Program Archive
The Center is excited to have offered our first set of programs in the summer of 2023. The four presented below were created with the express intent meeting the needs that were presented most often throughout our survey research. All our offerings are intended to help ministers, theologians and concerned Catholics serve the unique needs of their communities. As such, these are continuing education offerings that help perfect an individual's existing skills. For traditional graduate offerings please see here.
For current happenings at the Center, please see our current events page.
The Center believes in making high-quality theological insight accessible to all. For those seeking financial assistance, please email doyle@ai.edu to receive support.
Thomas Aquinas: Then and Now
Are The Windows Still Open? Revisiting the Second Vatican Council Sixty Years Later
Preaching With Children: Exploring the Word of God with the Church's Youngest Members, with Dr. Ann Garrido
Preaching in settings with many children is one of the most difficult challenges many preachers face. Whether you are a priest, deacon, catechist, or prayer leader, this evening presentation will offer practical help in crafting homilies specifically for children. Drawing on insights gleaned over the past 70 years within the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd movement, Ann Garrido will introduce key characteristics of childhood and children’s spirituality and present ways to reflect on Scripture through the lens of the young child.
How and Why the Church Should Recognize and Respond to Domestic Violence
With Fr. Chuck Dahm, OP
October 9-10, 2023
Course will cover:
- Nature and prevalence of Domestic Violence
- Dynamics of Domestic Violence
- Myths about Domestic Violence
- Why Victims Stay
- Position of the Catholic Church on Domestic Violence
- How to Organize a Parish Ministry around Domestic Violence
- How to Respond Personally to Victims of Domestic Violence
Meet Our Speaker:
Aquinas alumnus Fr. Charles Dahm, OP, is the Director for Domestic Violence Outreach for the Archdiocese of Chicago, networking over 160 parishes of volunteer ministries to raise awareness, connect victims and their families to community resources, and educate youth about healthy relationships and prevention of domestic violence.
Ministry and Mental Well-Being
Spiritual Competency in a Fast Paced World
Considering the ever-changing demands placed upon ministerial professionals these sessions will attempt to offer solutions for dealing with issues such as: burnout, work-life balance, and professional boundaries in religious settings. Additionally, we will address what it means to have an empowering spirituality that invigorates and animates a well working ministry. The goal here is to promote human flourishing at every level of pastoral life, and will be informed on best practices coming from theology, spirituality, and psychology alike.
Led by Lynne Lang of Restoration Matters
What Is Sex For?
A Candid Exploration of the Church’s Tradition on Sexual Morality
Many parts of the Church's teaching on sexual ethics are rock solid, but cultural, economic and historical changes constantly require adjustment. This two part class will look at some of those changes and then explore ways of reframing the Church's teaching in ways that address the experience of 21st century Catholics.
Led by Fr. Charlie Bouchard, OP
In Search of the Happy Death
Ethics and Spirituality at the End of Life
There is a long tradition of praying to St. Joseph for a “happy death.” Today, many deaths are far from happy because of confusion about ethical questions as well as an inability to deal with mortality. What does the Church say about death and dying, and how can we prepare for a happy death in a world of hi-tech medicine? Designed for Catholics in the pew as well as for deacons, priests and lay ministers who work in hospital or long-term care settings.
Led by Fr. Charlie Bouchard, OP
From Cambridge University Press: "Dr. Clem's study also contributes to the contemporary literature on Aquinas, who is often classified alongside Augustine and Kant as holding a rigorist position on lying. Meticulously researched, this volume clarifies what set Aquinas's view apart in his own day and how it is relevant to our own. Clem demonstrates that Aquinas's account provides a genuine alternative to rigorist and consequentialist approaches." Clem's book also examines the close relationship between truth and its often cited counterpart, justice.
Catherine of Siena: Life and Thought
An Exposition on the Inner Workings of a Dominican Mystic
Join us as we explore the legacy of one of the most notable saints in the Dominican tradition. This course will examine the intricate spiritual storehouse and fascinating story of this 14th century Doctor of the Church.
Led by Fr. Tom McDermott, OP
Paul and the Mystical Body of Christ
The Interconnectedness of the Incarnation, the Eucharist and the Church
Too often our understanding of Catholic teaching is siloed, reading like a shopping list of random doctrines: we believe in the Incarnation, the Eucharist, and that the Church is the Mystical Body of Christ; but what do these have to do with each other? As it turns out, the scarlet thread connecting these three doctrines--the Body of Christ--captures the very heart of our faith: the Word of God took on a Body (Incarnation), so as to make us members of his Body (Mystical Body of Christ), which he does by feeding us with his Body (Eucharist). Come see how this scarlet thread runs through the letters of St. Paul and how it offers us a vision for how to live "in Christ." P.S. This is a great way to enter into the Eucharistic Revival!
Led by Fr. Vincent Davila, OP
We live in a time of grace in which a new generation of Catholics, mostly Hispanic, is tasked with the responsibility of building and rebuilding Catholicism in the United States. What should we know about these Catholics? What can we learn from them? How can we empower them to strengthen our communities, schools and organizations?