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C21 Speaker Series
How can the Church be a more effective institution and restore its credibility among the Faithful? The 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.
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
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. The 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
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.
Revitalizing Our Church During COVID
The first conversation 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
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,
Director of the Program for Global Public Health and Common Good, Boston College
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