Stories

Recommended Reading: Resources for critical reflection, prayer, and action for racial justice
In light of the recent killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others, and of the widespread calls for justice and change these have sparked, the Hank Center offers this brief list of resources on race and racism in America, focusing especially but not exclusively on works that address these issues from a Catholic Christian perspective.
Everything Is Connected: Reflections on "Home" on the 5th Anniversary of Laudato Si'
May 21, 2020. A compelling conversation marking the 5th anniversary of the publication of the landmark encyclical. Featured Paul Elie, Michael Schuck, and Nancy Tuchman.
Pope Francis' Urbi et Orbi address
On March 27, 2020, Pope Francis gave this address to the world during an extraordinary Urbi et Orbi blessing.
COVID-19 Update
An update on upcoming Hank Center events with regard to COVID-19. Please watch for more updates.
Stephen Colbert and Being Catholic in the Public Square, with Stephanie Brehm
March 11, 2020, 4:00 - 5:30 PM
IC 4th floor, LSC
Stephanie N. Brehm of Northwestern University discussed her new book: America’s Most Famous Catholic (According to Himself): Stephen Colbert and American Religion in the Twenty-First Century. This event was free and open to the public.
In Stride with St. Ignatius: A Weeklong Pilgrimage to Sanctuaries and Cities in Spain
May 10-17, 2020
POSTPONED
Faculty, staff, and alumni of Loyola University Chicago are invited to join Father D. Scott Hendrickson, S.J., on a Spain pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Ignatius. As part of the University’s 150th anniversary in 2020 and celebrating 150 years of Ignatian heritage, the institution draws from the rich spiritual and pedagogical tradition established by St. Ignatius and his first companions. In places of great historical and religious significance, such as Loyola, Arántzazu, Xavier, Montserrat, and Manresa, and in the nearby cities—Bilbao, San Sebastián, Pamplona, Zaragoza, and Barcelona—we will have the chance to explore and learn more about the life and legacy of St. Ignatius and gain an appreciation for our role as faculty, staff, and alumni of Loyola University Chicago in embracing and carrying forth the Ignatian mission and vision.
Catholic Conversion Narratives in Modernist Aesthetics
In collaboration with the Catholic University of Leuven, the Hank Center is pleased to host this international and interdisciplinary conference, which will explore a variety of modern conversion narratives.
The Hank Center's 2018 Living Tradition Award honors Dr. Jon Nilson
The Hank Center celebrated Dr. Jon Nilson, Professor Emeritus - the 2018 Living Tradition Award recipient.
Habemus Papam +5
Marking the fifth anniversary of the election of the first Jesuit Pope, CCIH welcomes Massimo Faggioli, Professor of Theology and Religious Studies at Villanova University who will provide the keynote.
What Loyola’s Final Four Run Can Teach Us about Catholic Schools and Sports by Michael P. Murphy
America Magazine publishes insightful commentary by Hank Center Director, Michael P. Murphy.
JESUITICAL: a podcast for young Catholics
In collaboration with America Magazine, and co-sponsored by Catholic Studies and the Jesuit Community, the Hank Center proudly presents Jesuitical, a podcast from America Media.
1968 Series Part I: The Legacy of Humanae Vitae & What It Means to Be "Pro-Life"
This symposium features presentations and discussions on the legacy of the papal encyclical, fifty years after its promulgation.
The Hank Center Presents, Live from Loyola George: Saunders Radio Hour
An evening with MacArthur Genius and the Man Booker Prize-winning author, George Saunders. Raised Catholic in Chicago but now also a practicing Tibetan Buddhist, the author has a decidedly individual take on spirituality that informs his fictions.
Good God, But Life Could Be Less Than Easy: George Saunders and the Fiction of Radical Humanism
This symposium features not only a morning address by George Saunders, but also traditional conference panels interspersed with creative expressions and responses to conference themes. The day concludes with a special visit from the creative writing students at 826Chi, a local nonprofit organization, and a book signing session.
Women and Faith: How to Approach Tradition after the “Me Too” Movement
Loyola students are invited to join a candid conversation about the “Me Too” movement and the Catholic Church. Discussion will be facilitated by leading women from the Loyola community in an intimate and relaxed setting.
