Mission Statement
The Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College seeks to be a catalyst and resource for the renewal of the Catholic Church in the United States by engaging critical issues facing the Catholic community. Drawing from both the Boston College community and others, its activities currently are focused on four challenges: handing on and sharing the Catholic faith, especially with younger Catholics; fostering relationships built on mutual trust and support among lay men and women, vowed religious, deacons, priests, and bishops; developing an approach to sexuality mindful of human experience and reflective of Catholic tradition; and advancing contemporary reflection on the Catholic intellectual tradition.
The Center At A Glance
History
The Church in the 21st Century Center was originally conceived as a two-year initiative in September 2002, to explore the problematic issues highlighted by the sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. Boston College offered symposia, lectures, conferences, published papers, and other resources to assist the Church to negotiate the movement from crisis to renewal. In 2004, the University established The Church in the 21st Century Center as a permanent commitment to explore the neuralgic issues facing the Catholic Church today.
Focal issues
The Church in the 21st Century Center now focuses on four major areas:
- Handing on the faith to the next generation
- Roles of lay men and women, vowed religious, deacons, priests, and bishops
- Relationships and sexuality in light of Catholic tradition
- The Catholic Intellectual Tradition
Center activities
Activities include conferences, public lectures, publications, video and audio streaming resources, reading lists, and programs for Boston College students, staff, faculty, alumni and the general public. Many are available via audio or video download.
Organization
The Center organization includes an Advisory Committee composed of faculty, staff, students, and alumni; a Steering Committee drawn from the Advisory Committee; and selected subcommittees focusing on specific issues or activities.
About Boston College
Boston College is a highly selective, Jesuit, Catholic university enrolling 14,500 students in the arts and sciences, management, nursing, education, law, and social work. Founded in 1863, the University ranks among the nation's elite and is located on a 156-acre campus, six miles from the center of Boston. Read more about Boston College.
