Symposium on Transforming Culture
2022 Theme: ‘See How They Love One Another’: Community and the New Evangelization
March 25-26, 2022
This annual conference is held on the campus of Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. The Symposium brings together scholars, field professionals and students for a time of fellowship, reflection and dialogue concerning topics integral to the Catholic Faith and the New Evangelization.
The 2022 speakers include Sohrab Ahmari, Sherry Weddell, and Stephen Bullivant!
New this Year! The Business Track focusing on Catholic business principles.
The 2022 theme, ‘See How They Love One Another’: Community and the New Evangelization, looks to the example of the early Christian community as a model and guide for building authentic Christian community in the world today. The early Christians developed a clear identity as a people “in the world, but not of the world,” whose life of selfless and sacrificial love for their neighbor witnessed to the Greco-Roman world a new way of being and living. Christians today are faced with the challenge of creating and sustaining evangelizing communities, resisting the forces of consumerism, individualism, and secularism at work in our contemporary world.
New in 2022: The Business Track
This year, attendees have the option to join a special Symposium experience geared towards professionals in the business world. The Business Track is intended to provide, not only academic foundations for loving one another at work as indicated by this year's theme, but also practical examples of what business leaders are doing to manifest their faith in and through their work.
Business Track attendees follow the same overall Symposium schedule, attending the entire Symposium beginning on Friday evening and finishing on Saturday night with the closing reception, participating in all keynote speaker sessions and meals.
On Saturday, track attendees will join business-specific breakout and featured speaker sessions which focus on bringing to life the idea of loving one another in the workplace. Two additional breakout sessions will host leaders from businesses who have integrated their faith into their business practices (Virtuosos) and will allow Q&A from attendees.
The Business Track's speaker session will feature Michael Matheson Miller from the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our final breakout session will feature a panel of experts discussing how retained wealth can be used to provide transformational solutions to poverty and evidence love and real progress within our communities.
Just indicate that you wish to attend the Business Track sessions when you register for the Symposium to participate in this exciting new opportunity.
All events in Murphy Recreation Center unless otherwise noted.
Friday, March 25, 2022
| 6:00 p.m. | Registration/Check-In |
| 7:30 p.m. | Opening Remarks and Keynote Lecture Sohrab Ahmari, “A Political Economy of Evangelization” |
| 9:00 p.m. | Reception |
Saturday, March 26, 2022
| 8:00 a.m. | Continental Breakfast |
| 8:30-9:30 a.m. | Keynote Lecture Stephen Bullivant, “Social Graces: Why Community Matters - and How It Works” |
Colloquium and Business Track Session #1 - 9:45-11:00 a.m.
Session Location Info
Colloquium and Business Track Session #1 - 9:45-11:00 a.m.
Session Location Info
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 108
- Dr. Kevin Miller, Franciscan University of Steubenville, “Henri De Lubac's Theology of Society”
- Fr. Robert Aaron Wessman, Glenmary Home Missioners, “Redeeming the Metaphor: From Culture War to Incarnational Movement”
- Dr. Andrew Salzmann, Benedictine College, “A Catholic Awakening: Transforming America's ‘Cultural Core’”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 109
- Dr. Scott Hefelfinger, Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, “Chastity and the Village”
- Dr. Jason Heron, Mount Marty University, “Church and Culture in History: Two Benedictine Perspectives”
- Dr. Luke Arredondo, St. Philip Institute of Catechesis and Evangelization, “The Benedict Option and the Option of St. Benedict”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 124
- Ms. Mary Leihy, Benedictine College, “Almshouses: Enriching the Lives of the Poor”
- Mr. Clark Massey, A Simple House of Sts. Francis and Alphonsus, “How the Saints did Social Work”
- Dr. Rick Coronado, Benedictine College, “The Importance of Charity in Subsidiarity in Catholic Social Thought”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 125
- Dr. Joseph E. Burns, Center for Advanced Leadership Consulting (CALC, inc), “‘Catechumenal Communities’”
- Mr. Brian Miller, Archdiocese of St. Louis, “Authentic Discipleship vs Consumeristic Faith in Twenty first Century Parish Life”
- Deacon Charles Welte, Benedictine College, “The Meta Verse and It's Impact on an Authentic Catholic Life”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 207
- Mr. Andrew Whaley, 5 Cups & Calix Coffee, “Mission, Hospitality, and the Awakening of Desire”
- Dr. Mark J. Zia, Benedictine College, “Theology of Personal Encounter: Jesus' Divine Pedagogy for Evangelization”
- Dr. Matthew Muller, Benedictine College, “'God did not will to save his people through dialectics': Newman and Giussani on the Importance of Encounter for Faith”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 208
- Dr. Sean Innerst, Augustine Institute, “‘No longer do I call you servants:’ Augustine and the Productivity of Friendship”
- Dr. Alex Lessard, Adeodatus, “Ordered & Disordered Loves: Augustine on Friendship, Charity & the Two Cities”
Murphy-McPhee Auditorium – Virtuoso Business Stories (Stan Sluder, Introductions)
- Russ Lane
- Bob Awerkamp
- Jack Stack BBQ Officer
Colloquium and Business Track Session #2 - 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Session Location Info
Colloquium and Business Track Session #2 - 11:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.
