The Church's Mission in a Polarized World (Deacons and Lay Ecclesial Ministers)

Fr. Aaron's presentation to Deacons and Lay Ecclesial Ministers will be very similar to the presentations he offers at the Priest Convocation on Tuesday, October 14th. Participation in this workshop can be beneficial in developing a common language and understanding on important issues of our Church's mission.

Fr. Robert Aaron Wessman, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, is the 1st Vice-President (vicar General) and Director of Formation for the Glenmary Home Missioners. He has a PhD from the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium) in Systematic Theology (2019). He serves as an at-large board member for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men Religious (CMSM) and is a guest lecturer at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. The religious order he belongs to, Glenmary, is a missionary society of apostolic life of the Catholic church that conducts missions in rural, poor, and non-Catholic areas of the United States, primarily in the southeast and Appalachia. In 2023 Fr. Wessman published the book, "The Church's Mission in a Polarized World. This book explores the roots of polarization including sociological and psychological aspects, and strategies for overcoming it through self-reflection, engaging with diverse viewpoints, and promoting understanding and curiosity as a means to bridge divides.

Cost $35 per person, lunch included