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We will read Dubliners in which readers will find no plainer English, humanity, humor or genius as Joyce sets out to paint a vivid picture of Dublin. The course concludes with a viewing and discussion of John Huston’s “The Dead,” the last story in Dubliners and possibly the finest story in the English language.

Students can purchase a copy of Dubliners from booksellers or online.

Instructor: Edward Kent, O.S.F., M.A.
Mondays, Oct. 16 – November 20
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

Classroom 1B:

Fee: $80.00

CATHOLICISM 101: THE LITURGICAL YEAR

This seven-week course is designed to give participants an introduction to the Church’s liturgical year. We will study the Church’s calendar of feasts and celebrations. Using the axiom: “We celebrate what we believe” we will study the structure, history and meaning of the most important celebrations and seasons on the Catholic calendar. We will study how the fundamental beliefs of our faith are all contained in our church calendar and what priority each is given.

Textbook:  The Liturgical Year:  It’s History and Meaning after the Reform of the Liturgy by Adolf Adam (The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN:  1990).
available here:  The Liturgical Year: Its History and Its Meaning After the Reform of the Liturgy: Adolf Adam; 

Instructor: Joseph Nuzzi, M.A.
Wednesdays, October 11 – November 29, 2023 (no class Nov. 22)
12:30 PM – 1:30 PM, Clare Room (in person)
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM, Clare Room (in person and on ZOOM)

Fee: $70.00

Dante and the Soul’s Journey: An Introduction to the Divine Comedy

Written in the 14th century, but relevant to this day, Dante’s Divine Comedy is both a story of one pilgrim’s journey through the afterlife and his encounters with sinners and saints alike, and an allegory for the soul’s journey towards God. The Inferno establishes the recognition and rejection of sin, Purgatorio presents an earthly realm with descriptions of penitent life, and Paradiso is the linguistic jewel that depicts the soul’s ascent. In this introduction, we’ll discuss the historical and spiritual context of Dante, review some of the important cantos, and explore the popular afterlife of this text in art, film, and games.

A free version of the Divine Commedy can be found here: https://digitaldante.columbia.edu/

Instructor: Lisa Tagliaferri, Ph.D.
Tuesdays, October 10 – November 28th
6:30 PM – 7:30 PM in the Francis Room

Fee:  $80.00

Thomas Merton: A Spiritual Guide for the 21st Century

Thomas Merton is one of the giants in the history of Christian spirituality. He was a genius who thought deeply and who wrote in a profound way. He is modern day St. Augustine, who shares his ongoing conversion that opened new doors for contemplation, social justice, and inter-religious dialogue. The goal of this course will be for us to get to know Merton more deeply as a model for our own spiritual journey.

Instructor: Fr. Anthony Ciorra, Ph.D.
Mondays, October 2 – 30, 2023
6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Francis Room

Fee: $50.00