By James Powell and Mykan Zlipko
The Irene and Doug Schmeiser Centre for Faith, Reason, Peace, and Justice, in partnership with St. Thomas More College, was proud to host the Prairie Symposium for the Common Good from April 29 – May 1, in association with the Jesuit Centre for Catholic Studies at Campion College at the University of Regina, and the Jesuit Centre for Catholic Studies at St. Paul’s College at the University of Manitoba. The symposium’s theme was “Incarnating the Common Good: Catholic Institutions Engaging Diversities.” The goal of the event was to explore the opportunities and tensions that emerge when Catholic institutions actively engage with a pluralistic world.
Introductory remarks from Gordon Wyatt, the then Minister of Advanced Education, and Bishop Mark Hagemoen began the start of the symposium. Introduced by Gertrude Rompré, Dr. Meghan Clark of St. John’s University (New York) commenced the symposium with the keynote address titled, “Everyone is Needed: Building the Common Good through Dialogue and Friendship.” Sponsored by the Leslie and Irene Dubé Chair in Catholic Studies, her presentation unpacked the history and theory behind the concept of solidarity, with a particular focus on Pope Francis’s understanding of the term. She stressed that friendship is the foundation upon which solidarity is built, and that solidarity is necessary to address local and global injustices.
For the first day of panel presentations, the symposium shifted to Wanuskewin. Many participants valued the day at Wanuskewin, as it not only gave them the opportunity to explore the land and the museum but also because it helped illustrate the need for discussions about Catholic identity outside Catholic institutions. The day began with a prayer led by Harry Lafond and Celeste Woloschuk. The panels featured presidents and scholars from Catholic colleges from across Canada, as well as St. Thomas More faculty and staff, including, Gertrude Rompré, Cynthia Wallace, Fachrizal Halim, Sarah Powrie, and James Powell.
The symposium then returned to St. Thomas More College for the Ayotte Lecture on Faith and the Environment delivered by Dr. Dawn M. Nothwehr, OSF, of the Catholic Theological Union (Chicago). Her presentation, titled “Sharing the Creator’s Earth: The Meeting of St. Francis of Assisi and Sultan, Al-Malik al-Kāmil as a Model of Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples,” revealed the history of the colonization of Indigenous Peoples in southern Minnesota, where her motherhouse is located. She then proposed the encounter and mutual respect between St. Francis and Sultan al-Kāmil as a frame for how Catholics today can foster a desire for reconciliation and friendship with Indigenous Peoples. Dr. Nothwehr closed her presentation by sharing how her order continues St. Francis’s example by practicing reconciliation in her community.
The final day of the symposium took place at St. Thomas More College. It also included presentations from many St. Thomas More faculty, including, John Liptay, David McGrane, Chris Hrynkow, and Josh Wallace. All in all, the Prairie Symposium for the Common Good provided a space for dialogue about how Catholic institutions can and should encounter diversities.