Session Location Info
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 108
- Sr. M. Clare O'Connor, FSGM and Professor Karen Wood, Benedictine College, “The Rise of the ‘Nones’ and the Fall of Catholic Saliency: What Can We Learn from Pillar's Four-Part Investigation of Religiosity in America?”
- Mr. Tom Hoopes, Benedictine College, “Don't Buy the ‘Nones’ Narrative: They Didn't Quit; the Church Did”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 109
- Mr. Vincent Petruccelli, Chesterton Academy of the St. Croix Valley, “‘Nel mezzo cammin della nostra vita’: Notes on Community from Socratic Discussion of the Classics”
- Dr. Jonathan Fuqua, Conception Seminary College, “Philosophy, Catechesis, and the New Evangelization”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 124
- Dr. Marisa Pierson, Benedictine College, “Jane Austen on Community”
- Mrs. Siobhan Latar, John Paul II Institute, “Storied Lives: Literary Expressions of Christian Communal Life”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 125
- Ms. Lauren Hankes, St. John Paul II Newman Center, Omaha, NE, “College Residence Life as Preparation for Vocation”
- Dr. & Mrs. John and Marina Brungardt, Newman University, Wichita, KS, “Seminary Houses of Formation and Christian Community”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 207
- Mr. Bo Bonner, Center for Human Flourishing at Mercy College, AND Dr. Ryan Marr, Mercy College of Health Sciences, “Sacrificial Leadership and the Foundation of Common Life”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 208
- Dr. Michael Taylor, Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, “‘Proclaim the good news to the whole creation’: An ontological meditation on Christian communities and the land”
- Dr. Ryan Hanning, Hearth and Field, “Between the Garden of Eden and the City of God: Reimagining a right relationship with the Land”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 218
- Professor Julie Love, Benedictine College, “Communication and Community: 4 Ways Catholic Journalists 'Love' Their Readers”
- Mr. David Shaneyfelt, The Alvarez Firm, A Law Corporation, “Faith in the Workplace”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 219
- Mr. Apolonio Latar III, St. Paul VI Catholic High School, “Education in a Cancel Culture”
- Dr. Amy Roberts, Franciscan University of Steubenville, “The Catholic School as an Evangelizing Community”
Murphy-McPhee Auditorium – Virtuoso Panel Discussion (Dave Geenens, Facilitator)
- Russ Lane
- Bob Awerkamp
- Jack Stack BBQ Officer
| 12:30-1:45 p.m. | Lunch Business Track participants are especially encouraged to participate in networking time during lunch. |
Featured Presenter Sessions - 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Session Location Info
Featured Presenter Sessions - 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Session Location Info
Session A, “Communio and the Call to Holiness” in Ferrell Academic Center
- Leonard DeLorenzo, “Communion, When Death Intervenes”
- Larry Chapp, “Vatican II, the Universal Call to Holiness, and the Servant of God Dorothy Day
Session B, “Stopping the Young Adult Death Cycle” in Murphy Recreation Center
- Jennifer Baugh, “We Belong to One Another”
- Peter Burak, “Millenials, Generation Z, and the New Evangelization”
Business Track Invited Speaker in Westerman Hall's Murphy-McPhee Auditorium
- Michael Matheson Miller, “Love, Justice, and the Role of Business”
Colloquium and Business Track Session #3 - 3:45-5:05 p.m.
Session Location Info
Colloquium and Business Track Session #3 - 3:45-5:05 p.m.
