“Abraham” Film Presentation
Abraham Film Presentation
This two part course will present the 1993 film Abraham based on the life of the Biblical patriarch. The late Irish actor, Richard Harris, gives a compelling performance in the title role as he seems to become Abraham. Barbara Hershey, also gives a realistic portrayal as his wife Sarah.
An overview of Abraham’s life will be given before the viewing and the film will be divided into three parts for discussion, comments, and questions.
Instructor: Denise De Vito, M.S. Ed.
Friday February 16 and Friday February 23
12:00 – 4:00 PM, Clare Room, Fee $80.00
Genesis, Exodus, and Egypt: An Overview
Genesis, Exodus, and Egypt: An Overview
This course will focus on relevant chapters from the books of Genesis and Exodus and the role of the land of Egypt as presented in the Hebrew scriptures. Another focal point will be the prophets and women of the time period such as the powerful matriarchs Sarah and Rebekah. Also, Jochebed, Miriam, Zipporah, and Bithiah, the women who played crucial roles in the life of Moses. Readings appropriate to the topic and archaeological reports will be presented.
There will be a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Date to be determined at the first class session.
Instructor: Denise De Vito, M.S. Ed.
Friday, November 3, 2023 and Friday November 10, 2023, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM both days
(Please Note: there is an error in the print brochure listing the lecture beginning at 10 AM. 1 :00 PM is the correct time)
Francis Room
Fee: $70.00
Charles de Foucauld – Saint of the Sahara
CANCELLED
Charles de Foucauld – Saint of the Sahara
This course explores the spiritual writings and biography of this newer saint. His fascinating life took him from rich beginnings to a radical conversion and included many roles along the way including military man, Trappist monk, hermit, priest, geographer, and ethnographer. His travels eventually took him to Tamanrasset in the Sahara where he lived amongst the Tuaregs. He was eventually murdered there. He wrote books, dictionaries, poetry, letters, spiritual notebooks and rules for a new community. He converted no one, had no companion, but after his death his vision flourished into such communities as the Little Brothers of Jesus, centered around the spiritual life at Nazareth, and his concept of becoming a universal brother to all.
Instructor: Mary J. Gennuso, Ph.D.
Saturday, November 18, 2023 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
on ZOOM
Fee: $30.00
Catherine of Siena Part 2: The Bridge and Beyond
CANCELLED
Catherine of Siena Part 2: The Bridge and Beyond
This course continues with the saint’s most famous work, The Dialogue, which was written as a conversation between her and God the Father. It will emphasize the Steps, and the Bridge, particularly her Christology, as a spiritual guide to union with all 3 members of the most Holy Trinity. In addition, we will consider the Eucharist and the Church, time permitting, along with linking them to other themes in her writings. Finally, we will also connect all these to our current lives.
Instructor: Mary J. Gennuso, Ph.D.
Saturday, November 18, 2023 9am – 12:00 PM
on ZOOM
Fee: $30.00
WALK DUBLIN WITH JAMES JOYCE
CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.
WALK DUBLIN WITH JAMES JOYCE
We will read Dubliners in which readers will find no plainer English, humanity, humor or genius as Joyce sets out to paint a vivid picture of Dublin. The course concludes with a viewing and discussion of John Huston’s “The Dead,” the last story in Dubliners and possibly the finest story in the English language.
Students can purchase a copy of Dubliners from booksellers or online.
Instructor: Edward Kent, O.S.F., M.A.
Mondays, Oct. 16 – November 20
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
Classroom 1B:
Fee: $80.00
CATHOLICISM 101: THE LITURGICAL YEAR
CATHOLICISM 101: THE LITURGICAL YEAR
This seven-week course is designed to give participants an introduction to the Church’s liturgical year. We will study the Church’s calendar of feasts and celebrations. Using the axiom: “We celebrate what we believe” we will study the structure, history and meaning of the most important celebrations and seasons on the Catholic calendar. We will study how the fundamental beliefs of our faith are all contained in our church calendar and what priority each is given.
Textbook: The Liturgical Year: It’s History and Meaning after the Reform of the Liturgy
by Adolf Adam (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN: 1990).
available here: The Liturgical Year: Its History and Its Meaning After the Reform of the Liturgy: Adolf Adam;
Instructor: Joseph Nuzzi, M.A.
Wednesdays, October 11 – November 29, 2023 (no class Nov. 22) 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, Clare Room (in person)
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Clare Room (in person and on ZOOM)
Fee: $70.00
Dante and the Soul’s Journey: An Introduction to the Divine Comedy
Dante and the Soul’s Journey: An Introduction to the Divine Comedy
Written in the 14th century, but relevant to this day, Dante’s Divine Comedy is both a story of one pilgrim’s journey through the afterlife and his encounters with sinners and saints alike, and an allegory for the soul’s journey towards God. The Inferno establishes the recognition and rejection of sin, Purgatorio presents an earthly realm with descriptions of penitent life, and Paradiso is the linguistic jewel that depicts the soul’s ascent. In this introduction, we’ll discuss the historical and spiritual context of Dante, review some of the important cantos , and explore the popular afterlife of this text in art, film, and games.
A free version of the Divine Commedy can be found here: https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/
Instructor: Lisa Tagliaferri, Ph.D.
Tuesdays, October 10 – November 28th
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM in the Francis Room
Fee: $80.00
Thomas Merton: A Spiritual Guide for the 21st Century
Thomas Merton: A Spiritual Guide for the 21st Century
Thomas Merton is one of the giants in the history of Christian spirituality. He was a genius who thought deeply and who wrote in a profound way. He is modern day St. Augustine, who shares his ongoing conversion that opened new doors for contemplation, social justice, and inter-religious dialogue. The goal of this course will be for us to get to know Merton more deeply as a model for our own spiritual journey.
Instructor: Fr. Anthony Ciorra, Ph.D.
Mondays, October 2 – 30, 2023 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Francis Room
Fee: $50.00
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO JAMES JOYCE’S ULYSSES
CANCELLED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES.
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO JAMES JOYCE’S ULYSSES
Voted the 20th century’s most important novel, Ulysses is a comic masterpiece of dazzling literary technique and unforgettable characters. It describes Leopold Bloom’s odyssey through Dublin compressed into a single day, known as Bloomsday – June 16, 1904.
Joseph Strick’s 1967 film of the same name will supplement a close reading of this fctional tour de force. Students are asked to use the Hans Walter Gabler edition of the novel published by Random House.
Instructor: Edward Kent, O.S.F., M.A.
Thursdays, Oct. 12 – Nov. 16
1:00 – 2:30 pm; Classroom 1B
Fee: $80.00