Co-Sponsored Events

Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Mass

January 20, 2025, 11am-12:30pm
St. Ignatius Chapel, Seattle University

As a faith community committed to the teachings of love, justice, and peace, the Black Catholic Advisory Circle invites you to a special Mass commemorating the birth and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Mass begins at 11am, with Rev. Crispin A. Okoth as Celebrant. Keynote speaker Gregory K. Alex will directly follow Mass. Gregory K. Alex, MA, CDC, is the founding Director of Matt Talbot Center, a long-standing Seattle non-profit organization that operates a substance abuse treatment program and offers support, rehabilitative and restorative services to Seattle’s homeless, addicted and mentally ill populations. Mr. Alex holds a Master’s Degree from the School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University and has obtained certificates in Chemical Dependency Counseling and Executive Leadership. This annual event is hosted by Seattle University’s Campus Ministry and Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture.

In Search of a Dream: Images from the US-Mexico Border

Artist: Alejandro Olayo-Méndez, S.J.
Show Curator: Arturo Araujo, S.J.

Reception: Monday, October 7
4pm in Gallery Two, Lemieux Library 2nd Floor
Show Dates: September 25, 2024 - January 5, 2025

Alejandro Olayo-Méndez, S.J., Assistant Professor at Boston College's School of Social Work, presents "In Search of a Dream," a compelling visual documentary that explores the profound experiences of migrants seeking a better life. This exhibition highlights the human dignity of migrants through intimate images capturing their faces, shelters, and current situations amid the immigration crisis.

Sponsored by: Institute for Catholic Thought and Culture and the Lemieux Library

Book Launch and Reception: The Spirituality of Women Called to Catholic Priesthood

Wednesday, May 15, 4-5:30pm
Oberto Commons, Sinegal Building 200
Reception followed by a formal presentation

Released in March 2024, Women Called to Catholic Priesthood: From Ecclesial Challenge to Spiritual Renewal is the result of many years of research and interviews conducted by co-authors Dr. Sharon Callahan, SU Professor Emerita, and Dr. Jeanette Rodriguez, SU Professor and ICTC Executive Director. The authors explore the contexts, calls, journeys, spirituality, and theology of women called to priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church in this compelling and carefully crafted ethnographic work. 

This event was a celebration of their dedicated work and a gathering to learn more about the process of writing this book.

Asking God’s Blessing for All Couples: A discussion on the Vatican document Fiducia Supplicans

Tuesday, April 23

• Faculty Fishbowl Conversation & Lunch
  12:30pm - 1:45pm | STCN 210

• Public Event and Discussion
  4:30 - 5:45pm | Le Roux Room (STCN 160)

In December 2023, the Vatican shocked both the Catholic community and the world with the release of Fiducia Supplicans, a document about the blessing of persons in irregular unions. Surprising many, the document explicitly discussed the blessing of same-sex couples. It sparked much discussion and debate, leaving people wondering what this means for the Catholic Church locally and internationally. Does this mark a radical change or a continuation of Pope Francis’s pastoral approach towards people in same-sex relationships?

To explore Fiducia Supplicans, as well as its reception by the wider Catholic Church, each event included an interdisciplinary conversation with faculty colleagues: 

• Michael Jaycox, PhD, Associate Professor, Theology and Religious Studies Department
• Jodi O’Brien, PhD, Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Professor, Sociology Department
• Lucas Sharma, S.J., PhD Student, Sociology Department, UCSD, Seattle University Trustee, and ICTC Advisory Board Member