NEWMAN NIGHTS:

     The staff of CC@S is proud to announce the debut of a new program, NEWMAN NIGHTS.  The staff has been working on this since last April, and is excited (and nervous!) to give you a sneak peek.

     Newman Nights is a Tuesday night program designed to form the faith of the Catholic Community at Stanford University.  Ninety minutes long, it consists of a forty-five minute lecture followed by break-out groups for further theological reflection.  These break-out groups will be divided by need: RCIA, Adult Confirmation, Young Adults, Undergrads, Grads, Permanent Community.  (Of course, the small group portion is optional, but then again, so is showing up.  Ha!)  Beginning on October 2, the Feast of the Guardian Angels—and you know how much help we need from them!—we will meet on Tuesday nights in the Common Room of Old Union, 7:30-9:00pm.

     In terms of sacramental participation, this program fulfills the needs of RCIA and Adult Confirmation. Both programs begin on October 2.  Although the overall projection of the topics of the series is formed by RCIA and the Confirmation course, they are simultaneously designed so that you can simply drop-in as well.  Come for one!  Come for a quarter!  Come for any you would like!

     Named after Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), the patron of Catholic Universities and Catholic Campus Ministry programs, Newman Nights is aimed to offer a systematic presentation of the Catholic faith.  Presenters include theologians from the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology, Saint Patrick’s Seminary and University, and Santa Clara University.  We hope that this is a place where members of our permanent community, undergraduate and graduate student community, as well as inquirers of the faith may take a robust and nuanced examination of various theological and spiritual issues.  These lectures are arranged around three basic themes: Revelation, the Church and the Sacraments, and the Theology of Vocation (relationships between self, the Church and the world). 

     How did Newman Nights come about?  The staff of CC@S has heard the hunger from the entire community—students and permanent community—for a series of theological and spiritual presentations that reflect the breadth and depth of the Catholic tradition.  Questions about forming one’s conscience, forming a Catholic identity, issues about vocation, and church teaching on how it interacts with modern queries need to be addressed and spoken about in an intellectual, safe and open way.  We hope and pray that Newman Nights is an answer.

     Taking advantage of Stanford’s close proximity to many schools of Catholic theological thought, we approached well-respected experts to speak upon their particular fields.  Lecturers will include Sr. Marianne Farina, CSC, (DSPT), Dr. Jean Francois Racine (JST-Santa Clara), Dr. Lisa Fullam (SCU) and Rev. Michael Fones, OP (DSPT, former Co-Director of the Catherine of Siena Institute).

Certificate Program of Catholic Thought.  We have also developed a two-level certificate program, open to the entire community. 

This program recognizes those who have committed to a more systematized study of Catholicism so that they are better equipped to serve more effectively in ministry on this campus and in future  parishes.  Participants are required to attend nine lectures and submit a one-page written reflection on each.  This requirement may be completed over one or two years, but is a pre-requisite to the Level Two certificate.  Participants are to choose one lecture from each from a variety of topics given throughout the academic year.

     We are currently finalizing plans to have a number of our lectures videotaped and placed on our website, catholic.stanford.edu., complete with reflection questions for the viewer’s spiritual growth, as well as for the aforementioned certificate program. 

     So without further ado, we introduce the Fall Quarter Schedule:

October 2   

Does Catholicism Matter?   

Fr. Athanasius Kikoba, parish of Saint John of Cupertino

October 9   

The Way of Justice: The Hebrew Scriptures and God’s Prophetic Call

Dr. David Pleins, Santa Clara University

October 16   

In Many & Various Ways: Unity & Diversity in the New Testament

Dr. Jean-Francois Racine, Jesuit School of Theology

October 23   

Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?

Chaplain Nancy Greenfield

November 6   

Now and Forever: the Communion of Saints and the Afterlife

Fr. Nathan Castle, OP

November 13   

Beyond Morality: Jesus’ Teaching on Sin and Forgiveness

Mr. Michael Lilledahl, Archdiocese of San Francisco

November 27  

Law and Disorder: Jesus and the Law of Disruptive Love   

Fr. Nathan Castle, OP

If you have any questions about this exciting new endeavor, please feel free to contact Fr. Isaiah Mary Molano, OP, frisaiah@stanford.edu