Theology Department News

MARTIN MADAR PRESENTED A PAPER AT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
In March, 2023, Dr. Martin Madar presented a paper “How Pope Francis Has Rehabilitated the ‘Spirit of Vatican II’” at an international conference at St. Mark’s College (Vancouver, Canada) commemorating 10 years of Pope Francis’s pontificate.

MARCUS MESCHER AND DR. ASHLEY THEURING MEASURE THE MORAL INJURY CAUSED BY CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE
Dr. Ashley Theuring and Dr. Marcus Mescher were among four Xavier University faculty awarded a $40,000 grant from Fordham University to create a new instrument to measure the psychological, spiritual, moral, and social fallout caused by clergy sexual abuse and its concealment. They joined a network of scholars at Jesuit universities across the country to help better understand the root causes of this crisis, its effects, and how to bring about greater transparency, accountability, healing, and prevention. The grant was sponsored by Fordham's Taking Responsibility project. Xavier University's research project report on moral injury. It garnered national coverage from NCR and local coverage from the Enquirer.

MARTIN MADAR PRESENTING AT AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SYNODALITY
Dr. Madar will be presenting a paper at an international conference on synodality in Slovakia on March 10, 2022. He is also a co-organizer of the conference. The conference will be live streamed on YouTube. All presentations in the afternoon will be translated into English simultaneously. The times on the program are in Central European Time (six hours ahead of EST). Feel free to join in.

MARCUS MESCHER ON BUILDING THE "CULTURE OF ENCOUNTER"
In November 2021, Dr. Mescher contributed to a forum at Georgetown University, highlighting how Pope Francis' vision of encounter is shaped by his experience of Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises.

WALKER GOLLAR REPORTS ON SLAVERY FOR THE XAVIER NEWSWIRE
Dr. Gollar was recently interviewed on Xavier's historical ties to slavery for the November 10, 2021 edition of the Newswire.