C21 Speaker Series

Revitalizing


How can the Church be a more effective institution and restore its credibility among the Faithful?ÌýThe conversations will examine this question in depth.

Panelists from diverse areas of expertise have been invited to offer their ideas for how the Church can move forward in the hope of Easter.Ìý

Ideas from Catholic Leaders

The first Easter Series conversation focused on uncovering ideas from the Catholic press on the revitalization of the Church. Panelists offered insights and analysis from their experience as editors of leading Catholic publications and multimedia platforms.

Moderator

Jack Dunn
Associate Vice President
Office of University Communications, Boston College

Panelist

John Allen
Editor
Crux

Panelist

Matt Malone, S.J.
President and Editor in Chief
America Media

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The second panel in the Easter series explored ideas from presidents of Catholic colleges and universities about the Church’s tasks of reform and renewal. ÌýThe panelists shared insights from their experience leading and governing Catholic institutions of higher education.

Moderator

Karen Kiefer
Director
The C21 Center, Boston College

Panelist

William P. Leahy, S.J.
President
Boston College

Panelist

Joseph McShane, S.J.
President
Fordham University

Panelist

Sister Janet Eisner, SNDDEN
President
Emmanuel College

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The third Easter Series conversation (Professors in the Pews) focused on encountering ideas from lay Catholics, who are also Professors here at Boston College, on the revitalization of the Church.

Moderator

Karen Kiefer
Director
The C21 Center, Boston College

Panelist

Hosffman Ospino
Associate Professor of Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education
School of Theology and Ministry, Boston College

Panelist

Kristin Heyer
Professor of Theological Ethics
Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences, Boston College

Panelist

Michael Pratt
O’Connor Family Professor and Director, Ph.D. in Organization Studies
Carroll School of Management, Boston College

The final panel in the Easter Series engaged the ideas of prominent business men and women who have extensive experience in leadership, management, and governance. The conversation centered around what can be done to restore trust in the institutional Church among the faithful and how the Church can effectively move forward.

Moderator

Jack Connors, BC ’63
Founding Partner
Hill Holiday Advertising Agency

Panelist

Denise Morrison, BC ’75
Former President and Chief Executive Officer
Campbell Soup Company

Panelist

Chuck Clough, BC ’64
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
Clough Capital Partners L.P.

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Revitalizing Our Church During COVID

The firstÌýconversation in the series featured panelists who are leaders in the Catholic Church. The invited guests offered their specific insights to best practices and recommendations during the health crisis, and which challenges have been most formidable.

Moderator

Patrick Goncalves
Assistant Director
The C21 Center, Boston College

Panelist

Dr. Ximena DeBroeck
Faculty & Director of Pastoral Formation
Mount St. Mary's Seminary

Panelist

Fr. Peter Grover
Priest & Director
St. Clement Eucharistic Shrine

Panelist

Sr. Elaine Poitras
Executive Director
The Innovative Catholic Schools Network

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The second conversation in the series addressed how disparities have become painfully apparent in the COVID-19 pandemic for low-income communities.

Moderator

Ximena Soto
Assistant Director
BC Social Work, Boston College

Panelist

Fr. Octavio Cortez
Pastor
St. Anthony's of Padua Parish

Panelist

Fr. Paul B. O'Brien
Pastor
Saint Patrick Parish

Panelist

Philip Landrigan, MD, MSc,Ìý
Director of the Program for Global Public Health and Common Good, Boston College

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The third conversation in the series offered insights to how parishioners imagined a post-COVID Church.

Moderator

Karen Kiefer
Director
The C21 Center, Boston College

Panelist

Melodie Wyttenbach
Executive Director
Roche Center for Catholic Education, Boston College

Panelist

Adrián Alberto Herrera
Associate Director
Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston

Panelist

Rose Mary DonahueAlberto Herrera
Assistant to the President
President's Office, Boston College

Panelist

Taiga Guterres
Assistant Director
Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, Boston College