Association of Pittsburgh Priests

Robert Mickens, November 7, 2016, 7PM, Kearns Spirituality Center

The Impact of Pope Frances on the Church in Rome, the Bishops Around the World, and the People in the Pews

Robert Mickens, editor-in-chief of Global Pulse, spoke from his first hand experiences (Vatican Radio and Rome correspondent for the Tablet international edition). He shared his observations about Pope Francis' pervasive impact on the church and its people.

Tony Norman, Sept.22, 2016

Faith, Fear and Politics; How to Keep a Clear Conscience of Election Day

Tony Norman, award winning columnist at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Journalism professor at Chatham University, provides a unique perspective on the right to vote and and what to do when the choice looks like the lesser of two evils. 

Jame Schaefer, October 27, 2016, 7PM, Kearns Spirituality Center

Ecological Conversion, Developing Virtuous Communities

Jame Schaefer, Ph.D., an associate professor at Marquette University spoke about the ways in which theology, natural sciences, technology and ecological ethics relate to and impinge upon each other; about developing virtuous communities for our common home and the need for ecological conversion called for in Pope Francis' Laudato Si.

TINA WHITEHEAD, DECEMBER 5, 2016

Seeing the Other

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Tina Whitehead, an Oakmont native, spends six months each year as a volunteer with Sabeel, a Palestinian Christian Peace and Justice Movement. In a more and more polarized and fearful world, Tina draws upon her decade-long experience with the Palestinian people to see the faces that are behind "the other."

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April 2, 2017 - Dan Groody, C.S.C., Ph.D

"Passing Over: Migration, Theology and the Eucharist"

April 2, 2017 - Kearns Spirituality Center

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Priest. scholar, Notre Dame professor, award winning author and film producer..., Fr. Dan Groody will address the complex migration issues of today. 

He addresses the issue through a compelling four fold lens: as God migrating to our world in the Incarnation, our own migration through this world in discipleship and our responses to migrants among us, and our connection to each other in the Body of Christ.

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2017 Association of Pittsburgh Priests’ Fall Speakers’ Series Announced

EVENT, NEWS

2017 Association of Pittsburgh Priests’ Fall Speakers’ Series Announced

June 28, 2017 – By Joyce Rothermel

This year’s Fall Speakers’ Series of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests will address several contemporary issues, from restorative justice, evolution and the environment, faith and violence, and finally, to the relevance of nonviolence. We encourage you to check them out, mark your calendars, and help spread the word to others who may share these interests. All talks will be presented at the Kearns Spirituality Center, 9000 Babcock Blvd. in Allison Park at 7 PM. Donations of $20 are requested for each talk in the series. Reservations are not necessary.

Here is the list of speakers:

Thursday September 22nd: Ending the Death Penalty; Promoting Restorative Justice. Karen Clifton, the Executive Director of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, will update us on efforts to end the death penalty in Pennsylvania. She will also address the concept of restorative justice, an approach that views crime as a violation of people who are the victims of criminal acts, rather than a simple violation of the law. Ms. Clifton’s perspectives are enhanced by a wide breadth of experience: advocacy for the Catholic Worker, Campaign for Human Development, and AIDS ministry, as well as by coordinating the Ignatian Spirituality Project. A mother of five and grandmother of seven, she received the Servitor Pacis Award from the 4 Paths to Freedom Foundation, a peace -promoting Mission of the Vatican to the UN.

Thursday October 2nd: Evolution and Faith: What is at Stake? by John Haught. A Georgetown University Distinguished Professor, John Haught ‘s extensive research in theology and science provides a platform from which he views various scientific theories from a faith perspective. He laments the “modern project of desacralizing the natural world,” as well as biblical fundamentalists who remain closed to scientific truths. Haught’s research has also involved aspects of cosmology, evolution, and ecology, leading to the publication of 20 books, hailed for bridging the divide between faith and science. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the “Friend of Darwin Award” from the National Center for Scientific Education.

Monday November 7th: Faith and Violence: Is Religion Killing Us? by Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. A nationally recognized teacher, writer, speaker and activist committed to nonviolent social change, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer, a Lutheran, will examine the “violence of God” traditions in the Bible and the Quran, often embraced by ancient writers and some modern ones who emphasize “divinely sanctioned violence.” A peace and justice studies professor at St. Thomas University, Nelson-Pallmeyer notes that both ISIS and U.S. foreign policy rooted in American Exceptionalism share the dynamic of using religion to justify violence. The author of 13 books, he will also describe constructive pathways forward, and visions of a more just, peaceful society, encouraging us to be “people willing to seek out and embody authentic hope.”

Monday December 5th: Nonviolence or Nonexistence: Christian Moral Relevance Today by Bishop John Michael Botean. “Has the church lost its voice by ignoring Jesus’ teaching on nonviolent, active love of friend and enemy? “asks Bishop Botean of the Romanian Catholic Diocese in Canton, Ohio. His talk will explore how, in the pastoral activity of the church, the salvation of souls must take precedence over preserving and promoting a political order. In 2003, Bishop Botean forthrightly condemned the U.S. war with Iraq, terming it “an objectively grave evil, a matter of mortal sin.” The most outspoken critic of the war among his brethren, Bishop Botean previously worked at the Pax Christi USA Center on Conscience and War, headquartered in Cambridge, Mass.

For more information, contact Fr. John Oesterle at 412-232-7512 or a johnoesterle2@gmail.com.

Joyce Rothermel is Chair of the Church Renewal Committee of the Association of Pittsburgh Priests.

APP Social/Membership To Consider Organizational RevisionsIn "Event"

Tony Norman to Speak on Faith, Fear and PoliticsIn "News"

Looking Ahead to This Fall’s Association of Pittsburgh Priests’ Speakers’ SeriesIn "News"

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