Faith and Neuroscience Colloquium- Perspectives on Personhood: Resources in Science, Philosophy, and Theology
This colloquium brings together resources from different academic disciplines to interrogate various perspectives on human consciousness and personhood. Keynote address by Dr. William Jaworski, Professor of Philosophy at Fordham University.
The 2018 Cardinal Newman Lecture: Leah Libresco Sargeant
CCIH welcomes Leah Libresco Sargeant to share with us her journey from atheist blogger to Catholic apologist. Leah's work has appeared in First Things, America, The American Conservative, Commonweal, and several other publications.
Faith in Focus Film Series Spring 2018 Screening: St. Frances Xavier Cabrini: The People's Saint
This 50-minute documentary filmed in 2017, the Centenary year of Mother Cabrini's passing, is a living portrait of the Italy-born saint that showcases her relevance in an ever-changing world. Mother Cabrini is considered the Patron Saint of Immigrants and Hospital Administrators.
Faculty Reading Group Spring 2018: Tenth of December by George Saunders
CCIH is pleased to announce our Faculty Reading Group text for this coming semester: Tenth of December (2013), a thought-provoking collection of short stories by acclaimed American author George Saunders that inspires reflections about faith, justice, culture, and politics.
Ramonat Lecture: “Perceiving the Other: Visual Counterpoints in Blackfeet Country, 1846”
The lecture will discuss the art work of Jesuit missionary Nicholas Point, the Blackfeet Indian artistic response, and the legacy of Jesuit missionaries in contemporary Indian country.
G.K. Chesterton: Prophetic Voice in the Public Square
Chesterton scholar, Fr. Ian Boyd of Seton Hall University will explore the contemporary resonance of G.K. Chesterton's Prophetic voice.
Recommended Reading
Each month CCIH will recommend new and notable books that integrate, interrogate, and celebrate the Catholic intellectual and artistic tradition.
The 2017 Hank Center's Living Tradition Award Honors Dr. Francis Fennell
Join the Hank Center in celebrating Professor Emeritus, Dr. Francis Fennell- this year's Living Tradition Award recipient.
Andalusia in Andalucía: An International Conference on Flannery O'Connor
Universidad Loyola Andalucía, in conjunction with the Hank Center, will be hosting a conference on the American writer Flannery O'Connor in Seville, Spain in June 2017.
America Magazine Welcomes Hank Center Alumnus: Angelo Jesus Canta
America Magazine Welcomes Hank Center Alumnus: Angelo Jesus Canta
Evangelical Fundamentalism and the Catholic Right: Dr. Michael Murphy, Dr. Miguel Díaz, and many others respond
Commentary on Fr. Antonio Spadaro, S.J. and Marcelo Figueroa's article, “Evangelical Fundamentalism and Catholic Integralism,” from the Hank Center and other leading theologians.
Cardinal Bernardin Common Cause Lecture: Called to Witness
The Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage, in collaboration with the Loyola University Jesuit Community, sponsors its inaugural Cardinal Bernardin Common Cause lecture this April 18. The lecture offers a Catholic prelate each year a platform to engage Loyola’s community in common cause with the Church on issues facing us today. In honor of Cardinal Bernardin’s legacy, Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago, will address our common ground in a time of division.
Catholic Q&A: Why do Catholics think this way? The Hardwiring of the Catholic Imagination
Join Fr. Mark Bosco, SJ, director of the Hank Center and professor of English and Theology, as he sorts out some of the tendencies of the Catholic imagination today.
Faith in Focus Film Screening: Ignacio de Loyola
Ignacio de Loyola, directed by Paolo Dy and starring Andreas Muñoz is a thrilling look at the life of the founder of the Society of Jesus. Please join the Jesuit leaders of Loyola’s CLCs for a post-screening discussion.
Black History Month Lecture: The Jesuit Choice: Religious Freedom before Ecumenism and Slave Emancipation
Black History Month Lecture: The Jesuit Choice: Religious Freedom before Ecumenism and Slave Emancipation
Revolution of the Heart: A Symposium on Dorothy Day
This two-day symposium featured speeches by former Catholic Worker community member Robert Ellsberg and Dorothy Day's granddaughter Kate Hennessy, as well as the play "Haunted by God."
