The National Institute for Newman Studies is pleased to welcome all university students, faculty and staff to its first annual lecture on the spirituality of Blessed John Henry Newman. Dr. Kevin Mongrain, PhD, its Executive Director, and the first holder of the Ryan Chair of Newman Studies at Duquesne University, will offer an advent reflection on some of Newman’s key spiritual insights on, “Preparing for Christ’s Coming.”

In our day few are mindful of the religious meaning of Advent, and fewer still are mindful of the beautiful spirituality underlying the religious meaning. Advent is a preparation for the season of Christmas, which is a celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth. But in what sense is Advent a preparation for a celebration? John Henry Newman deeply engaged this question in several profoundly mystical sermons on the meaning of Advent. Please join us for a lecture on these sermons and a discussion of their meaning for us today.

Discussion and light – but festive – refreshments will follow. Please RSVP to newmanstudies@ninsdu.org, or 412-681-4375 by December 5.

The Newman Center is pleased to welcome Dr. Robert Gagnon, Associate Professor of New Testament at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary to address the question of what – if anything – the Bible has to say about homosexuality. Have Christians and Jews through the centuries been “reading into” the Bible meanings that are not in fact there, or no longer obtain in modern culture? Does the Bible specifically expose anyone with same-sex or inclinations to automatic and ruthless condemnation? Dr. Gagnon intends to answer with Biblical and historical evidence these and other challenging questions in his can’t-miss presentation. As always, all students are welcome for pizza and fellowship, beginning after the 6:00pm Mass at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

All students are welcome to stop in for a thoughtful and tasty evening as we welcome Mr. Mark Shea to CMU. As a writer on Catholicism and culture, and an occasional freelance actor, he has more than a few interesting observations on the interplay between classical drama – or even theatre in general – and the Gospel. Theatre, broadly considered, has a sacred character, in virtue both of its origins as well as its purpose. Religion – Catholicism especially – likewise of its nature tends to the dramatic. They are related as well as distinct, from the perspective of their subject – the human “person” – which is to say, the human “mask”. Come for a fascinating and enlightening evening, and bring a friend! A light dinner will be served in conjunction with the event.

Mark Shea is an accomplished Catholic writer and sometime actor with a flair for witty turns; he blogs at “Catholic and Enjoying It!”  Contact frjoshua@pittsburghoratory.org for more details.

As registration for the spring semester approaches, the Newman Center is pleased to announce that we will again host a theology course for credit, entitled “Called to Communion.” The course is offered through the National Institute of Newman Studies, located here in Oakland, in affiliation with Duquesne University, and is taught by Mr. Damon McGraw, MAR (Yale), who is presently the Executive Research Fellow of the Newman Institute, and a doctoral candidate in theology at the University of Notre Dame. With the information provided here, anyone registered at universities in Pittsburgh (Pitt, CMU, Chatham, et al.) may register for this course with the assistance of her academic adviser. Some details of the course follow:

Course Details:

• Host School: Duquesne University
• Offering Department: NINSDU
• Course Title: Created for Communion
• Course Number: CLPR 281
• Meeting Days: Tuesday and Thursday
• Time: 3:30-4:45 PM  Jan. 5-April 19
• Location: The Ryan Catholic Newman Center
• at 4450 Bayard St. Lower Level

Some Course Topics

• The Human Quest for God
• Divine Revelation
• The Mystery of the Trinity
• Human Being and the Fall
• Jesus and the Messianic Hope of Israel
• Jesus and the Kingdom of God
• The Crucified Messiah
• The Coming of the Holy Spirit
• Images and Marks of the Church
• The Communion of Saints
• Forgiveness and Resurrection
• Everlasting Life

Course Description

The purpose of this course is to introduce the basic doctrines of faith professed in the Roman Catholic Christian tradition. Students will become familiar with the contemporary exposition of these teachings in the official catechism. They will also delve into primary and secondary sources of Catholic theology including Sacred Scripture, the writings of church fathers, teachers, and popes, as well as constitutions of the Second Vatican Council. The course attempts to display the beauty and coherence of Catholic teaching by presenting its various topics as elements of a metanarrative, an all-encompassing, revealed story of God, the world, and human beings from beginning to end, which provides the “master script” for how Catholics live and think. The central theme is that human beings are created for communion with God, each other, and all of creation. This course takes the shape of a seminar, and thus students are required to come to each class session prepared to contribute their thoughts and questions on the assigned readings. Studying Catholic theology today is like learning a foreign language; one becomes fluent through practicing conversation. The goal of the course is for students to become engaged participants in the Catholic theological tradition: able to interpret and articulate the Christian metanarrative for themselves.

