With spring more or less undeniably having arrived, we're coming up on one of my favorite weekends of the year. This year, the Portsmouth Institute's annual conference is June 7-9, and the topic is "Catholicism and the American Experience," which is certainly timely, given that American bishops are actually beginning to near the short-list for Pope, with Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley's having just been appointed to a Vatican advisory board.
Had he won, I could actually have claimed to have met the Pope. O'Malley was the bishop in Fall River when I converted to Catholicism in that city. As it happens, another bishop of my acquaintance is speaking at this year's conference: Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin is on the speaker's list.
Other speakers of whom readers of a conservative Web site should take note are George Weigel and Roger Kimball. Although I'm not as familiar with his work, I suspect Peter Steinfels will offer somewhat of a different perspective, as a former editor of Commonweal and religion correspondent for the New York Times. And of course, the musical performances and excellent meals propel the entire experience to otherworldliness.
Long-time readers of Anchor Rising will have seen my reports from previous years' conferences, but for a reminder or a sampling of what the conferences are like, take a look at our archives:
It's amazing to think that this will be the fifth of these conferences. It's even more amazing to think of all that's happened in the world since they began. I recommend attending for a number of reasons, but perhaps the most profound is the much-needed perspective that the intellectual content and spiritual experience lends to the seemingly rapid and perilous pace of modern life.
[Absurdly off-topic political propaganda deleted --- JK.]
Posted by: Sammy in Arizona at April 15, 2013 9:48 PM"Catholicism and the American Experience,"
Quite an extensive, broad-reaching topic.
To mention just one, and a shallow one at that: all of the beautiful churches built by (usually) immigrant, Catholic congregations.
Posted by: Monique at April 16, 2013 10:40 AMMonique,
A "fun fact to know and tell", the Episcopal Cathedral in Washington has a gargoyle of Darth Vader. I believe the cathedral is scheduled for completion in the the next 5-6 years.
Thank you for removing Sammy's spam drivel. Hopefully the first of many deletions until he gets the picture.
Posted by: Dan at April 16, 2013 3:13 PM