Catholicism and Vietnam
George Dutton, author of A Vietnamese Moses, will deliver a lecture followed by responses on Vietnamese Catholic life by Jesuit Scholastics, students, faculty, and Chicago community members.
Spiritual and Cultural Pilgrimage to Spain
This summer, follow in the footsteps of St. Ignatius of Loyola under the leadership of Fr. Mark Bosco, S.J., Dr. Natasha Ritsma, Curator of the Loyola University Museum of Art, and Kathleen Beaulieu, Board Member of the Loyola University Museum of Art.
The 2017 Cardinal Newman Lecture: Chris Haw
After a week in jail following an Iraq War protest in 2003, Chris Haw, as a disaffected evangelical, moved into "America's most dangerous city" to start a small community in an abandoned house and work with a Catholic church. In his lecture, "Rust Belt Apocalypse and the Eucharist," Haw will share how a poetic mixture of myth and logic, an active patience amidst godlessness, and the drama of scapegoating as symbolized in the Mass all permeate his ongoing conversion and research.
Ignacio de Loyola
Join Campus Ministry for film screenings and post-film discussions of the recent major release of the film Ignacio de Loyola.
Tracking the Catholic Literary Tradition in the 21st Century with Dr. Randy Boyagoda
Join the Hank Center for a colloquium, and conversation, with the Canadian writer and critic, Dr. Randy Boyagoda.
Black Lives Matter Conference: The Building Blocks of Activism: Purpose. Action. Justice.
Loyola University Chicago will host its first Black Lives Matter Conference which will bring together college students, nonprofit professionals, campus administrators, various activist organizations and members in the wider community to raise consciousness, empower people, promote healing, and form solidarity.
Black History Month Lecture: The Jesuit Choice: Religious Freedom before Ecumenism and Slave Emancipation
Black History Month Lecture: The Jesuit Choice: Religious Freedom before Ecumenism and Slave Emancipation
Ignacio de Loyola
Ignacio de Loyola, directed by Paolo Dy and starring Andreas Muñoz is a thrilling look at the life of the founder of the Society of Jesus. Please join the Jesuit leaders of Loyola’s CLCs for a post-screening discussion.
The 2017 Hank Center's Living Tradition Award Honors Dr. Francis Fennell
Join the Hank Center in celebrating Professor Emeritus, Dr. Francis Fennell- this year's Living Tradition Award recipient.
2017 Catholic Imagination Conference
The Hank Center is co-sponsoring a conference that will explore the role that Catholic writers play—and the role they will continue to play—in American culture and in the life of the church. Showcasing works that integrate the Catholic vision into the wider world, this forum is for scholars, writers, editors, publishers, critics, and all lovers of great writing.
Hank Center Fall 2017 Events Calendar
Hank Center Fall 2017 Events Calendar
Catholicism: Called to Tradition of Revolution?
On November 29, 2017, Jesuit scholastic, Michael Martinez spoke to over 70 students about what it means to be a young adult and practicing Catholic in the 21st century.
America Magazine Welcomes Hank Center Alumnus: Angelo Jesus Canta
This past week, America Magazine welcomed the latest O'Hare Fellows to its team. Among the three college graduates selected for this highly competitive program was Loyola University Chicago and the Hank Center's own Angelo Jesus Canta (pictured right).
Thank You and Farewell, Fr. Bosco
After 14 years at Loyola and 5 years as Hank Center director, Fr. Mark Bosco steps down and joins Georgetown University as Mission and Ministry VP.
I Was a Stranger: Student Stories of Religious Hospitality
In fall 2017 CCIH shifted the focus of its Catholicism in Dialogue event toward the contemporary challenge of living together in a multicultural and interfaith setting, and combines forces with Campus Ministry and the Department of Theology & Religious Studies to offer students a yearlong experience of hospitality through many events.
Sacred Sustainability: Life Hacking a Living Tradition
Social entrepreneur, speaker and author of Y on Earth, Aaron William Perry led the audience in an interactive, and educational discussion titled: “Sacred Sustainability: Life Hacking a Living Tradition”.
Fall 2017 Faculty Reading Group: Orthodoxy and Fr. Brown by G.K. Chesterton
The Fall 2017 reading group is dedicated to G.K. Chesterton's seminal work, Orthodoxy, and the mysteries of Fr. Brown.
Reformation Symposium Speakers Featured on NPR
The Hank Center's Featured Speakers, Aana Marie Vigen, Susan Ross, and Craig Muller, with Fr. Don Senior and David Goa, recently spoke on NPR about the Protestant Reformation’s 500th anniversary and the Hank Center's upcoming Symposium.
That We May All Be One: Reformation and the Spirit of Christian Unity
On October 18, 2017 CCIH marked the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's 95 Theses with a day-long symposium that examined ecumenical dialogue through the years and the legacy of the Reformation.
Faith in Focus Film Series: The Ultimate Sacrifice
CCIH presented this important film about Juozas Vitkus, legendary Lithuanian Colonel who led a resistance movement against Soviet occupation in the 1940s & 50s, with Discussion led by grandson of Colonel Vitkus & former Jesuit Provincial of Lithuania and Latvia, Fr. Gintaras Vitkus.
G.K. Chesterton: Prophetic Voice in the Public Square
In this lecture, the LUC community welcomed Fr. Ian Boyd, distinguished professor of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University and author of The Novels of G.K. Chesterton, to offer his insights about the contemporary relevance and prophetic nature of the Chesterton's prolific writings.
Perceiving the Other: Visual Counterpoints in Blackfeet Country, 1846
Dr. Sally Thompson discussed the art work of Jesuit missionary Nicholas Point and the legacy of Jesuit missionaries in contemporary Indian country at this lecture sponsored by CCIH, the History Department, and the Ramonat Seminar.
Catholicism: Called to Tradition or Revolution?
On November 29, 2017, Jesuit scholastic, Michael Martinez spoke to over 70 students about what it means to be a young adult and practicing Catholic in the 21st century, emphasizing the importance of truth and love of neighbor in daily life.
A Week with Dan Berrigan, SJ
Learn more about the Hank Center's exciting week-long commemoration of Dan Berrigan, activist Jesuit priest and his commitment to practicing a faith that does justice.
VIDEO AVAILABLE | Spirit and the Machine: Catholic Responses to an Increasingly Artificial World
An interdisciplinary conversation with Fr. Phillip Larrey (Pontifical Lateran University), Ann Skeet (Santa Clara University), and John W. Farrell (journalist) on Artificial intelligence (AI), one of the most important technologies in the world today-- but also one rife with serious spiritual, social and ethical questions.
May 12, 2021, 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM CDT
Zoom Forum
Conversations on the Catholic Imagination
A public voices archive featuring writers, poets, playwrights, and more. Recorded at the 2019 Catholic Imagination Conference.
Video Available| Loyola’s CATH 296 Students Sponsor Virtual Gala for RISE: Refugees In Schools Everywhere
Zoom Forum
All Are Welcome
This event included:
Remarks by Ann Strandoo of RISE
Interviews with student refugees, both here and abroad
Remarks from Fr. James Martin, SJ
A performance by the International Orchestra of Refugees (founded and directed by Loyola graduate Sebastian Agignoae)
An Examen prayer led by Jesuit Scholastics.
Thursday, April 22, 2021
4:00 - 5:15 PM CDT
READ MORE
An Evening with Micheal O'Siadhail
The Hank Center was most pleased to welcome Micheal O'Siadhail, Irish poet of international renown, for the unveiling of his latest poetry collection, The Five Quintets. Acknowledging both Dante's Divine Comedy and T.S. Eliot's Four Quartets, O'Siadhail offers a sweeping reflection on modernity on the cusp of the first-ever global century. Thank you to those who joined us for readings by and conversation with one of the literary titans of our age. Watch the video recording of this reading on the event page.
Fratelli Tutti: A Conversation Addressing Pope Francis’s New Encyclical on Human Solidarity and its Socio-Political Implications for the United States
October 16, 2020, 12:00 - 1:30 PM
During this time when our nation experiences an unprecedented health and socio-political crisis, a nationally recognized panel of voices explored the teaching of this encyclical on human solidarity and draw some concrete implications for this pivotal moment in our nation’s history. With M. Shawn Copeland, John Gehring, Carmen Nanko-Fernández, and Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv.This event is free and open to the public. Registration Required.
Flannery: The Storied Life of the Writer from Georgia
An award winning film by Elizabeth Coffman and Mark Bosco, SJ. Production of this film was supported by the Hank Center and it premiered at the 2019 Catholic Imagination Conference. It premiered on PBS American Masters on March 23 (check local listings).
