Catholic Studies Center Hosts Series on the Bible and the Holy Land
04/08/2022
The “Continuing Catholicism” series of adult catechesis and education offered by the Catholic Studies Center at SLU has seen record numbers of participants this Spring. The mini-course has taken participants on a journey through the Bible and the places in which it unfolded.
This semester’s guest lecturer is Fr. Charles Samson, professor of Biblical Theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and author of Come and See: A Catholic Guide to the Holy Land. In evening sessions over six weeks, Fr. Samson has led participants into deeper contemplation of the mysteries of Christ’s life using biblical texts as well as primary sources from both Roman historians and early Christian witnesses and writers.
Fr. Samson’s lectures are the latest installment of a series that the Catholic Studies Center has hosted almost every semester for the past six years, interrupted only by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous sessions have focused on the work of great Christian figures such as Dante, Flannery O’Connor, Fyodor Dostoevsky, C.S. Lewis, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, and others.
John Heithaus, a longtime volunteer at the Catholic Studies Center and parishioner of Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Florissant, has attended a number of lecture series offered through Continuing Catholicism.
“Over the past four years, the literature of these great authors has invited me to more deeply experience, hunger, and thirst for the rest we will ultimately find in the beatific vision,” Heithaus said. “For a few weeks each year, great minds like Fr. Samson challenge me to look beyond my day-to-day struggles and joys in the faith in order to glimpse the Heavenly Jerusalem that St. Luke encourages us to seek out.”
Over the years, Continuing Catholicism has grown into a unique and vital service to
the local church. The series invites participants to dive deeper into the Catholic
faith, to grow in authentic relationships, and to come to know the person of Jesus
Christ more intimately. The current session alone has drawn more than 80 participants
from all across the St. Louis area including current students, SLU alumni, and members
of the community.
Fr. Matthew Baugh S.J., director of the Catholic Studies Center, sees it as an extension
of Saint Louis University’s mission to care for and educate the whole person. “Catholic
universities have a vital role to play in handing on the rich tradition of the faith,
and SLU does that in a special way for our fulltime students,” he said. “But what
I love about Continuing Catholicism is it makes these riches available to all, regardless
of their stage of life.”
Angie and Dale Doerr, long-time friends of the Catholic Studies Center, have been attending Continuing Catholicism since the very first time it was offered.
“The Continuing Catholicism series at SLU has provided my husband and me with much faith enrichment and a warm community of like-minded adults,” she said. “We look forward to the new ones each semester.”
Carina Swonger, a freshman from New Orleans majoring in Theology and Catholic Studies said she too is moved by the deep sense of community and faith present in the program.
“It is beautiful and powerful to see that the unique formation, scholarship, and community the Center provides extends to everyone, from incoming freshmen to retired community members,” Swonger said. “I know that no matter how far I go or how old I am, I will always have a home at Saint Louis University and at the Catholic Studies Center."
This article was submitted by Madeline Hammell.
