Thursday, January 7, 2010

Dr. Cathleen Kaveny at DSPT

Dr. Cathleen Kaveny will present "Law, Morality and the Culture Wars" at DSPT, Monday, January 25 at 7:30 pm in Classroom 1 as part of the Commonweal Lecture Series.

“Many of the most contentious issues in our society - abortion, gay marriage, euthanasia-involve the relationship of law and morality. While we can't get rid of the controversy, we might be able to alleviate it by developing a more sophisticated understanding of how law operates.” Dr. Kaveny introduces the subject of her upcoming talk at DSPT and she continues, “St. Thomas and the common law help us move beyond the dominant - and too crude -image of law as society's moral police officer."

Dr. Kaveny serves as the John P. Murphy Foundation Professor of Law and Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. As a columnist for Commonweal Magazine and a scholar, she explores the relationship between morality and law, reconciling and analyzing the role religion and ethics play in current events. She takes on controversial issues from an interdisciplinary perspective, confronting issues ranging from torture and medical conscience clauses to Catholic academic freedom and electoral politics. A decorated scholar, Dr. Kaveny has published over forty articles and essays, served as a clerk under the Honorable John T. Noonan Jr., and earned her undergraduate and multiple graduate degrees in philosophy, theology and law from Princeton and Yale, respectively.

Current Student Profile, Br. Justin Charles Gable, OP

I was born and raised in Orange County, California. God has blessed me with two loving, faith-filled parents and an older sister who continues to be my closest friend. My high school years found me seriously questioning my beliefs, but through the guidance of the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael’s Abbey, I became convinced of the powerful truth of the Faith and returned to the Catholic Church. I attended the University of San Francisco, first majoring in physics and then, after discovering the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, in philosophy. I continued my study of philosophy at Fordham University in New York City, earning a master’s degree and doctorate. I made my first profession of vows as a Dominican brother this past September.

I am currently working toward a concurrent Master’s Degree in Theology and Divinity at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, taking advantage of the School’s excellent academic and pastoral courses in preparation for ordination to the priesthood. I continue to be passionately interested in philosophy and the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. These interests are fostered at the Dominican School, whose faculty understands the importance of St. Thomas’ rich synthesis of faith and reason and actively fosters ongoing dialogue between the Faith of the Church and modern and contemporary thought. It is my privilege to be a student at the Dominican School, and I am proud to be part of its extraordinary mission of cultivating the great intellectual riches of our Catholic Faith for the transformation of the modern world. I hope to teach both philosophy and theology after ordination, perhaps at the Dominican School itself!

The relics of St. John Bosco traveling through California and making a stop at DSPT!

In the tradition of pilgrimage, the relics of St John Bosco are being carried into the towns and villages, neighborhoods and centers where the Gospel is announced among the young today. This pilgrim journey through 130 nations prepares for the 200th anniversary of the saint’s birth near Turin on 16 August 1815.

The pilgrim journey began last 31 January and in September 2010, Don Bosco’s relics will journey through several U.S. cities. The proposed itinerary for the journey through California follows.

· Saturday, 11 September 2010: arrival of the relics at SFO from Tijuana, with transport to Corpus Christi Parish (2 hour reception and veneration), continuing on to SS. Peter and Paul, North Beach (reception, veneration, groups)

· Sunday, 12 September 2010: SS Peter & Paul (veneration, parish celebrations, invitation to religious and parish priests of San Francisco; ecumenical celebration; participation of Archbishop George Niederauer; youth celebration; Chinese community; Italian community; Marian societies; cultural communities of North Beach).

· Monday, 13 September 2010: SS Peter & Paul school (morning); journey from San Francisco to East Bay – Richmond, departure SSPP at 2:00 pm; arrival Salesian High School Richmond, evening (receiving the relics)

· Tuesday, 14 September 2010: Salesian High School, Richmond: triduum celebration (early morning); journey to Berkeley (DSPT) arriving 11:30; journey to Watsonville (Our Lady Help of Christians Church), arriving 4:30 pm.

· Wednesday, 15 September 2010: St Francis School, Watsonville (mass and reception for students of St Francis, Salesian Sisters, friends of St Francis); departure (11:30) from Watsonville to Los Angeles (St Mary’s Parish, Boyle Heights).

· Thursday, 16 September 2010: St Mary’s Church: mass for students of Salesian High School and volunteers from Salesian Boys and Girls Club/Salesian Family Youth Center; journey from Los Angeles to Rosemead: receiving of relics and veneration at St Brigit’s Church (11:00 pm); receiving of relics and veneration at Don Bosco Tech (1:00 pm); receiving of relics and veneration at St Joseph Youth Renewal Center (4:00 pm) with religious services and socio-cultural celebrations by a succession of groups (Search Community; Cooperators; Don Bosco Tech alumni group…).

· Friday, 17 September 2010: journey from Rosemead to Bellflower. Receiving the relics and veneration at St John Bosco High School (9:30 am); receiving the relics at St Dominic Savio School (1:30 pm), and veneration in St Dominic Savio Parish Church. Evening and night vigil services.

