Winter 2026
February
FEBRUARY 5
Guest speaker, Dr. Neomi DeAnda (University of Dayton)
Cultura, Comida y Catolicismo series
::: Details forthcoming in December; please stay tuned :::
Dr. DeAnda is the executive director of the International Marian Research Institute and a professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, where she teaches courses in religion, languages and cultures, Latinx and Latin American studies, race and ethnic studies, and women and gender studies. She is a Human Rights Center research associate. She holds a PhD in constructive theology from Loyola University Chicago. She also has MAs in theology (Oblate School of Theology) and educational leadership (St. Mary’s University, San Antonio).
Spring 2026
APRIL 30 - MAY 1
Pope Leo XIV: From the Americas, For the WorldWorld Catholicism Week 2026 (details)
With the new pope's hometown (and ours!) of Chicago as the backdrop, this conference delves into Leo XIV's new papacy, exploring the unique way that his biography bridges continents. Speakers from around the world—including two from Peru who worked closely with him in the Diocese of Chiclayo—examine Leo’s formative influences, connections between the Americas and other parts of the world, continuities and discontinuities with Pope Francis, and the future of the Church under his leadership, addressing pressing issues like AI, synodality, sexual abuse, and climate change.
(For more information,
please visit the conference website.)