Session Location Info
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 108
- Ms. Carolyn Pirtle, McGrath Institute for Church Life, University of Notre Dame, “Cultivating Community through Shared Experiences of Beauty”
- Dr. Jeremy Sienkiewicz, Benedictine College, “Perichoresis and Festive Dance”
- Mr. Eugene Diamond, The University of Chicago, “Rich in Virtue, Studying Beautifulness, Living in Peace: The Guild of St. Joseph and St. Dominic”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 109
- Dr. Scott Newbolds, Benedictine College, “Evaluation of Engineering Project Impacts in Light of Christian Teachings”
- Dr. Kevin Jones, Alaska Pacific University, “Indigenous Community and Ecclesial Communitas: Diagnoses and Remedies for Isolation”
- Dr. James Young, Benedictine College, “Unintended Consequences of Development on Community Life”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 124
- Mr. Stephen Hill, Ave Maria University, “Encountering Christ and Genuine Catholic Culture A Call to Rediscover the Liturgical Year”
- Dr. Sean Teets SJ, St. Ignatius High School, “Sacred Music in our Secular World”
- Mr. John Laracy, Seton Hall University, “Ressourcement of the Primitive Church in the Neocatechumenal Way”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 125
- Deacon Dan Culloton, St Mary's Parish, West Chicago, IL, Diocese of Joliet in Illinois, “Brother Andre, Blessed Solanus and Me: How Two Humble Doorkeepers Helped a Haughty Deacon Come to a Deeper Appreciation of Discipleship in a Pandemic”
- Mrs. Charlotte Ostermann, Joy Foundation of Kansas, “Community in Complex Times”
- Ms. Teri Love, Cypress Counseling LLC, “Intentional Community in Suburban America - Striving for Acts 2 in Las Vegas, Nevada”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 207
- Mr. Fernando Garcia, University of Notre Dame, “Catholic Education: Building Communities that Nurture Religious Identity”
- Ms. Annie Hart, St. Benedict's Elementary School/Rockhurst University, “Commitment to Catholic: What Motivates Teachers to Stay in Catholic Schools”
- Mr. Mo Woltering, Holy Family Academy, “New Monasteries: Observations from 15 Years of Serving and Leading Catholic Schools”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 208
- Dr. Kevin Clarke, St. Patrick's Seminary and University, Menlo Park, California, “Salubrious Cursing: Imprecatory Psalms for a Wounded Community and a Healthy Mind”
- Dr. Matthew Ramage, Benedictine College, “Unity in Essentials, Liberty in Accidentals, and Charity in All: Navigating Religious Controversies in Today's World with Wisdom from Church History ”
- Fr. Matthew Schneider, Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apsotlorum, “The Evangelizing Community in the Didache and the Online World”
Ferrell Academic Center, Room 219 – Sponsored by the Center for Constitutional Liberty
- Dr. David Upham, University of Dallas, “The Red State Option”
- Mr. Kai Weiss, Hillsdale College – Austrian Economics Center, “Pilgrims in a Political World”
- Mr. Griffin McHaffie, Hillsdale College - Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, “The Devil Works Remotely ”
Murphy-McPhee Auditorium – Charity Panel Discussion: “Business as Part of the Solution”
- James Whitford, Nathan Montgomery, Wayne McDaniel, Tom Bassford (Facilitator)
| 5:30 p.m. | Sunday Vigil Mass Guadalupe Chapel in St. Benedict’s Abbey Celebrated by Archbishop Joseph Naumann (Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas) |
| 6:45 p.m. | Dinner |
| 7:30 p.m. | Concluding Keynote Lecture Sherry Weddell, “God Has No Grandchildren: How a Community of Disciples Can Change the Church and the World” |
| 9:00 p.m. | Reception |
Keynote Speakers
Sohrab Ahmari
The American Conservative
Sherry Weddell
Catherine of Siena Institute
Stephen Bullivant
St. Mary’s University (U.K.)
Featured Presenters
Larry Chapp
Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Farm
Leonard DeLorenzo
University of Notre Dame
Jennifer Baugh
Young Catholic Professionals
Pete Burak
Renewal Ministries
Business Track Featured Speaker
Michael Matheson Miller
Acton Institute
The Symposium on Transforming Culture is an annual conference sponsored by the Gregorian Institute at Benedictine College. The Gregorian Institute’s mission is to contribute to the renewal of Catholic culture and the defense of religious liberty in America by engaging, equipping, and developing the next generation of Catholic leaders. The Symposium supports this mission and offers a unique forum for current and emerging leaders to share ideas and best practices.
At the Symposium scholars, field professionals, members of religious communities, clergy, and students present papers based on their research and professional experiences. It is a time of fellowship, reflection, and dialogue concerning topics integral to the New Evangelization. In this respect, the Symposium fulfills Pope Francis’ statement:
“Universities are outstanding environments for articulating and developing this evangelizing commitment in an interdisciplinary and integrated way. Catholic schools, which always strive to join their work of education with the explicit proclamation of the Gospel, are a most valuable resource for the evangelization of culture, even in those countries and cities where hostile situations challenge us to greater creativity in our search for suitable methods.”
If you have questions about the 2022 Symposium, please contact Dr. Matt Muller.
