Catholic Theological
Society of America

The CTSA remembers and prays for longstanding member Wendy M. Wright, who died on Monday, May 19.

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

Wendy Wright's theological contributions to the Society include serving as the convener of the following, which are accessible via the CTSA Proceedings.

Convener, Spiritual Habits for the Cultivation of Ecological Virtue, Spirituality Topic Session, CTSA Proceedings 72 (2017).

Convener, Mary in Global and Contemporary Perspective: Mary in Ecumenical and Interfaith Perspective, CTSA Proceedings 67 (2012).

The following information was provided to the CTSA via the Department of Theology and Christian Spirituality Program at Creighton University.

Wendy Mae Wright, 78, of Santa Barbara, California, passed away from cancer on May 19, 2025 at her home while surrounded by her husband and three adult children.  

Wendy was born on March 5, 1947, in Burbank, California, the only child of Walter Wright, a jeweler and peace activist, and Elizabeth “Betty” Wright, a writer and civic volunteer. 

After an early adulthood spent training and performing as an actress and singer, Wendy moved to Santa Barbara in 1974 in a period of personal and theological inquiry to attend the Religious Studies program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. It was there that she met Roger Bergman, of Kansas. They married on June 21, 1977, at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara. 

Wendy and Roger had three children: Emily Frances, born 1977; Elizabeth June, born 1983; and Charles Walter, born 1985.

After obtaining her PhD from UCSB in 1983, Wendy embarked on a notable career as a professor and writer of Christian spirituality. Her areas of expertise included the history of Christian spirituality, particularly the Salesian tradition, Catholic devotional traditions, and the spirituality of family life. She served for almost thirty years as Professor of Theology at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and later as Affiliate Faculty at the Oblate School of Theology’s Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality. She was the author of seventeen books and over sixty academic articles. She also enriched many people’s spiritual lives as a long-time spiritual director and cantor.

Wendy was a devoted mother and grandmother and an avid hiker and lover of nature and the arts. Upon her retirement from full-time teaching, she and Roger moved back to Santa Barbara, where they lived in the beautiful surroundings of the home she had inherited from her parents.

Wendy is survived by her husband Roger; her three children Emily, Elizabeth, and Charles; her six grandchildren Evelyn Elizabeth, Oliver Hastings, Elliot Franklin, Cecilia Lola, Anabel Mae, and Miriam Carmen; her son-in-laws Ryan Shelstad and Clark Baechle, and daughter-in-law Alexi Motta.

Wendy Wright was also an Affiliated Faculty Member at the Institute for the Study of Contemporary Spirituality, Oblate School of Theology.   

A funeral mass will be held on Thursday, May 29 at 10:30am at the Old Mission-Santa Barbara, followed by a reception.

Memorial gifts may be made to:

• Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, which supports the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center: https://cfsb.org/support-local-cancer-care/giving/
• Visitation Monastery of Minneapolis: https://www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org/support-us/” 

 

The Pentecost Vigil Project invites you to join us on May 30-June 7 at 7pm eastern daylight time on zoom to pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  We are inviting Catholic organizations, groups and networks across the US and Canada to join together in friendship and solidarity in response to the call of Pope Leo to courageously face the challenges confronting us at this time in history.  All are welcome! Please visit our website to register: 

www.pentecostvigilproject.org

Sincerely, Margaret Mary Moore

The Distance Learning programmes in Catholic Theology, led by Durham University’s Centre for Catholic Studies (CCS), are designed so that participants can work through material at their own pace, studying equally well in any time zone and in many different life situations, alongside work, ministry, family or caring obligations. 

In addition to the Postgraduate Certificate , the Postgraduate Diploma , and the MA , students can enrol for a single module. Students with a BA or BSc who have not studied Theology or a related discipline before, are able to apply for the single module, ‘Catholic Theology: A Preliminary Tour’ and proceed to the MA following its successful completion. Further details are available at Distance Learning – Durham University including videos from current students.

NEW BURSARY FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR 2025-26 – The Janet Erskine Stuart Scholarship Fund, funded by the Society of the Sacred Heart (RSCJ), intended primarily to support teachers or chaplains. Applications are especially invited from:

• Teachers of RE wishing to pursue an MA to enhance the quality of their subject knowledge.
• Teachers of any discipline who wish to retrain to teach RE.

