News and Events

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​Throughout the year, CWCIT offers lectures, panel discussions, and other events for students, faculty/staff, and the broader community. Each spring, CWCIT hosts World Catholicism Week (WCW), a gathering of international scholars​ to explore a single topic. As of August 2025, the center has also hosted a total of 8 conferences overseas (in the Philippines, Brazil, Nigeria, and Kenya), including the first-ever Pan African Catholic Congress in 2019, followed by a second in 2022 and a third in 2025, all cosponsored with the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN). ​

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ABIDJAN, CÔTE D'IVOIRE (August 2025): The 3rd Biennial Pan-African Catholic Congress took place August 5-10, 2025, at the Catholic University of West Africa (UCAO). Photos by Radio Grace Espoir.

ABIDJAN, CÔTE D'IVOIRE (August 2025): Stan Chu Ilo (left), CWCIT research professor and PACTPAN coordinating servant, with 2 other delegates at the 3rd Pan-African Catholic Congress. Photo by PACTPAN.

CHICAGO (May 2025): Speakers, moderators, and staff at WCW 2025, "Signs of Hope: Finding Jubilee in a Fractured World"

CHICAGO (April 2024): Emilce Cuda, former CWCIT visiting scholar and current secretary of the Vatican's Pontifical Commission for Latin America, comments on DePaul undergrad Alan Cruz's research at the Undergraduate Research Poster session kicking off WCW 2024, "Is Idolatry Dead? Disenchantment and Misenchantment in the Contemporary World."

(CHICAGO, April 2024): "How to Read a Map Theologically," a slide from David Ngong's presentation, "Did God Create Cameroon? Providence, Colonialism, and the Nation-State in Africa" at WCW 2024.

CHICAGO (April 2023): Speakers, moderators, and staff at WCW 2023, "Becoming a Church of the Poor"

NAIROBI (July 2022): The 2nd Biannual Pan-African Catholic Congress took place at the Catholic University of East Africa, welcoming over 100 pastoral leaders and interdisciplinary scholars from 20+ African nations and 5 continents. (NCR photo/Christopher White)

NAIROBI (July 2022): A plenary session at the 2nd Biannual Pan-African Catholic Congress (NCR photo/Christopher White)

NAIROBI (July 2022): CWCIT's Mike Budde with Sr. Nkechi Iwuoha, PHJC, at the 2nd Pan-African Catholic Congress; Sr. Iwuoha is chair of the Board of Directors' Executive Committee for the Africa Faith & Justice Network.

ENUGU, Nigeria (Dec. 2019): The first-ever Pan-African Catholic Congress welcomed 80 delegates and took place at Bigard Memorial Seminary, the world's largest Catholic seminary with, at the time, 855 seminarians enrolled. (Read more in this Crux article by Christopher White.)

ENUGU, Nigeria (Dec. 2019): The opening Mass for the very first Pan-African Catholic Congress at Bigard Memorial Seminary.

ENUGU, Nigeria (Dec. 2019): Nigerian Igbo dancers and two of the cardinals at the very first Pan-African Catholic Congress.

NAIROBI (July 2017): Contributing authors and other participants at the Handbook of African Catholicism Colloquium held at Hekima Institute of Peace Studies & International Relations.

CHICAGO (Nov. 2016): CWCIT Director Bill Cavanaugh speaks at "The Church and Indigenous Peoples in the Americas" conference co-organized with Catholic Theological Union (CTU).

ENUGU, Nigeria (Dec. 2015): Participants at the "International Colloquium on the Future of Catholicism in Africa 50 Years after Vatican II," CWCIT's first event in Africa, held at the Spiritan International School of Theology.

ENUGU, Nigeria (Dec. 2015): A celebration held in conjunction with the "Future of Catholicism in Africa" colloquium

MANILA (Dec. 2014): Cardinal Luis Tagle poses after a meeting with (left to right) Joel Hodge (Australian Catholic University, Melbourne), Fr. Robert Schreiter, CPPS (Catholic Theological Union, Chicago), Bill Cavanaugh (CWCIT/DePaul), Meghan Clark (St. John's University, New York), and Francis Salinel (CWCIT/DePaul).

CHICAGO (Nov. 2012): CWCIT's Francis Salinel poses with Jon Sobrino, SJ, as he tweaked his keynote address for the 2012 conference, "Witnessing: Prophecy, Politics, and Wisdom."

MANILA (Feb. 2012): Some of the speakers & delegates at Adamson University for CWCIT's first overseas event, "International Theological Conversations."