· Saturday, 18 September 2010: St Dominic Savio, Bellflower: religious services and socio-cultural celebrations by a succession of groups: Religious Education, Damas Salesianas, Adma, Alum (Filipino Bosconians; Vietnamese Past Pupils; Ex-alumnas latinoamericanas; Ex-alumnos de Don Bosco; alum of St Dominic Savio), ADMA, Don Bosco Volunteers; Young Adult Volunteers; SYLCSalesian Youth Movement, parishioners, Cooperator Salesians, FMA, SDB.

· Sunday, 19 September 2010: transport by air to New Orleans.

Don Bosco’s relics arrive first in San Francisco – port of arrival of Don Bosco’s sons in the United Sates in 1897 – then gradually travel to Los Angeles. Local committees will coordinate celebrations.

Faculty News: Sr. Marianne Farina, CSC

Sr. Marianne Farina and three of her students were chosen as delegates from DSPT to attend The Council of the Parliament of World's Religions held in Melbourne, Australia from December 3 through December 9, 2009. Over 6,000 people gathered from 213 countries, representing 225 religions. Their travel and expenses were funded by a generous grant from the Henry Luce Foundation.

The Parliament, established in 1893, was the first major gathering of leaders from Eastern and Western spiritual traditions and it gave birth to formal world-wide interreligious dialogue. The first Parliament of World's Religions met in Chicago. It was the largest conference of the World Columbian Exposition (an early version of the world's fair). In his opening address, Swami Vivekananda spoke eloquently about the need to promote religious understanding. His words also speak to today's reality:

"Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful Earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often with human blood, destroyed civilization, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now."

Recognizing the need to create interreligious dialogue programs, various national and international meetings followed these initial efforts. Since its reconstitution, the Council has met every five years and has expanded by including more religious communities and countries from around the world.

The 1993 Parliament opened with a keynote address on the ecological crisis and the need to promote environment justice. In light of this call, Hans Kung introduced, Towards a Global Ethic, a document offering a comprehensive approach to justice and later ratified by both faith communities and theological centers. In 1999, the Parliament met in Cape Town, South Africa, focusing on ways religions could address the AIDS epidemic. In 2004, the Parliament met in Barcelona, and representatives addressed issues about religiously motivated violence, diminishing natural resources e.g., safe water, the fate of migrants/refugees worldwide, and the elimination of external debt in developing countries.

The theme of the 2009 Parliament was Making a World of Difference: Hearing Each Other, Healing the Earth emphasizing the need for religions, civic groups, scientific, economic, and political thinkers to form partnerships capable of addressing critical needs raised in this forum since 1893. The hosts for this fifth gathering were the Aboriginal leaders of the Wurundjeri tribe, original owners of the land on which Melbourne resides.

The 2009 Council focused on ways to transform thought and action so that faith communities can "make a difference in the world and make a world out of differences." The Council's activities were divided into seven major sub-themes, program clusters, and a daily routine investigating ways to address the needs of global communities. (See http://www.parliamentofreligions.org)

The DSPT delegates prepared a question for the group regarding the virtues and skills needed for multi-faith ministry. They stated that multi-faith leadership requires the theological virtue of caritas, love of God and love of one another in God. Love of God calls us to greater solidarity with all people. We need to see another person or religion as a neighbor and partner. Connected to caritas and solidarity are virtues of sincerity, humility (which includes the ability to critique oneself), and reciprocity, which requires openness, forgiveness, and reconciliation within and among faith communities.

In addressing the skills needed for multi-faith education, the group spoke of the need for training in compassionate listening and the development of linguistic tools to "speak" a common language. They also noted the importance of developing a pastoral vision for multi-faith ministry that, informed by the historical, cultural realities of religious traditions, will dynamically engage faith communities. The specific content of the DSPT delegate’s response sparked a lively conversation, recognizing that developing virtues and skills for multi-faith leadership is critical because it calls for the formation of the character, i.e., concentrating on ways of friendship within and among faiths.

During the final plenary of the gathering, Sr. Marianne found herself reflecting on the entire week through the lens of the indigenous people, the first custodians of Earth. Their respect for creation and their openness to discover the truths Earth teaches are models for the type of holistic networking central to the Parliament's gathering. The indigenous communities teach us ways to protect the bond we share with all creation and to acknowledge and share the gift of Earth. Pope Benedict XVI's recent encyclical, Caritas in veritate, and his 2010 Peace message highlights this important aspect stating that “The way humanity treats the environment influences the way it treats itself, and vice versa” (CV #51).

As the theme of the 2009 Council of the Parliament of World's Religions illustrates, "Hearing Each Other and Healing Earth" are not two separate projects. In light of this truth, perhaps the next generation of religious leaders, will be versed in ways to "counsel" with all creation and all world religions. In closing, the Dali Lama, Spiritual Leader of Tibet, sent the Parliament's attendees forth to "Go, Go, and Do, Do" what all had learned.