The Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John's University presents Three Things Talks, a series that addresses issues of Catholic belief and teaching. The talks are intended for adult Catholics who want to know more about their faith, and for those who are interested in what Catholics believe. Each talk emphasizes three important ideas.
Three Things Talks: “A Great Symphony of Prayer”
Saturday, September 14, 2024
10:30 a.m. - 1p.m.
Location: St. Thomas More Church, Queens Campus or view via Livestream
Schedule
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Archives
Three Things Talks: “A Great Symphony of Prayer”
"Prayer Today: a Challenge to Overcome"
Joseph E. Oliva, Esq. '91CBA, '94L
Vice President for Administration and General Counsel, St. John's University
" The Prayer of Mary and the Saints"
Rev. Dr. Joann C. Heaney-Hunter '78C, '81G
Associate Professor, Theology and Religious Studies, St. John's University
Video:
Talk 1: “ Prayer Today a Challenge to Overcome”
Talk 2: “ The Prayer of Mary and the Saints”
This third talk in the 2023 series “The Eucharist and Vatican II” focused on “Gaudium et Spes,Pastoral Constitution on the Church and Evangelii Gaudium, the Joy of the Gospel". First, Meghan J. Clark, PH.D. , Associate Professor and Assistant Chair Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University, presented on “Love and Justice: Discipleship in Gaudium et Spes.” The second portion of the event was presented by Rev. Aidan R. Rooney, C.M.,M.Div.,M.TH. '78NDC, Executive Vice President for Mission at St. John's University, who spoke on “EG to GS: a Trajectory toward True Dialogue”
Video:
Three Things Talks: "Eucharist and Vatican II" December 2023 Part 1 at St. John's University from St. John's University on Vimeo.
Three Things Talks: "Eucharist and Vatican II" December 2023 Part 2 at St. John's University from St. John's University on Vimeo.
This second talk in the 2023 series “The Eucharist and Vatican II” focused on “Dei Verbum, Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation.” First, Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M. ’13HON, Executive Director, Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John’s University, presented on “One Table of the Word of God and the Body of Christ (Dei Verbum, Chapter VI, Article 21).” The second portion of the event was presented by Julia A. Upton, R.S.M., Ph.D., who spoke on “Unity and Mystery at the One Table.”
Video:
Part 1: Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M.
Part 2: Julia A. Upton, R.S.M., Ph.D.
This first talk in the 2023 series “The Eucharist and Vatican II” focuses on “Sacrosanctum Concilium, the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.” First, Fr. Thomas G. Caserta, Adjunct Assistant Professor at St. John’s University, presents “Being There: Understanding Full, Conscious, and Active Participation in the Eucharist.” The second portion of the event was presented by Andrea Pinnavaia, Campus Minister for Liturgy and Faith Formation, St. John’s University, who spoke on “Getting There: Source and Summit.”
Video:
- Part 1: Fr. Thomas Caserta
- Part 2: Andrea Pinnavaia
This is the third and final talk in this series on Angels. We were joined by Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M., who presented on “Raphael: The Angel of the Book of Tobit.” The session concluded with a talk by Sister Ave Clark, OP, focused on “Angels of Advent.”
During the second talk in the series, we were joined by Larry W. Boone, Ph.D., with a presentation on “Guardian Angels” followed by Tamara Issak, Ph.D., with a talk on “Angels in Islam.”
Part 1 – “Guardian Angels”
“Angels: Spirits Sent to Serve”
On April 2, we were joined by Anthony J. Cannatella ’18C, an Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University and the Chair of Theology at St. Mary’s College Preparatory High School. He presented on “Angelic Beings and Aquinas: the Nature of Angels according to the Angelic Doctor.” The first part of his talk examined the nature and creation of the angelic beings according to St. Thomas and Dionysius the Areopagite. Then, from their nature, he discussed the distinction between the good and the bad—namely the angels and the demons. Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M., followed with his presentation titled “Angels Among Us." Those of us who believe in the reality of angels among us do not all think of these heavenly figures in the same way. In this presentation, we considered one of the ways in which we might experience the angels as “ministering spirits sent to serve” (Heb 1:14) as they reveal God’s care for humankind in the created order.
“Go to Joseph”
St. John's University Professor John M. Conry, Pharm.D., joined us for a discussion on “Joseph as a Family Man.” A second lecture delivered by Sister Maria Pascuzzi, CSJ, S.T.D. followed, as she discussed “Joseph's Fiat.”