Other bursary funds are also available. Full information can be found at CCS Bursary for Distance Learning 2025-26 - Durham University

If you have any questions about the Distance Learning programmes or bursaries, please contact the CCS Manager - theresa.phillips@durham.ac.uk +44 (0) 191 334 3952.

The CTSA remembers and prays for longstanding member Ladislas "Les" Orsy, S.J., who died on Thursday, April 3.

Les Orsy was awarded the prestigious John Courtney Murray Award in 1999.  

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

Jesuits USA East, Remembering Jesuit Father Ladislas "Les" Orsy (April 3, 2025) 

INSeCT ~ General Assembly Report
December 8 - 13, 2024
Rome, Italy

Please find here the final report of INSeCT General Assembly.

Linh Hoang, OFM, PhD
President, INSeCT
CTSA Liaison to INSeCT 

On May 8, 2025, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A., 69, was chosen as the 267^th pope.  He chose the name Leo, making him Pope Leo XIV. 

Pope Leo XIV was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois to parents of French, Italian, and Louisiana Creole (African, French, Haitian, and Spanish) descent. He holds a Doctorate and a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas - Angelicum (Rome); a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union (Chicago); and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University (close to Philadelphia).  He speaks Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, and English.  He also reads Latin and German. He was ordained a priest in 1982 at the age of 27 in the Order of Saint Augustine, a religious order with a charism of contemplative prayer, a practical love for all others especially the poor, and an ardent pursuit of truth.  In 1985, at the age of 30, as an Augustinian missionary, he was sent to Peru where he has lived for much of his adult life, serving there early on as a pastor, and as a seminary teacher in Trujillo in the northwestern part of Peru. From 1998 - 2001, he returned to Chicago, serving as Prior Provincial of his religious order.  Then, in 2001, he was elected Prior General of the Augustinians and lived in Rome until 2013.  Pope Francis named him Bishop of Chiclayo, Peru in 2014 where he served until 2023, the year he became a Cardinal.   In 2023 he moved back to Rome when Pope Francis named him President of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, and Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, a position which oversees the selection of new bishops worldwide.

Pope Leo is an American in the most expansive sense; he is a citizen of Peru as well as of the United States.  His significant Latin American background represents a continuity with Pope Francis, an Argentinian.  Pope Leo is known as a bridge-builder, as a good listener, as a pastor first, and, as such, he is perceived to be a pope who will likely favor continuity with the reforms initiated by Pope Francis.  He is said to share Pope Francis’ views on migrants, the poor, and the environment as well as his commitment to synodality, a promising means for addressing divisions in the U.S. Catholic Church.

Pope Leo’s choice of the name “Leo” is telling, signaling his commitment to social justice.  The previous Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) is often recognized as the father of Catholic social justice, largely owing to his groundbreaking 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum.  This encyclical, and others that followed, transformed Catholic teaching by launching what is now known as Catholic Social Teaching.  Rerum Novarum focused on issues of social inequality and social justice, claiming that workers have rights as well as obligations.  It was critical of both capitalism and communism.   

In addition, the choice of “Leo” may also signal a connection to the first Pope Leo, Leo the Great (440-461), whose theological work on the divine and human natures of Jesus Christ helped the Church deepen its understanding of the Incarnation, laying the groundwork for the Council of Chalcedon.  In addition, this Pope Leo was known as a Western leader and peacemaker, convincing Atila the Hun, who had been plundering northern Italy, not to attack Rome in 452.    

By taking the name “Leo,” perhaps our new pope is locating himself within the tradition of these predecessors. 

Long live the Pope Leo XIV!

Nancy Pineda-Madrid

President, Catholic Theological Society of America

Good music is part of what makes our CTSA liturgies so special and we need your help to make it happen!  All members are invited to join the choir for our Saturday evening liturgy in Portland. The more voices the merrier--all are welcome.

Do you play the flute, violin, or cello? Join the ensemble!

Please contact CTSA Liturgical Liaison, Layla Karst, at layla.karst@lmu.edu for more information.

