Sunday at the Abbey
SCHEDULE FOR FALL 2008
7 December - Fr. Cyprian Weaver OSB
"The Hope and Promise of Adult Stem Cell Research"
Father Cyprian is the Director and Head of the Histopathology Core Laboratory Facility at the University of Minnesota Medical School. Fr. Cyprian continues his research in diabetes, making great progress using mature stem cells to foster pancreatic regeneration.
Chapter House and Pavilion
In February 2007, Saint John's Abbey began a series of presentations on monastic culture, spirituality, and history to inaugurate the newly renovated Chapter House and the newly constructed Guesthouse and Pavilion.
The presentations take place in the Petters Pavilion at 7 p.m. and are usually on the second Sunday of the month. There will be eight lectures a year, from January to April and from September to December. They will be given by monks of the abbey and by invited speakers.
The presentations run approximately 45 minutes in length, with a break for light refreshments, followed by 10 to 15 minutes for questions and comments. Although most of the presentations are in lecture format (making use of PowerPoint or other visual aids when possible), a variety of formats and media is envisaged.
Preview for Sundays at the Abbey 2009
25 January - Fr. Timothy Backous OSB - "Self-deception in Flannery O'Connor"
Father Timothy is the President of Saint John's Preparatory School. He has been a monk of Saint John's Abbey
since 1979. He studied under Rev. Bernard Häring CSsR and Nella Filippi who directed his STD thesis on Flannery O'Connor at the Alphonsianum in 1989. Prof. Filippi used literature as the springboard for moral reflection and analysis. In his presentation, Fr. Tim will use the writings of Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) to discuss and explore the problem of self-deception which, O'Connor claims, is the Achilles' heel of any human being when he or she confronts the reality of God.
15 February - The Rev. Dr. Michael Wyatt - "from pain to hope"
The Rev. Dr. Michael Wyatt is the priest at St. John's Episcopal Church in Saint Cloud. He has worked with the topic of 12-Step Spirituality for over two decades, writing his dissertation at Emory on the theological
validity for the claims about God made in the texts of Alcoholics Anonymous. In this talk, he will consider
how powerlessness is experienced on physical, psychological, and spiritual levels and the "way
through" offered by 12-Step programs.
15 March - Dr. David Kieft - "Dom Virgil Michel OSB (1890-1938): Educator"
Dr. David Kieft is an Oblate of Saint John's Abbey. He was visiting associate professor of history at Saint John's University in 1974 and 1975. He is associate professor emeritus of history at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kieft is a member of Annunciation Parish, St. Paul, home parish of Dom Virgil Michel, his parents, and his 14 siblings.
19 April - Sister Carol Berg OSB - "Crossing Cultural Boundaries: Benedictines at White Earth and Red Lake"
Sister Carol earned a masters degree in Asian Studies from the University of Arizona in 1969. In 1981 the University of Minnesota awarded Sister Carol the doctorate in U.S. History. Dr. Berg taught at the College of Saint Benedict from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1981 to 2006, when she retired in May. Currently S. Carol works in the monastery's Development and Communications Office, where she edits the newsletter and helps with donor activities.
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