“Go to Joseph”
Phyllis Zagano, Ph.D., senior research associate-in-residence in the Department of Religion at Hofstra University, joined us for a discussion on “Joseph and Silence,” providing the audience with a deeper understanding of the significance of his silence. Then, Matthew Lewis Sutton, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John’s University, brought us through “Joseph and Prayer” from the perspective of a father.
Additional Resources
For books recommended by both speakers, please click here.
A Lourdes Pilgrimage: Prayer, Penance and Procession
On April 10, 2021, Marlene Watkins, Foundress of the first Lourdes Hospitality of the Americas, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers, presented "A Lourdes Pilgrimage: Prayer, Penance and Procession.” Since 1858, over one hundred million people have made the journey to Lourdes, France. Why? Discover the value of pilgrimage, the timeless gospel message of Lourdes, and the relevance to us today.
About the speaker
Marlene Watkins is the Foundress of the first Lourdes Hospitality of the Americas, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospitality North American Volunteers, which accompanies the seriously ill and profoundly disabled to the Sanctuaries in France with medical supportive care, volunteers, university students and youth. Lourdes Volunteers introduced the privilege of serving the Sanctuaries and the Universal Church in Lourdes to Americans and brings groups of volunteers from schools, universities, including St. John’s University first Service Mission to Lourdes. She has traveled to Asia, Africa, Europe and across America-the-Beautiful to share the Message of Lourdes through Virtual Pilgrimage Experiences in parishes, schools, prisons and to groups of all ages. She has appeared on CBS, PBS, BBC and frequently on EWTN, as well as speaking on Catholic national and local radio broadcasts, to audiences at international conferences and has been featured in books and newspapers about Lourdes and her experiences as a volunteer. Marlene was named an Outstanding Catholic by Our Sunday Visitor in 2015. Marlene is a wife, mother and grandmother from Syracuse, New York, and is a professed Secular Franciscan.
The Psalms: 150 Conversations with God
Rev. Patrick J. Griffin, C.M., Executive Director of the Vincentian Center for Church and Society at St. John's University, presented on "The Psalms: 150 Conversations with God.” Each psalm represents a person who turns to his/her God with a prayer that arises from a human heart. The Psalter captures experiences of every kind and echoes voices of need, contrition, and thanksgiving. In this conversation, we reflected on these words of our ancestors in faith and recognize how they continue to be our words.
Additional Resources on the Psalms
- "Praying the Psalms," by Thomas Merton
A guide on how to pray the psalms from a wonderful Christian spiritual writer.
- "Songs of the Heart: An Introduction to the Book of Psalms," by Nahum M. Sarna
A Jewish author’s beautiful explanation of the character of some of the psalms.
- "Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible," by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
A classic, heartfelt reflection on the nature and meaning of the psalms.
- "Psalms: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching,” by James L. Mays
A readable full commentary on all the Psalms
About the speaker:
Fr. Patrick Griffin, CM, a Brooklyn native, was ordained a Vincentian priest in 1979. After ordination, he completed a doctorate in Biblical Studies and has taught at various universities and seminaries. From 1993-1999, he worked in Rome as the Econome General of the Congregation of the Mission (the Vincentians). From 2010-2014, Fr. Griffin ministered in Paris as the Director General of the Daughters of Charity. In March 2014, he returned to St. John’s University in NY where he assumed his current position as the Executive Director for the Vincentian Center for Church and Society.
Ad Intra, Ad Extra: Papal Infallibility After 150 Years
Christopher Denny, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John's University, discusses how the Dogmatic Constitution of the First Vatican Council, Pastor Aeternus, transformed both the church's understanding of the papacy and Catholicism's relationship to the wider world. Watch the first talk in the series below.
About Christopher Denny, Ph.D.
Christopher Denny is an associate professor in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies at St. John's University in New York, where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in historical theology from the patristic to the modern era. Denny is the author of A Generous Symphony: Hans Urs von Balthasar's Literary Revelations (Fortress, 2016); the coeditor, with Patrick Hayes and Nicholas Rademacher, of A Realist's Church: Essays in Honor of Joseph A. Komonchak (Orbis, 2015); and the coeditor, with Jeremy Bonner and Mary Beth Fraser Connolly, of Empowering the People of God: Catholic Action before and after Vatican II (Fordham UP, 2014). Other recent publications include articles in the Journal of Interreligious Studies, Horizons, the Journal of Ecumenical Studies, the Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, and Christianity and Literature. Denny is the recipient of best-article awards from the Catholic Press Association, the College Theology Society, and the Conference on Christianity and Literature.