Spring 2009

Three Things Which Catholics Should Know About Mary and the Church
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Featured Speaker
Dr. Joann Heaney-Hunter received her Ph.D. from Fordham University and currently serves as Associate Professor of Theology and Director of the University Core Curriculum at St. John's University, New York.  Dr. Heaney-Hunter has lectured widely on a variety of Christian marriage and family topics and currently serves as an advisor to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Marriage and the Family.

Overview
This presentation will discuss the importance of Mary in today’s Church.  It will provide historical perspectives on the ways that Mary has been seen in the Church and contemporary views on Mary as a model for today’s Catholic.

Three Things Which Catholics Should Know About the Immaculate Conception
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Featured Speaker
Fr. Michael Whalen, C.M.  holds graduate degrees in various areas of theology and religious studies from Mary Immaculate Seminary, St. Charles Seminary, and La Salle University.  In addition he holds a Licentiate and Doctorate Degree in liturgical and sacramental Theology from The Catholic university of America, Washington, D.C.  He has also written extensively.  He is currently the Chairperson of the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University.

Overview
In this presentation we will explore some of the wellsprings of the Catholic dogma of the immaculate, the ways in which the dogma has evolved over time, and the fundamental theological truths towards which the dogma points us.

Three Things Which Catholics Should Know About Devotion to Mary
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Featured Speaker
Marian Maskulak, CPS is an assistant professor of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University, Queens, NY.  She received her Ph.D. in Theology from the University of St. Michael’s College, Toronto, and the S.T. D. from Regis College, Toronto.  Her area of special interest is spirituality.

Overview
Dating back to the Patristic era, devotion to Mary has persisted right up to contemporary Catholicism.  This talk identifies several characteristics of Marian devotion over the centuries, addresses some critiques voiced against such devotion, and offers a few thoughts on incorporating Mary into one’s spirituality today.