March 8, 2020 - Fr. Will Thompson - "Faith & Science"

(rescheduled due to a snow storm.)

Listen to the talk
 

Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019 - Panel on Homelessness in Rochester

Area organizations represented:

• Pax Christi Conference St. Vincent de Paul

• The Landing, Rochester, MN

• Family Promise Rochester

• Catholic Charities of Southern Minnesota

• Dorothy Day Hospitality House

We also had two people on our committee who have experienced homelessness. 

Panel on Homelessness handout

November 11, 2019 - Significant Figures in Christian Thought

Have you heard the names like Augustine or Thomas Aquinas and wondered why they are such a big deal in Christian history? In this course, we will look at significant figures in Christian thought, focusing on the early and medieval church, and explore what they taught and what implications those ideas have for Christians today.
Sarah Ruble is an associate professor of religion at Gustavus Adolphus College. She specializes in American religious history with a particular focus on the twentieth century. Her scholarly works includes the book The Gospel of Freedom and Power: Protestant Missionaries in American Culture Since World War II. She is currently working on an adult Sunday School curriculum about the history of Christianity and race in the United States.
 

October 14, 2019 - Can Amish Traditions Teach Us to be Ready to Forgive?

Amish communities are set apart from mainstream society, and members rely on their connected interrelationships to maintain this lifestyle. Forgiveness is one of their core tenets, an unquestionable part of daily life. Forgiveness allows members to move on after a transgression and continue to live in community. Forgiveness has demonstrated health benefits, and we have an opportunity to learn from Amish communities how to build this practice.
 This forum is an opportunity to review the benefits of forgiveness in our daily lives,
discuss religious and communal approaches to instilling forgiveness,
and reflect on how this might play out in our own lives and communities. 
Angela Kueny practices as a nurse and nursing professor in Decorah, Iowa at Luther College. She is an alumna of the Luther College nursing program, and furthered her education with master's and doctoral degrees from the  University of Iowa. Inspired by the chasm that exists between community and cultural worldviews, and the biomedical worldview, she continually seek ways to understand how these can be integrated. Angela works with Amish communities as a nurse, which began in 2005, and hopes to continue support for providers working with these populations.

March 10, 2019 - Ten Great Ways to Share Your Faith

Deb McManimon is the Regional Director of Evangelization Teams for St. Paul Evangelization Institute, a lay Catholic apostolate that encourages all Catholics to fulfill their call to be a missionary disciple. She is married with four children and four grandchildren and is a member of St. Joseph parish in Owatonna MN. Deb is a member of the St. Joseph Pastoral Council, the Diocesan Pastoral Council, is president of the St. Vincent de Paul Conference in Steele County, has a Ph.D. in Business, and has been a professor in higher education for more than 15 years. After volunteering as a team leader and regional missionary for St. Paul Evangelization Institute for several years, she began working full-time for the apostolate in December. She describes her life as living the Joy of the Gospel.

"10 Great Ways to Share Your Faith" handout

February 10, 2019 -  On Care for Our Common Home

What is the response of people of faith in regards to caring for our environment?

On the 3 ^rd Anniversary of the publication, Laudato Si, (On Care for Our Common Home) Pope Francis calls all people of the world  to take "swift and unified global action.”
 
Fr. Joe Fogal is a retired priest and former pastor of Pax Christi. He enjoys the out-of-doors and is an avid hunter and fisherman. Fr. Joe appreciates God’s creation and willingly shares that love of creation with others. 

Sister Patricia Keefe, OSF, received a Master’s degree in Theology from Fordham University, New York City and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, St. Paul. Patricia practiced law on behalf of poor persons in Minneapolis and Mankato. In 1985-6, she worked in the Legal office of Amnesty International in London before serving as Director for Justice and Human Development for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. After serving in Community Administration, she worked as the initial staff person for the Nonviolent Peaceforce in the Twin Cities. Before moving to Assisi Heights, she was on the staff of ARC Retreat Center near Cambridge, MN. catholicclimatemovement.global

Resources
A Christian Prayer for Union with Creation
Further Resources
Article - "At the Heart of Laudato Si: Everything is Connected" Catholic News Service
20 Tips for Reducing Your Carbon Footprint
Citizen's Climate Lobby tri-fold