Date: October 9th, 2023
Time: 6:00-7:30 PM (PST)
Session recording:
Sister Donna Ciango is a Dominican Sister of Caldwell, New Jersey, a graduate of Caldwell University and New York University, and holds a doctorate from Drew University. She is Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Newark and Director of Church Leadership Consultation. Sr. Donna works internationally and nationally in promoting parish vitality and pastoral direction, congregational and leadership development, faith formation, Small Christian Communities, consulting with parishes and dioceses, and in many other areas. She served as the International Coordinator for Renew and the Director of Pastoral Services of the National Pastoral Life Center and as parish consultant for the Jesuit Conference USA. Sr. Donna has served as the Director of Adult Faith Formation at St. Rose of Lima Church in Short Hills, New Jersey.
Dr. Carmona holds a Bachelors Degree from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service, and an MTS and PhD in moral theology/Christian ethics from the University of Notre Dame. Carmona teaches courses in Catholic theology, theological ethics, spirituality, and Latinx theology. He has presented and published on theological ethics, Catholic Latinx theologies, Catholic social thought, Immigration Ethics, theologies of migration, Catholic Church and migration. Carmona served as president of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the U.S., is a member of the Board of Directors of The Society of Christian Ethics, and as chair of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Advisory Board of the US Province of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He also serves as a volunteer interpreter for Casa Cornelia Law Center and as a member of the Synodal Commission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego.
Dr. SimonMary Asese Aihiokhai was born in Nigeria. He received his undergraduate education in philosophy at the Spiritan School of Philosophy, Nigeria (1997). He began his initial studies in theology at the Spiritan International School of Theology before migrating to the United States to continue it at Saint John Seminary, Camarillo, California, where he earned a graduate degree in theology with a focus in medical ethics (2007). He obtained his Ph.D. in systematic theology from Duquesne University (2013).Dr. Aihiokhai is currently an associate professor of systematic theology at the University of Portland. He is the coordinator of the university’s Theology Thursday Lecture Series. He is the recipient of the University of Portland Outstanding Scholar Award for 2021. He is also a Fellow at the Westar Institute. Dr. Aihiokhai has worked extensively with communities at the margins in Nigeria and in the United States of America. He has held academic positions at Loyola Marymount University; Valparaiso University; and Saint Leo University.
Ramon Luzarraga’s research interests deal with ethics and moral theology, questions surrounding the inculturation of Catholic religious practice in culture, political theology in all its varieties and the inevitable ethical questions which arise from that, as well as Hispanic and Caribbean theology. Luzarraga has presented and published in refereed journals across the country and internationally, most recently in the Newman Studies Journal. He is currently Vice President of the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States, and Board Member and Treasurer of the International Network of Societies of Catholic Theology. And, he has served on the board of the Society of Christian Ethics, the Theological Education Committee of the American Academy of Religion, and served a convener for the College Theology Society, the Catholic Theological Society of America, Catholic Theological Ethics in the World Church, and Caribbean Theology Today.
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
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