Course Texts

Holy Bible
Readings from Scripture are assigned in every class session.

Catechism of the Catholic Church
Readings from the Catechism are assigned for every session.

Readings Packet
Selections from important Catholic writings are gathered into a packet. A reading from it is assigned in every session.

The Power and the Glory
We read and discuss this acclaimed Graham Greene novel in the  second half of the semester.

From the Prof

Dear Student,

Created for Communion: An Introduction to Catholic Theology is a three credit university course for undergraduates. It does not presume any previous academic study of theology. The course is intended to provide Oakland-area college students with an opportunity to learn Catholic Theology for academic credit. I encourage any student who is interested in Catholic Theology to register for this course. Previous students have found it to be enjoyable, enlightening, and challenging. The course is a seminar, so it is essential that all students come prepared to share their thoughts on the reading assignments for each class session. Our efforts to understand the mysteries of faith will be made in conversation with each other.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me either by email or by phone at (412) 681-4375 x14.

Sincerely,

Professor Damon McGraw
Executive Research Fellow
National Institute for Newman Studies
in affiliation with Duquesne University

We’re pleased to welcome Br. Timothy Lancton, of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception, to speak with students about the “Basics of Divine Mercy”. You may have seen the image, or heard about the visions or the chaplet or the feast day, but wondered what this devotion was all about. Br. Timothy comes personally recommended by students to explain these basics in depth, so that the significance of this teaching for our time is brought clearly into relief. Please email frjoshua@pittsburghoratory.org for information.

The Newman Center is quite pleased to welcome Dr. Denis McNamara, assistant director of the Liturgical Institute, University of St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein to offer a primer on church architecture, and especially Catholic church architecture.  Dr. McNamara holds a bachelor’s degree in the History of Art from Yale University and an M.Arch.H. and Ph.D.in Architectural History from the University of Virginia where he served as an instructor in the School of Architecture and Graduate Advisor Chair for the Office of the Dean of Students.  He is no stranger to Pittsburgh, since his work includes a study of several area churches.

If you’ve ever wondered why a church is built the way it is: with seats and stands the way they are, the use of certain shapes and designs, pews and choirs, windows and steeples, altar and… what is that big marble structure at the front of old churches?? The presentation comes complete with pictures, pizza and fellowship, as always: so bring a friend!

The Catholic medical students of the St. Luke Society warmly invite all medical and nursing students and professionals to a celebration of their patron saint on the vigil of his feast day. A special Mass will be celebrated at 7:00pm on Monday, October 17 at the Newman Center Chapel of St. Philip Neri, with a reception to follow downstairs in the student center. Please bring a friend along, and RSVP to gjnst3 {at} pitt {dot} edu.

As the world marks the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 violence, and some recall Pope Benedict XVI’s Regensburg Address five years ago, Dr. Scott Hahn, Ph.D. is joining us Monday evening to discuss and work through some of the thorny questions involved in reading the biblical Old Testament: does the Bible condone or does God command violence in His Name? These questions have numerous implications for the Christian’s understanding of history, of the integrity of faith, of the inspiration and reliability of the Bible, and the ability of Christians and other believers to exist within a context of religious pluralism. The conversation begins, however, with understanding the sources of Christian faith, in particular the sacred Scriptures, and how to explain their contents without explaining them away. Both grad and undergraduate students are welcome to come, and to bring a friend or two for what promises to be an extraordinary and illuminating evening of discussion and dialogue.

About our presenter: Scott Hahn is a graduate of Grove City College, and received a Ph.D. in Biblical Theology from Marquette University in 1995. He is the author of numerous scholarly articles and best-selling books, including The Lamb’s Supper. He is presently professor of Theology & Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville, as well as the founder and director of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology.

Any guys interested in knowing more about what “the life” in preparation for the priesthood looks and feels like are welcome to stop into St. Paul’s college seminary in Crafton, Saturday morning, October 1, and if you like, stick around overnight till Sunday morning. No commitments required other than enjoying your time with a group of young men dedicated for the time they’re there to pursuing ‘the simple life’ of prayer, study, and service…among other things. Contact the vocations director, Fr. Joe Freedy <jfreedy {at} diopitt {dot} org> for more information, or to reserve your place.