Date: September 25, 2023
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM (PST)
Our Church joins media, educators, politicians, and adults everywhere reflecting on the impacts of the climate crisis, Covid, social media, and socio-economic disparities on our young people. Among academics and youth ministers, we consider the growing anxiety and depression among our students. Simultaneously, we commend their sensitivity to one another, their concerns for our fragile world, their frustration with inattentive adults, and their unique expressions of faith. This session asks our young people to speak with each other and to ask their elders and peers how our Church might understand God’s grace in troubled times that call for radical inclusion. This session continues the Synod on Synodality’s charge to deep listening among all the people of God.
Recording of Event:
Angelo Neri Alfonso is a Computer Science student at Seattle University who serves as the Student Campus Minister for Liturgical Music. With a deep love for music and a commitment to fostering spiritual growth, Angelo is vital in enhancing the campus liturgical experience at the Chapel of St. Ignatius.
Carolina Curran, class of 2024 St. Mary’s Academy in Portland, actively participates in St. Mary's community life, including, ambassadors, Women of Color in Action, Lead like a Girl, and summer camp counseling for middle school students. With commitments to environmental and social justice, Carolina builds bridges among her classmates and her parish through her quiet and warm leadership. Her classmates proclaim her to be the ideal member of project and presentation groups. As a person born in Guatemala emigrated to the US through adoption, she has particular interests in justice for internally and externally displaced people.
Fiona Mullen, class of 2024 at Holy Names Academy in Seattle, participates in the St. James Cathedral parish volunteering in a program called “faith friends.” The program partners neurodivergent 2nd graders and middle schoolers with high school volunteers. Fiona has a deep faith, a heart for justice, and a listening ear in addition to being a critical thinker.
Kate Tyschper Seddon is a senior Social Work and Criminology double major at the University of Portland, where she is also a student researcher for the CHIRP Lab. Outside of class and research, she works as a Sexual Assault Advocate and SafeChoice Advocate for YWCA Clark County. Through it all, Kate always has the best companion at her side, her service dog, Jeter.
Anasofia Gutierrez graduated from Gonzaga in 2022 with a Bachelor’s degree of Arts in Psychology and minors in both Women’s & Gender studies and Religious studies. After undergrad, she moved back to Seattle to spend a year working as a volunteer teacher at Jesuit high school Seattle Prep. In her year of service, she worked in the Community Ministry office, DEI programming, Student Leadership Training, Service-Learning program and other aspects of student life. This August she’s moved to DC to work at Salesian high school, Georgetown Visitation, to serve as the new Director of Christian Service.
Maria Fleming commits herself to collaborative program development in school, parish, and non-profit settings. She has a passion for egalitarian and accessible leadership and education models based on the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching. She has worked in education and worship in Catholic communities for nearly three decades with an MDiv from Notre Dame and Master of Education (M.Ed.) focused in culturally responsive curriculum and instruction. Her favorite courses to facilitate are Ethics and Hebrew Scripture.
Michael R. Prendergast has nearly 50 years’ experience as a musician and liturgist at the parish, cathedral, and diocesan levels. Michael is an adjunct instructor in the Departments of Theology and Music at the University of Portland. In his semi-retirement Michael still serves as an accompanist and cantor at St. Andrew and All Saints Catholic Churches in Portland. He is the founder of Sacred Liturgy Ministries, a liturgical consulting firm. He holds a master’s in theological studies from Mount Angel Seminary, St. Benedict, Oregon, and a master's in liturgical studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. To learn more about Michael visit www.sacredliturgyministries.org.
University of Portland
5000 N. Willamette Blvd.,
Portland, Oregon 97203-5798
503.943.8000
