Sister Helen Prejean, others to speak at biennial Catholic Social Tradition Conference
Guests including anti-death penalty advocate Sister Helen Prejean, of “Dead Man Walking” fame, and Bishop Alfred Agyenta of Ghana will deliver remarks during the upcoming Catholic Social Tradition Conference from March 23 to 25 at the University of Notre Dame.
Hosted by the Center for Social Concerns, “Justice Sown in Peace: 60 years since Pacem in Terris” will mark six decades since Pope John XXIII’s seminal encyclical on peace in truth, justice, liberty and charity.
It will also celebrate two 40-year-old milestones: the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ pastoral on war and peace, “The Challenge of Peace: God’s Promise and Our Response,” and the founding of the Center for Social Concerns by Rev. Don McNeill, C.S.C.
“This is the center’s seventh biennial Catholic Social Tradition Conference, and it’s become an important opportunity for scholars and practitioners from around the world to work together to understand and apply the Church’s social teaching to the challenges we face,” said Suzanne Shanahan, the Leo and Arlene Hawk Executive Director of the Center for Social Concerns.
Occurring on a biennial basis, the three-day conference will examine issues of justice with a particular focus on migration, racism, violence, political structures and internationalization, among other critical concerns of the day.
In addition to Bishop Agyenta, the third Indigenous bishop of the Navrongo-Bolgatanga Diocese, and Sister Prejean, guests will include Michelle Becka of Julius-Maximilians University, Marie Dennis of Pax Christi International, Bernard Prusak of King’s College and fellow educators and thought leaders from across the globe.
The Center for Social Concerns is an interdisciplinary institute dedicated to justice education and research for the common good.
For more information, visit socialconcerns.nd.edu.
Latest ND NewsWire
- From reaction to resolution: The future of allergy treatmentTwelve-year-old Lauren Eglite was thrilled to attend a Notre Dame football game with her father, Erik, in 2017, even though her acute peanut allergy demands constant vigilance. She was even more excited when the stadium’s brand-new video board aired an NBC Fighting…
- Notre Dame student uses ‘American Ninja Warrior’ spotlight to fight world hunger via his nonprofitOn July 14 (Monday), a University of Notre Dame business student will compete in the semifinal round of NBC’s “American Ninja Warrior” to advocate for an end to world hunger, an ambition he works toward by making knotted dog toys and collecting donations to his nonprofit.
- In sub-Saharan Africa, 1 in 6 cancer medications found to be defectiveSerious quality defects were found in a significant number of cancer medications from sub-Saharan Africa, according to new research from the University of Notre Dame.
- Alumni Association awards 2025 Lennon Life PrizesThe Notre Dame Alumni Association recognized nine alumni clubs as recipients of the Lennon Life Prize — part of the Chuck and Joan Lennon Gospel of Life Initiative, a set of programs focused on encouraging the University’s dedicated network of clubs to uphold the value of life at all stages.
- Prioritizing prenatal care may decrease low birth weight outcomes in The Gambia, Notre Dame research findsA new study co-authored by University of Notre Dame researchers highlights the importance of prenatal care for improving the health of mothers and newborns, providing evidence that can inform policy.
- Navigating the waters of peace: Researchers address challenges, opportunities in implementation of Colombia's Peace AgreementNearly half of the commitments outlined in Colombia's historic peace accord face significant challenges and may not happen in time unless policymakers make several key interventions, warns a new report from Notre Dame's Peace Accords Matrix. The report offers a blueprint to salvage an accord that has lagged behind its implementation deadlines, putting its legacy at risk. It highlights timely fixes that can strengthen the agreement.