institute in Prague. He also served on the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1994 to 1998.

His pastoral ministry has included a chaplaincy to AIDS patients at the National Institutes of Health. He is currently the Pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in Grand Rapids.

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Oct
4
7:00 PM19:00

Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Our Culture and Disadvantages Women

  • Dimnent Memorial Chapel, Hope College (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Saint Benedict Institute is excited about this upcoming event presented by Students Cherishing Life, a pro-life student group on the campus of Hope College. Students Cherishing Life is teaming up with Focus on the Family and the Colson Center to host Alexandra DeSanctis of the National Review at Dimnent Memorial Chapel on October 4. Ms. DeSanctis will address the topic of abortion with a talk titled “Tearing Us Apart: How Abortion Harms Our Culture and Disadvantages Women.” Registration or a Hope ID is required to attend. Find additional details in the graphic below.

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Sep
20
7:00 AM07:00

Religious Freedom and Human Dignity: The Crisis in Contemporary Healthcare

  • Winants Auditorium, Graves Hall, Hope College (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

In recent decades, the civil rights of religious freedom and medical conscience have been increasingly challenged, especially in the area of health care. These challenges have undermined the protection of human dignity. In this talk, Louis Brown will explore the current landscape of religious freedom, the sanctity of life, and civil rights in a range of health care concerns and issues. He will discuss current threats to religious freedom, the foundational importance of human dignity, and how Christians can respond to our contemporary situation.

Cosponsored by the Departments of Nursing, Political Science, Religion, and Philosophy; also cosponsored by Markets & Morality, the Pre-Law Society, and Constitution Day.

Louis Brown Jr., J.D. serves as the Executive Director of the Christ Medicus Foundation, a Catholic health ministry whose mission is to share the healing love of Christ in health care by (1) defending medical conscience rights and religious freedom, (2) advising and working with Catholic health care entities to expand access to Christ-centered pro-life medical care, and (3) providing the CURO Catholic health care community that serves the medical needs and whole person health of individuals and families. Louis received a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He has worked as an attorney in private practice, for a state Catholic conference, and on Capitol Hill as a Congressman’s legislative counsel and liaison to the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary. He has also served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) where he oversaw the civil rights division of the HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR) under the supervision of the OCR Director and worked on medical conscience and religious freedom issues.  Brown sits on the board of directors of two Catholic health care entities. He also recently co-founded the Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance to provide a new voice for Christ-centered Catholic health care in the United States. He currently also serves as Associate Director of the Center for Law and the Human Person at the Catholic University Columbus School of Law. In Spring 2021, Louis was a law lecturer at the law school where he taught a course on human dignity and religious freedom in health care. Louis has published articles on religious freedom, pro-life health care or civil rights in The Hill newspaper, Public Discourse, and First Things. He has been quoted in news articles in the Angelus, National Review, The Pillar, National Catholic Register, and Catholic News Agency. Louis has testified on public policy matters in the state legislatures of Maryland, Florida, South Dakota, and Arkansas. Louis also serves on the board of advisors of the Religious Liberty Initiative at Notre Dame Law School.  Louis is passionate about his work for the Christ Medicus Foundation where its Catholic health care ministry, CURO, is an instrument of health and healing for its members. By God’s grace, CURO is helping its members pay for medical costs and helping its members to heal through Catholic health coaching, spiritual direction, Catholic wellness courses, and a spiritual health program centered in the Divine Physician, Jesus Christ.

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Apr
25
5:00 PM17:00

Duruflé's Messe Cum Jubilo: Lecture, Discussion, and Music

This event features a live-streamed lecture by Prof. Thomas Forrest Kelly and Andrew Clark of Harvard and a live-streamed musical performance by the Harvard Glee Club. It is sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum as part of their Sacred Music series. The event is co-sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute.

The Harvard Glee Club performs the musical settings for this joyful Mass with soloists, baritone choir, and organ, composed in 1967. Professor Thomas Forrest Kelly and Andrew Clark introduce the music with lecture and discussion about the history, structure, liturgical context, and musical significance of the piece.

