A Busy Week

It seems that as the end draws near time is flying faster than ever. We have had a busy two weeks with participation in the Sedes Sapentiae program here at the American College. It is designed as a two week rather intensive series of talks and experiences designed as a way of updating oneself in various contemporary themes in theology. The speakers, from the Catholic University of Leuven, have been excellent. This semester they are all professors that we did not have an opportunity to take class from. They are considered some of the best theologians in the faculty so it has been really interesting to hear what they have to say. Last week we heard presentations by Jack Dick, an American who also works at the College on the religious reality of Beligum as well as some thoughts on the political background of what we are hearing in the news. Then Martin Stone presented an overview of the history of the University and some of the contributions made by the theologians who taught here. Then Professor Bieringer presented insights into the Gospel of John. This week we have heard from Dr. Lieven Boeve on his theology of interruption and today from Fr. Burggraeve on his work on an "ethics of growth." Tomorrow we will hear from Terrence Maddigan on contemporary insights into the Trinity.



In addition, we have had the opportunity to take a couple of trips. I will divide these posts up, doing one today and one tomorrow to keep them at a reasonable length. These pictures are of the group who went to Maastricht in the Netherlands last Saturday. Maastricht is in a little appendage of the Netherlands that sticks into Belgium. It is more Belgian than Dutch in feeling. We had a great, but short, visit. Here are three of the sabbatical students (Frs. Kelly Kam, Michael Molnar and Bernie Nolan) and Fr. Neil Ritchie (a graduate student at the College).


Here are Sr. Breda Rice and Fr. Steele Hartmann.



Fr. Barry and Fr. Edward are here for the Sedes program. And I wonder who the other one would be?



One of the sights of Maastricht was the main square with this statue of Jan Pieter Minckelers who invented the gas light. In his hand he holds a tube which has a gas flame coming from it. It was unique.

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