St. Mary's Spiritual Center
St. Mary's Spiritual Center Home  
Our History  
Historic Seminary Chapel  
Mother Seton House  
Visitor Center  
Spiritual Center  
Upcoming Events  
Tours and Visitation  
Nearby Attractions  
Contact Us  
Capital Campaign  
Other Links  
Site Map  

 


Upcoming Events

Summer and Fall 2010

Save the dates!

St. Mary's Spiritual Center & Historic Site will sponsor the following events:

• Saturday, Oct. 9, 2010
Public Lecture at 1:00 p.m. followed by a reception.
Both the lecture and reception are free and open to the public.

Father Michael McGivney—His Paca Street Years
By Father Rob Carbonneau, CP, Ph.D.

Father Michael McGivney (1852-1890)
St. Mary’s Class of 1877
Founder of the Knights of Columbus (1882)

Father McGivney established the Knights of Columbus
as a fraternal insurance society for his parish in 1882. Promoting a unique blend of faith and fraternalism, the
Knights are distinguished by their deep loyalties to Catholicism and the American experience. Today, the Knights have a membership of over 1.7 million and support numerous charitable activities.

For more information, see the article Father Michael McGivney and the French Connection.

Father Rob Carbonneau received his Ph.D. in American and East Asian history from Georgetown University. He is a member of the Executive Council of the American Catholic Historical Association, and is the current historian and director of the Passionist Historical Archives in Union City, New Jersey. Much of his research and publication is focused on Passionist history.  His special area of study is 20th-century American Catholic missionaries in Hunan, China, and their relationship with the Chinese government, the U.S. State Department, and the Vatican.

Father Carbonneau
Fr. Rob Carbonneau, CP

Father Michael McGivney
Fr. Michael McGivney


• Saturday, Nov. 6, 2010
Public lecture and art exhibit at 2:00 p.m. followed by a reception. Events are free and open to the public.

Mary in the French School of Spirituality
By Father David D. Thayer, SS, Ph.D.

Mary and Christ ChildThe French School of Spirituality
The 17th century was the period of transition between the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. It witnessed the rise of the great European power, the beginning of modern science and the myriad inventions that changed age-old ways of life.

Seventeenth-century France saw the application of the new spirit of exploration and analysis to matters of the soul. Pierre de Berulle, John Eudes, Jean-Jacques Olier (Founder of the Society of St. Sulpice) and Mother Madeleine de Saint-Joseph left an indelible mark on the history of Christian Spirituality in the West. Much of our current understanding of “spirituality” has its beginnings with these authors. —Dr. William Thompson

Father David Thayer
Fr. David Thayer, SS


Fr. Peter Wm. Gray, SS

Father David Thayer, S.S., Ph.D., is currently on the formation staff at Theological College of The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He holds a doctorate in Philosophy from Pennsylvania State University. Father.Thayer is also a member of General Administration of the Society of St. Sulpice and is editor of the Bulletin de Saint-Sulpice. He has spoken and published on the French School of Spirituality. Following the lecture is an art exhibit

Father Peter Gray, S.S., Ph.D., Sulpician artist will present his new and original work, "The Presentation of Mary in the Temple," which will be housed in the newly renovated Chapel at Paca Street. The chapel was dedicated to this Marian feast and it is fitting that a new and classcial image of this ancient theological belief be given to this prestigious historical American Catholic site.

† † †

Spring 2011

Events to be announced.