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Apr
21
7:30 PM19:30

Work in the Future: Economic Realities and Insights from Catholic Thought

This live-streamed lecture by Prof. Mary Hirschfeld of Villanova University is sponsored by the Harvard Catholic Forum as part of their Faith and Work series. It is co-sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute.

Two trends —globalization and automation—are transforming the experience, organization, and character of work, and our best evidence suggests they will continue to do so over the next generation. Both trends spring from the imperative to maximize profits, and they seem to drive an inexorable increase in income inequality along with instability and fragmentation in the world of work. Some economists have responded by proposing schemes of income redistribution such as a “universal basic income,” but these define the good of both labor and business narrowly, primarily in monetary terms. By contrast, the Catholic intellectual tradition, with its fuller view of the human person and emphasis on the common good, suggests a more complex and rounded vision of work that could guide both policy and practice in the years to come.

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Apr
11
7:30 PM19:30

Cuba: Homeland and Life!

The Markets & Morality student organization at Hope College and the Saint Benedict Institute are co-hosting the presentation “Cuba: Homeland and Life!” on Monday, April 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Winants Auditorium of Graves Hall. The public is invited. Admission is free. The presentation will also be livestreamed at hope.edu/live and via the Hope College YouTube channel.

The event will feature personal testimonies from Miguel Abrahantes of the Hope College engineering faculty and Holland resident Amaurys Rodriguez-Matos. The title is inspired by the hip-hop song “Patria y Vida” (“Homeland and Life”), which has served as an anthem for protesters against Cuba’s government. The title plays on the slogan “Homeland or Death” (“Patria o Muerte”) from the Cuban revolution of the 1950s. The song, which has garnered more than ten million views on YouTube since being released in February 2021, won the Latin Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Urban Song this past November.

Cuban-native Miguel Abrahantes is a professor of engineering and department chair at Hope College. He received his engineering doctorate in control systems from the Universidad Nacional del Sur in Argentina in 2000 and has been a teaching at Hope since 2003.

Amaurys Rodriguez-Matos, a university professor from Cuba, arrived in the United States in December 2016 with his wife and four children. The Rodriguez-Matos family came into the U.S. just in time to qualify under the Cuban Haitian Entry Program for refugees from these countries. The family was sponsored by St. Francis de Sales Church in Holland, received housing initially from Grace Episcopal Church, and has since been the recipient of a Habitat for Humanity home in Holland.

The Markets & Morality student organization aims to support and celebrate freedom of expression in the context of the liberal arts by hosting speakers and films on topics spanning the economic, political, and cultural aspects of human civilization, with a special concern for human flourishing as understood in Christian perspective.

Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar.

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Mar
18
to Mar 27

Immersion Trip: Saint Meinrad Archabbey

The life of the monks at Saint Meinrad Archabbey revolves around prayer and work for the love of God and neighbor. Located in the hills of rural southern Indiana, the monastery offers visitors a chance to experience a rhythm of life very different from our own. This immersion trip, sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute, allows Hope students to enter into the rhythms of monastic life for a week, beginning with vigil prayers at 5:30 AM in the abbey church. The prayer is beautiful, the setting is tranquil, and the people are joyful. Come join us!

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Mar
9
7:30 PM19:30

Recovering Biblical Love from Emotionalism and Eroticism

  • DiGiovanni Hall, St. Paul's Harvard Square Campus (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Daniel Harrington S.J. Memorial Lecture (In-Person and on Zoom)

Professor Jon D. Levenson, Harvard Divinity School

Presented by: The Harvard Catholic Forum

Co-Sponsored by: The Saint Benedict Institute, St. Peter’s Parish, Catholic Parishes of Arlington, and the Lumen Christi Institute

Register for Zoom 

Register in Person

One of the best known but least understood obligations in the Hebrew Bible is the commandment to love God. Among the misconceptions that prevent a good understanding of it are the tendency to think of the sexual as the highest form of love and the related assumption that love is primarily an affect. This lecture will seek to place the commandment in its ancient Near Eastern context and briefly to illuminate its complications and ramifications in the Hebrew Bible, with the aid of instructive examples from rabbinic tradition and human relations more generally. The goal will be to recover a concept that relates humankind’s love of God to God’s own love and that moves beyond such simplistic dichotomies as love versus law, affection versus action, and universalism versus particularism.