Our Covenant With Earth

The Climate Generation Speaks

STUDENT RESEARCH PAPER & ESSAY CONTESTS

Awardees will receive a cash prize
and the opportunity to publicly present their work

The National Catholic-Muslim Dialogue (NCMD) of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) is thrilled to announce the Covenant with Earth research paper and essay competition that explores the topics and concerns raised in Laudato si: Care of our Common Home (https://www.laudatosi.org/the-letter/encyclical-letter/) and Al-Mizan: Covenant for the Earth (https://www.almizan.earth ). We invite high schoolers, undergraduate students, and graduate students to share your perspective on Catholic and Muslim responses to the ecological crisis and pathways of thought and action toward care for the earth. Essays could include such themes as:

• The Human Legacy of the Ecological Crisis
• Integral Ecology as an Ecological Ethics
• Eco-Justice: A Shared Vision of Muslims and Catholics
• Pathways to Living the Covenant of Earth with Integrity
• Economic and Ecology: Renewed Commitments to the Common Good.
• Ihsan: ‘Doing the Beautiful’
• ‘Care for Our Common Home’
• Living the Covenant
• Lessons Learned from Local Actions
• Best Practices for Communities and Organizations
• Environmental Justice as Intergenerational Justice
• Nurturing an Ecological Culture as Giving Witness to the Goodness of God’s Creation

Research Paper Competition (for Graduate and PhD students)

Eligibility: Students pursuing Master of Arts, Master of Divinity, Ecclesial Degrees (STL, STD), Islamic Ijaza in various fields, Public Health, Public Administration, Business Administration, Political Science, International Studies, Economics, Social Work, or Ph.D students in these and related fields.

Submission Guidelines:

• 2,000 words, Double-Spaced, 12 pt Font
• Microsoft WORD or PDF
• Style: Turabian or Chicago Manual

Prize:

• Cash prize: $750
• Public Presentation: Winner will present their work in a public forum held in Washington, D.C. on September 10, 2025. The National Catholic Muslim Dialogue Group of the Unites Stated Catholic Conference of Bishops and Catholic University of America will host the event.

Essay Competition (for High Schoolers and Undergraduates):

The essay can be non-fiction or fiction (eco-fiction, climate fiction) drawing from the themes suggested or other perspectives raised by the documents Laudato si and Al-Mizan

Eligibility:  High School and Undergraduate College Students (Two separate awards)

Submission Guidelines:

• 450-600 words, Double Spaced, 12 pt. Font
• Microsoft WORD or PDF

Prize:

• Cash prize: $150
• Public Presentation: Winner will present their work in a public forum held in Washington, D.C. on September 10, 2025. The National Catholic Muslim Dialogue Group of the Unites Stated Catholic Conference of Bishops and Catholic University of America will host the event.

All entrees must be original work. All resources used must be properly cited in footnotes or bibliography. Citations are not included in the word count. AI-generated work is not invited to be entered into the contest, and if entered, it will be subject to disqualification

DUE July 18, 2025

Email Entrees to: acirelli@usccb.org
Anthony Cirelli, Ph.D., Associate Director
Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

The Contest is sponsored by The Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs (CEIA) of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB), NCMD Muslim Group, Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Notre Dame, IN.  

Dear colleagues, 

A reminder that the 19th General Meeting of the International Thomas Merton Society (ITMS) is meeting June 19-22 at Regis University in Denver, under the theme, "The Calligraphy of Snow and Rock and Sky: Thomas Merton and the Spirit of Place." Early-bird registration ends May 15. ITMS meetings are marked by a wonderful spirit of fellowship, eclectic offerings (scholarship, poetry, journaling, film, prayer) reflecting Merton's capacious spiritual and theological vision. Please consider joining us!  

Chris Pramuk 

https://merton.org/2025/default.aspx

The CTSA remembers and prays for longstanding member Mary Gerhart, who died on Tuesday, April 22.

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

Mary Gerhart's theological contributions to the Society include the following, which are accessible via the CTSA Proceedings.

M. Gerhart & Allan Melvin Russell. “Metaphoric Process”

“Theology, Science, and Gender: Advances in Feminist Consciousness”

“The Ironic Mode of Religious Imagination in Heinrich Boll”

Mary Jane Gerhart Obituary