A thought-provoking series for people seeking a learning community dedicated to exploring life's meaning and purpose. The series engages the religious, sociopolitical, and scientific issues of our time to identify the best of human values and stimulate thoughtful, creative responses for the enrichment of all peoples and stewardship of our earth.
Inspired by Pope Francis’ invitation to a “culture of encounter,” and responding to Nazareth University’s Centennial theme of Uniting Education and Action, the William H. Shannon Chair in Catholic Studies is proud to offer two Centennial Summits.
Under the banner of “Learning to Live, Together, in Love,” the Fall Summit will focus on Nazareth’s mission that is informed by the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph: to serve the neighbor without distinction. From its beginning in 1924, Nazareth was committed to education and action—a legacy that is alive in 2024 through dynamic curricula and programs designed to respond to the needs of today. Presentations by Sister Jean Bellini, Sister Patricia Schoelles, and artist Alan Pascuzzi will offer insights into how their liberal learning experience at Naz became the underpinning and incentive for their courageous, gutsy, and vigorous response to the challenges facing them. The witness of their lives offers significant testimony to how Nazareth’s mission continues today in profound and unique expressions.
The Spring 2025 Summit will expand the conversation to examine how spirituality informs action by featuring noted scholars from the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions who will reflect on how resources in their respective traditions underpin and inspire initiatives for interfaith dialogue, peace building, and just relationships — and how being grounded in a tradition supports and challenges them to learn to live, together, in love.
Nazareth – A Branch that will Bear Fruit: The Cultivation of the Individual, the Beauty, and the Significance of the Nazareth Experience
From Foundations to Future: 100 Years of SSJ Influence at Nazareth University — Patricia Schoelles ’74, SSJ
My Journey: Shaped by Relationships with People in Each Time and Place — Jean Bellini ‘65, SSJ
Details to come