Jon D. Levenson is List Professor of Jewish Studies at Harvard Divinity School. His scholarship concentrates on the interpretation of the Jewish Bible over the centuries, on philosophical and theological issues in biblical studies, and on the relationship of Judaism and Christianity, both in antiquity and in modern times. Amonghis numerous books and dozens of articles are The Love of God: Divine Gift, Human Gratitude, and Mutual Faithfulness in Judaism (Princeton, 2016); Inheriting Abraham: The Legacy of the Patriarch in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam (Princeton, 2012); and Resurrection: The Power of God for Jews and Christians (with Kevin J. Madigan) (Yale, 2008). He received his B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from Harvard, where he has taught since 1988.

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Mar
6
2:30 PM14:30

Sung Vespers: Lecture, Discussion, and Vespers Service "San Zeno"

  • St. Paul’s Parish, Upper Church, Harvard Square (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Part of the Harvard Catholic Forum Sacred Music Series (In-Person and Livestreamed)

Presented by the Harvard Catholic Forum and St. Paul’s Choir School

Co-Sponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute

Sunday March 6; Lecture at 2:30pm, Service at 3:30pm EST

Livestream on HCF YouTube Channel

In Person Registration

The Saint Paul’s Choir of men and Boys performs a polyphonic setting of psalms, hymns, and readings within a Sunday Vespers service. Music from North Italy, including Monteverdi’s renowned Dixit Dominus, evokes Verona’s Basilica of San Zeno Maggiore, an important inspiration for our setting in St. Paul’s Church, which will soon celebrate its hundredth anniversary.

In the lecture and discussion before the Vespers service, Professor Thomas Kelly, along with James Kennerly, FRCO, examines the history, context, and structure of vespers within the Church’s cycle of prayer, the use and importance of musical settings in a vespers service, the historical and ecclesial context of the music chosen, and the place of sung vespers in contemporary Catholic worship.   

The St. Paul’s Choir of Men and Boys is associated with the St. Paul’s Choir School, founded in 1963 by Dr. Theodore Marier, the only Catholic boys’ choir school in the United States. The Boys’ Choir sings during term time at daily and Sunday Masses, and at a weekly Choral Vespers. The Choir has toured and performed throughout North America and Europe and made numerous recordings.

James Kennerly is Director of Music at the St. Paul’s Choir School and at St. Paul’s Harvard Square. Rooted in the English choir school tradition, he is an internationally known organist, vocalist, and director. Educated at Cambridge University, Mr. Kennerly was Organ Scholar at Jesus College and later at St. Paul’s Cathedral London. He has frequently given solo organ concerts throughout the U.S. and Europe.

Thomas Forrest Kelly is Morton B. Knafel Research Professor of Music at Harvard, where he was named a Harvard College Professor in recognition of his teaching and served as Chair of the Music Department.  An internationally recognized authority on medieval and early modern music, and on the performance of music in historical settings, he has lectured widely throughout the U.S. and Europe. Among numerous books and articles for both scholarly and general audiences: Capturing Music. The Story of Notation (Norton,2014); The Practice of Medieval Music (Ashgate Variorum, 2010); and First Nights: Five Musical Premieres, (Yale, 2000). Professor Kelly received his PhD from Harvard, as well as diplomas from the Schola Cantorum in Paris and the Royal Academy of Music in London.

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Feb
18
to Feb 25

Saint Benedict Seminar: Courtship, Marriage, and Sex

In today's society, there is very little instruction about how to navigate the world of love and romance. Saint Benedict Institute co-founders Jack Mulder and Jared Ortiz invite current Hope College students to join them February 18 and 25, 2022, for a two-week Saint Benedict Seminar: “Courtship, Marriage, and Sex.” Jared Ortiz (Religion) and his wife Rhonda Ortiz (author) will lead the first seminar on courtship.  Jack Mulder (Philosophy) and his wife Melissa Mulder (Spanish) will lead the second seminar on marriage and sex.