Gema Kloppe-Santamaría Named a 2020 Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Distinguished Scholar
Congratulations to Gema Kloppe-Santamaría, Assistant Professor of History and a past recipient of a Hank Center research grant, on being named a 2020 Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation Distinguished Scholar for her research project In the Name of Christ: Religious Violence and Its Legitimacy in Mexico (1920-2020). She spoke on her research on Wednesday, March 17, at 5:15 PM EDT/ 4:15 CDT.
LEARN MORE
Integrity and Accountability in the Catholic Church
Given the recent revelations reported in the news, our panel of experts discussed what all this means. After initial comments, Q&A from the audience followed. Panelists: Justice Anne M. Burke, Dr. Jennifer Haselberger, and Dr. Richard Gaillardetz. October 11 from 7:00-8:30 PM in Regents Hall, Lewis Towers, WTC. Co-sponsored by the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage and the Institute for Pastoral Studies.
“Teología del Pueblo”: The People of God in the Theology of Pope Francis
The John Courtney Murray, SJ Chair in Public Service and the Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage at Loyola University Chicago will host Fr. Carlos María Galli, Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina, for a panel discussion on the Pope's ecclesiological vision.
The Storm Cloud of the 21st Century: Capitalism, the Technocratic Paradigm, and the Sacramental Imagination
October 15, 2020
Featuring Eugene McCarraher, Villanova University. Free and open to the public.
The Global 1968 Symposium: Days of Past Present
The Hank Center was proud to present its anticipated Global 1968 Symposium, a three-day event that surveyed the tumultuous confluence of events that took place that year.
Catholic Vote 2020: How Will Faith be a Factor?
October 28, 2020, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
A Better Way to Work: Pope Francis, the Care Economy, and the Future of Work
June 22, 2021, 11:30 AM CDT
Zoom Forum
In the aftermath of the global pandemic, the economic value of care reemerges as what it has always been: a matter of human dignity and justice. Re-prioritizing care requires new mindsets--from building a world that is socially and environmentally just, to reevaluating the meaning of decent work in contemporary life, to developing feasible economic and public policies that place care of people and care of environment at the center of life. We were pleased to host a dialogue about these crucial questions. This event was free and open to the public.
Heretic? Pope Francis and His Critics
Thursday, March 21st , 7:00 p.m.
IC 4th Floor, LSC
As part of a week dedicated to marking the 6th anniversary of Pope Francis's election, the Hank Center invited expert in Catholic History, doctrine, and higher education, Fr. James Heft (University of Southern California) to speak on popular appraisals of Pope Francis. This event was free & open to the public.
Catholic Q&A: Does Ethics Sell? A Discussion about Morality and the Marketplace
Thursday, February 21st, 7:00-9:00 p.m
Information Commons, 4th Floor
Thank you to the Catholic Studies minors and Fr. Frank LaRocca for a fascinating discussion about ethics in Corporate America.
Students only. All students welcome.
Video Available| Election Round-Up: Results, Reflection, Renewal
With Molly Andolina, Amanda Bryan, Miguel Diaz, Steven P. Millies, and Bernard Prusak.
November 5, 2020, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
In Stride with St. Ignatius: A Weeklong Pilgrimage to Sanctuaries and Cities in Spain
May 10-17, 2020
POSTPONED
Faculty, staff, and alumni of Loyola University Chicago are invited to join Father D. Scott Hendrickson, S.J., on a Spain pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Ignatius. As part of the University's 150th anniversary in 2020 and celebrating 150 years of Ignatian heritage, the institution draws from the rich spiritual and pedagogical tradition established by St. Ignatius and his first companions.LEARN MORE
Resources on Catholics and Voting
Articles on the "Catholic vote" and reflections for Catholics seeking to vote their conscience this and every election season.
Election 2020: "There is no Catholic Vote--and, it's Important"
September 17, 2020, 4:00 PM

Loyola University Chicago

Stories

Black History Month Lecture: The Jesuit Choice: Religious Freedom before Ecumenism and Slave Emancipation

Ignacio de Loyola

The 2017 Hank Center's Living Tradition Award Honors Dr. Francis Fennell