"Becoming Love" Reflection Workshop

MILWAUKEE - April 27, 2017 - PRLog -- Through time immemorial, great thinkers have attempted to explain people's relationship to the vast universe and the metaphysical place where God resides. When two modern-day priests dared an explanation for God's presence in the physical universe, they experienced very different receptions. The Roman Catholic theologian struggled to persuade the Vatican to allow his ideas to be circulated, while his Anglican counterpart enjoyed more freedom of expression. Their stories make for thought-provoking study.

On Saturday, May 20, from 9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m., the School Sisters of St. Francis will present "Becoming Love" (The Life and Works of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, and John Polkinghorne, KBE, FRS). The workshop will take place on the sisters' campus, St. Joseph Center, 1501 S. Layton Blvd. (27^th St. and Greenfield Ave.), Milwaukee.

The French Jesuit priest and scientist, Teilhard de Chardin, is considered a powerful figure in blending  spirituality and science into a personal vision. Drawing from his firsthand experience as a paleontologist and geologist, he wrote on evolution  and the unfolding of the cosmos. Hailed as a "visionary," "truth-sayer," and "prophet," Teilhard de Chardin is often quoted for his axioms on relationships and the spirituality of conscious evolution. Remarkably, this Roman Catholic priest is honored with a feast day on the liturgical calendar of the Episcopal Church.

Anglican priest and particle physicist John Polkinghorne believed that science and religion aim at the same goal—to get at the "motivated belief" about the way things really are. Involved in the discovery of the quark, a fundamental constituent of matter, he gave up his scientific career for religious life.  He wrote numerous books on the relationship between science and religion, and founded the Society for Ordained Scientists and the International Society for Science and Religion.

Workshop presenter Sister Jane Elyse Russell, OSF, Ph.D., says, "I will explore some of the ideas Polkinghorne develops, especially how the world developed through a combination of 'chance and necessity,' and what that reveals about the Creator God and the problem of evil."

Sister Jane Elyse is associate professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina. She teaches scripture, theology of the Church, and theology and natural science. She has a Ph.D. in historical-systematic theology from the University of Notre Dame, an M.A. in theology from the University of San Francisco, and a B.A. in mathematics from Alverno College. She has been studying the relationship between science and theology, especially as it relates to the long-term flourishing of the Earth community.

Presenting with her will be Sister Mary Carroll, D. Min., lecturer of systematic studies and associate director of pastoral formation at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners. Having recently presented two successfully attended workshops for the School Sisters of St. Francis on the four female Doctors of the Church and on the life and works of Thomas Merton and Abraham Heschel, Sister Mary returns to St. Joseph Center to focus on Teilhard de Chardin.

Well-practiced at approaching the material in a way appropriate for an audience of seminarians as well as for regular folks in the pews, she is the author of numerous articles on spirituality. Sister Mary was also former vocation director and novice minister for the U.S. Province of the School Sisters, and former vice president of the international congregation of her religious community.

Anyone who loves to learn and would appreciate this "backstage pass" to the lives and works of two great thinkers should order their $15 tickets now. Checks may be written to:  School Sisters of St. Francis, c/o Donna O'Loughlin; 1501 South Layton Blvd. (27^th St. at Greenfield Ave.); Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53215. Contact:  414-385-5272 or doloughlin@sssf.org. Convenient free parking is located at 29^th St. and Orchard Ave. in the sisters' convenient St. Joseph Center lot.

About the School Sisters of St. Francis

The School Sisters of St. Francis are an international community of Catholic sisters who unite with others to build a just and peaceful world. Founded in 1874, they now have sisters, associates, staff, donors and volunteers actively working to address the needs of those who are poor and marginalized by society. Their mission is thriving throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, India, and Africa. In the United States, the sisters live and minister in 15 states, addressing needs in education, holistic wellness and healing, pastoral ministry, spiritual growth, social justice, and the arts. For more information about the School Sisters of St. Francis, please visit www.sssf.org.