This seminar is open to current Hope College students only. Registration is required. Please use the links below to sign up for each lecture.

Week 1 (February 18): “What Is Courtship?” with Jared and Rhonda Ortiz

Week 2 (February 25): “Sex and Theology of the Body” with Jack and Melissa Mulder

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Feb
3
7:00 PM19:00

Extraterrestrial Life and Catholic Theology

New methods in astronomy and new models in evolutionary biology have opened up new expectations that we humans may not be alone in the cosmos. How are Christian theologians to consider this in light of what God has revealed in the Incarnation of his Son in Christ? In this lecture, Prof. Chris Baglow, the Director of the Science and Religion Initiative at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the Universtiy of Notre Dame, will draw upon the thought of classical and modern theologians to propose some possibilities for what Christians might expect to discover if the universe is inhabited by other species who, like Homo sapiens, are created in the divine image.

This event is co-sponsored by the Hope College departments of Religion, Philosophy, and Physics.

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Dec
15
10:00 AM10:00

Promoting Integral Human Development

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE CHURCH AND CATHOLIC ORGANIZATIONS

This event is free and open to the public. It will be held online over Zoom.

This event is presented by the Lumen Christi Institute and the Catholic Research Economists Discussion Organization, and is cosponsored by the Saint Benedict Institute, Global Researchers Advancing Catholic Education, the International Office of Catholic Education, the International Federation of Catholic Universities, the World Organization of Former Students of Catholic Education, the World Union of Catholic Teachers, the International Catholic Child Bureau, the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, America Media, the Harvard Catholic Forum, the Nova Forum, and the Saint Anselm Institute.

The concept of integral human development (IHD) is fundamental for the Catholic Church, and the role played by the Church in promoting IHD is essential to its mission. The term IHD emerged from Populorum Progressio, the encyclical on the development of people in which Pope Paul VI stated that “the development of peoples must be well rounded; it must foster the development of each man and of the whole man.” This webinar will feature a conversation on challenges and opportunities for the Church and Catholic organizations to promote IHD. This event will feature a presentation of the Global Report 2021 on Integral Human Development prepared by Quentin Wodon and soon to be available on the Global Catholic Education website, followed by a discussion with a panel of experts – Katherine Marshall, Patrizio Piraino, and Diana Filatova – and a question and answer session with participants.

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Before You Were Born
Oct
27
7:00 PM19:00

Before You Were Born

Students Cherishing Life is hosting a talk by Dr. Donna J. Harrison, the CEO of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Harrison will deliver an address titled “Before You Were Born: The Beginning Stages of Pregnancy and Life According to Science.” The Saint Benedict Institute is co-sponsoring the talk.

RSVP is encouraged via QR code.

This event is free and open to the public. Due to Hope College’s COVID precautions, masks are required indoors on campus for all individuals who are vaccinated or unvaccinated.

Click here to learn more about this event.


Speaker

Dr. Donna J. Harrison

Dr. Donna J. Harrison

Oct 27 speaker flyer.jpg
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One Child Nation: Film Screening and Discussion
Oct
25
7:00 PM19:00

One Child Nation: Film Screening and Discussion

China’s one-child policy, the extreme population control measure that made it illegal for couples to have more than one child, may have ended in 2015, but the process of dealing with the trauma of its brutal enforcement is only just beginning. From award-winning documentarian Nanfu Wang and Jialing Zhang, One Child Nation explores the ripple effects of this devastating social experiment, uncovering one shocking human rights violation after another — from abandoned newborns (almost always girls), to forced sterilizations and abortions to government abductions. Learn more about the documentary by clicking here.

The film screening will be followed by a discussion with Dr. Dennis Feaster, Associate Professor of Social Work, and Dr. Gloria Tseng, Associate Professor of History.

This event is free and open to the public. Due to Hope College’s COVID precautions, masks are required indoors on campus for all individuals who are vaccinated or unvaccinated.

This event is co-sponsored by Markets and Morality.

Learn more about this event by clicking here.


Speakers

Dr. Dennis Feaster

Dr. Dennis Feaster

Dr. Gloria Tseng

Dr. Gloria Tseng

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