You Too Go into My Vineyard - The Role of the Laity in the Church Today

• Fellows Areas of Expertise

Please join us for a 2-day conversation among lay and religious of all backgrounds. Together we will take a look at the theology of the Catholic laity and the important role it plays in the Church today. This event will be livestreamed. 

RSVP on this page for either or both days. Please include a name for any guests you RSVP for. 

Guest Speakers Include:

Bishop Jaime Soto, Diocese of Sacramento
Gil Bailie, DSPT Fellow, Writer
Paolo Carozza, Director, Helen Kellogg Institute for International Studies, University of Notre Dame
Bill Cox, President and CEO of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care
Ned Dolejsi, DSPT Fellow, past Director of California Catholic Conference
JD Flynn, Editor, CNA, Chief Editor
Elizabeth Garlow, Lumina Impact Ventures
Dana Gioia, DSPT Fellow, Poet, writer
Michael K. Grace, KM, Order of Malta, DSPT Alumnus
Russell F. Hittinger,  DSPT Fellow, William K. Warren Professor of Catholic Studies, University of Tulsa
Anna B. Moreland, Villanova University
Michael Sweeney, OP, Lay Mission Project

Event Schedule

Friday 1pm - 5pm

1:00 pm – Opening Prayer and Welcome, Fr. Peter Rogers, OP

1:15 pm – Session 1: What is the Voice of the Laity?  

Michael Sweeney, OP: The Secular Character of the Laity (20 min)
Russell Hittinger, PhD (20 min)
Bishop Jaime Soto (20 min)

2:15 pm – Session 2: Of the Mission of the Church, What Belongs to the Laity?

Anna B. Moreland, Villanova University (20 min)
Michael Grace, KM (20 min)
JD Flynn (20 min)

3:30 pm – Session 3: Lay Competencies: Fellows Perspectives

Opening Remarks: Bill Cox, Dana Gioia (30 min)
Attending Fellows - multi-disciplinary reflections (30 min)

4:30 Light Reception

5:00 pm – End

Saturday 10am-5pm

9:30 am – Coffee and Pastries

10:00 am - Fr. Peter Opening Prayer and Welcome

10:15 am - Russ Hittinger - Summary Overview of Prior Day Discussions

10:45 am Session 1: The Lay Movements in the US and Abroad

Paolo Carozza: Lay Movements in US and Europe (20 min)
Elizabeth Garlow: Focolare and other Lay Movements (20 min)
Fr. Joe Boenzi, SDB, DSPT Professor of Theology: Laity, Movements and an Apostolic Church (20 min)

11:45 Lunch provided

12:45 pm Session 3 – DSPT Student Panel Reflections

Opening remarks: DSPT Students (30 min)
Attending DSPT students - Reflections (30 min)

1:45 pm Session 3: Paths Forward - Fellows Perspectives

Opening Remarks: Russ Hittinger, Gil Bailie (30 min)
Attending Fellows - Multi-disciplinary Reflections (45 min) 

3:15 pm Q&A

4:00 pm Reception

4:30 pm End

Excerpts from the 2018 Convocation of the College of Fellows: 

Watch the individually recorded talks from Convocations in 2017 and 2018.

This event was made possible in part by support from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation.