Catholic Theological
Society of America

Congratulations to CTSA member Natalia Imperatori-Lee on receiving the Virgilio Elizondo Award for Outstanding Achievement in Theology!  This award is ACHTUS's highest honor and was conferred at ACHTUS's annual meeting at Santa Clara University.

The Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States confers two awards to recognize individuals and institutions that advance the mission of the Academy. The Virgilio Elizondo Award is awarded to an individual "for distinguished achievement in theology, in keeping with the mission of the Academy." The ACHTUS Award is awarded to an institution or organization "for institutional contributions to theology in keeping with the mission of the Academy." Accessed 7/17/26 at https://achtus.us/page/awards.

The Xavier Centre for Theological Formation at Australian Catholic University are offering (1) full-time HDR scholarship for research into theological formation in and for a synodal Church.

Theological Formation for Ministry in a Synodal Church

CTSA member Maeve Heaney invites anyone interested in this type of work to consider to apply.  The The deadline is Monday 14 September 2026, 11:59 pm AEST. 

If interested and you have questions about the scholarship or program, Maeve Heaney is happy to connect with you.

The CTSA remembers and prays for longstanding member John T. Pawlikowski, OSM who died on Saturday, June 26th.  

Photo from the Catholic Theological Union faculty website page

Eternal rest grant unto John, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon him.
May John’s soul and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

2014 Recipient of the CTSA’s John Courtney Murray Award for Theology At the CTSA's annual convention, the Society honors one of its members for a lifetime of distinguished theological achievement through the conferral of the John Courtney Murray Award, named for one of its early Board members who was a major theologian in the American Catholic Church.  Nominations can be made by CTSA members each fall for the award to be given at the next convention.
 

John T. Pawlikowski, OSM, Biography and Achievements, Catholic Theological Union faculty website page.

Wecker, Menachem, “Fr. John Pawlikowski, ‘giant’ of Christian-Jewish relations who taught Pope Leo XIV, dies at 86,”  Cleveland Jewish News, June 28, 2026.

Contributions to the CTSA Proceedings:

• Christology in Light of the Jewish-Christian Dialogue: The Revolution in Christian-Jewish Understanding (1994): 120-34).
  
  
• Moderator, Dominus Iesus: A Panel Discussion, Moderator’s Remarks, CTSA Proceedings 56 (2001): 97-116.
  
  
• Convener, Christianity & Judaism/Interreligious Studies: Is there salvation outside the Church? An Interreligious Conversation, CTSA Proceedings 63 (2008), 175-176.
  
  
• Christianity and Judaism Consultation, CTSA Proceedings 71 (2016): 122-123.
  
  

Mass of Christian Burial Friday, July 10th at 10 a.m. (CST)
Presider: CTSA Member Joe Cheah

The Funeral Mass will be livestreamed and recorded for those who are unable to attend in person. The YouTube link is:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU_UvoZzWmc

Donations in memory of a deceased member are gratefully received. 

The Life,  Thought, and Holiness of Fulton J. Sheet:
Proclaiming Christ and the Wisdom of the Cross

October 23 - 25, 2026

CFP submission deadline: July 15th

See St. Bernard's CFPs

We invite papers that will explore the life, thought, and holiness of Fulton J. Sheen from various perspectives. Specific topics might include: Fulton J. Sheen’s sanctity and lived witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ Fulton J. Sheen’s spirituality and spiritual writings Fulton J. Sheen’s role in evangelization and catechesis Fulton J. Sheen and the Second Vatican Council

Presentations will be interdisciplinary in nature, ranging from theology to history, from spirituality to philosophy, and from biographical episodes to the current reception of his legacy.   Please submit a 300-word title and abstract by July 15th, 2026

Todd Walatka, Words of Life: The Preaching of Saint Oscar Romero

https://orbisbooks.com/products/words-of-life-the-preaching-of-st-oscar-romero

James Robinson, Beyond Factory Farming: A Contemplative-Prophetic Approach to Food

https://orbisbooks.com/products/beyond-factory-farming-a-contemplative-prophetic-approach-to-food

Phyllis Zagano, The Vatican and Women Deacons

https://orbisbooks.com/products/the-vatican-and-women-deacons

Stephanie C. Edwards, ed., Witnessing the Wounds: Catholic Theology, Trauma, and Social Healing

https://orbisbooks.com/products/witnessing-the-wounds

Nathaniel Holmes, Ramon Luzarraga, Nancy M. Rourke, eds., The Locus of  the Theological Vocation 

https://orbisbooks.com/products/the-locus-of-the-theological-vocation

Joseph Flipper’s book The Black Catholic Movement: An Unfinished Fight for Self-Determination in the Church (New York University Press, 2026) will be available in early October.  https://nyupress.org/9781479841363/the-black-catholic-movement/

The Black Catholic Movement reconstructs the history of Black Catholic efforts to maintain distinct Black Catholic communities and to preserve their spiritual, liturgical, and theological heritage from the time of the Civil War until the 1990s. Inspired by the Black Power Movement and the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the Black Catholic Movement of the 1960s–1990s sought to establish new ecclesiastical structures that would give them ownership over their church. When American Catholicism proved inflexible to their demands, the break-away Afrocentric Church, Imani Temple, drew thousands of Black Catholics away from Roman Catholicism. Ultimately, the book makes the case for the urgency of Black Catholic self-determination and self-governance. 

It is now available for pre-order. Use the promo code PRIDE40 for 40% off all NYU Press titles through June.

New and familiar faces--and emerging voices
--in American Catholic theology
by James T. Keane, AmericaMagazine.com  ( June 16, 2026)

Highlights the CTSA convention and awards.

Access the piece here.

Link to the CTSA Board of Director's Statement on Study Group 9. Posted June 11, 2026. (pdf of statement)

CTSA Vice President Kevin F. Burke, S.J., will join the University of San Francisco (USF) as the university’s first vice president for mission and Ignatian imagination, effective Aug. 1.  Congratulations Kevin!

Read USF's announcement linked here:

https://myusf.usfca.edu/announcement/new-vp-mission-ignatian-imagination

Dear colleagues, I wanted to share a short essay I just published in the Newman Review, recalling with appreciation the doctoral seminar on Newman taught by Professor Cunningham at Notre Dame that had a significant impact on my studies, and more broadly, my vocation as a theologian. Grateful for all those mentors in the CTSA who have guided and continue to inspire me along the way. Looking forward to seeing many of you soon at the conference.

Chris