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Summer Conference History of Themes and  Keynoters


Mount Angel Summer Conference @ Mount Angel Abbey:
1983-2007

1983
Building the Church: Building the Vision
Fr. Peter Chirico, S.S.

1984
Building the Church: Building Community
Fr. Francis Cleary, S.J.
St. Louis University, Missouri

1985
Building the Church: Our Response to the Word
Fr. Stephen Rowan
Seattle University, Washington

1986
Building the Church: The Faithful Community
Fr. Aidan Shea OSB​+
St. Anselm Abbey, Washington D.C.

Community as a school of service; 
Appropriate use of power

1987
Building the Church: Holiness and Wholeness
Sr. Fran Ferder, FSPA
Seattle, Washington

1988
Building the Church: Who Is Jesus?
Fr. Thomas Knoebel
Sacred Heart School of Theology, Wisconsin

1989
Building the Church: The Call To Discipleship
Fr. Charles Skok
Gonzaga University

Weeds, Wheat, Reconciliation

1990
Building the Church: The Role of Tradition
Fr. Peter Chirico, SS
Seattle Archdiocese Theologian

1991
Building the Church:
How God is Known in Jesus Christ
Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, OSB
Mount Angel Abbey
Living water

1992
Building the Church: The Beatitudes of Matthew’s Jesus: Building Blocks for Disciples
Fr. Michael Crosby, OFM, Cap
Capuchin-Franciscan, Midwest Province,
Author and Director Of Spiritual Center

Light; The green bean story.

1993
Building the Church: Reading the Word of God
in the Old Testament
Fr. Konrad Schaefer, OSB
Mount Angel Seminary, Oregon
Pilgrim People; Journey; Hesed=The God of the OT is compassionate and merciful.

1994
Building the Church:
Seeking God: Spirituality for the Everyday
Abbot Aidan Shea, OSB​+
St. Anselm Abbey, Washington D.C.
Rule of Benedict-humility, obedience, conversion, balance, labor and prayer; vows=stability.

1995
Building the Church:
Daily Christian Living in Ritual and Story
Dr. Matthew Baasten
University of Portland, Oregon
Called to be faithful, not effective.

1996
Building the Church: The Cross of Christ
–The Intersection of Time and Eternity
Fr. Dominic Milroy, OSB​+
Ampleforth Abbey, England
Image of the Cross: horizontal=human creations; vertical=God’s creation; Jesus is in the heart of the joint.

1997
Building the Church: Toward a Civilization of Love
Cardinal Basil Hume, OSB+
Archbishop of Westminster, England
Basil in Blunderland; Hide and Seek; The best way to explain it -is to do it; Journey; Living the Christian life in the 3rd millennium.

1998
Building the Church: Searching For God
Fr. Paul Murray, O.P.
Belfast, Northern Ireland;
Professor at St. Thomas Seminary, Rome

Poetry and Christian faith.

1999
Building the Church: Entering Into Communion
Dr. Owen Cummings
Mount Angel Seminary, Oregon
Take, Bless, Break, Share...

2000
Building the Church:
Nourished at the Table of the Lord
Dr. Elaine Park
Academic Dean,
Mount Angel Seminary
We listen, respond, receive and share…

2001
Building the Church: Putting on Christ: The Moral Life as a Response to God’s Gracious Love
Fr. Kevin O’Neil, C.Ss.R.
Washington Theological Union, Washington D.C.
Hearts transformed.

2002
Building the Church: Being the House of God
Abbot Aidan Shea, OSB+
St. Anselm Abbey, Washington D.C.
Rahner’s definition of a person: Indefinability coming to consciousness of self; "Make your home in me as I make mine in you."-John 15:4

2003
Building the Church:
Living Within the Mystery of God
Dr. Lawrence Hundersmarck
A Plaque with an Irraneus quote.

2004
Building the Church:
The Gospel of John: Jesus Calls Us to Life
Fr. Konrad Schaefer, OSB
The Beloved Disciple; I have come that you may have life and have it more abundantly-John 10:10

2005
Building the Church: The Eucharist:
Learning Who We Are and What We Believe
Fr. Robert Barron
Gift: Spiral with heart of Christ in center; Loop of Grace; What you have received as gift, give as gift. (Mt.10:8)

2006
Building the Church: Reverencing the Other
Fr. John Haughey, S.J.​
+
Gift: Ceramic person; The universal activity of God is always going on in each being; The story of Jesus reverencing the Samaritan woman at the well.

2007
Celebrating the Gifts of the Conference:
A one-day 25th Anniversary Celebration
at Mount Angel Abbey
Fr. Jeremy Driscoll O.S.B.
Mt. Angel Abbey

Summer Conference
@ the University of Portland:
2008 to present

2008
Building the Church: The Spirit Moves Still
Dr. Elizabeth Dryer
Fairfield University
Is the Holy Spirit Cinderella?

2009
Building the Church:
The Prophetic Call of Modern Christians
Fr. Larry Boadt, CSP+
Mundelein Seminary, Chicago, Illinois

2010
Building the Church: Living the Just Word
Fr. Ray Kemp
Woodstock Theological Center, D.C. /
Community Fellow - Center for Social Justice

2011
Building the Church: Receiving Grace - Sharing the Gift
Fr. Kevin O’Neil, C.Ss.R.
Washington Theological Union

2012
Building the Church: Christ is Risen! Alleliua!
What Resurrection Means for Us

Fr. Jeremy Driscoll, O.S.B.
Mount Angel Abbey, Oregon
2013
Building the Church:
Reclaiming the Liturgy in the Year of Faith

Dr. David Fagerberg
University of Notre Dame
2014
Building the Church: The Joy of the Gospel:
The Vision of Pope Francis for the World

Fr. Stephen Rowan
The Archdiocese of Seattle, Washington
2015
Building the Church: "And It Was Good":
Creation and the Spirit of God

Fr. John Haughey, S.J.
+
2016
Building the Church: A Pilgrim's Way:
Wisdom
for the Journey

Sr. Gertrude Feick, OSB
Queen of Angels Monastery, Mt. Angel, Oregon
2017
Building the Church: Where There Is Darkness, Light:
The Everyday Practice of Joy

Deacon Chris Anderson
OSU Professor, Corvallis, Oregon
2018
Building the Church: Whispering Voices Made Audible: The Major Importance of Minor Biblical Characters
Dr. Gina Hens-Piazza
Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara University
2019
Called to Care: "Follow in the Footprints of Jesus"

Sr. Dawn Nothwehr, OSF, PhD
Catholic Theological Union in Chicago
2020
Canceled Due to COVID
2021
Canceled Due to COVID
2022
Building the Church: The Very Style of Faith:
How Reading the Bible As Literature Can Help Us
Experience the Mystery of God

Deacon Chris Anderson
Retired OSU Professor, Corvallis, Oregon


2023
Building the Church: How to Engage with a
World that Needs You

Dr. Cecilia Gonzalez-Andrieu
Loyola Marymount University

2024
Building the Church: Pacific Northwest Perspectives on Living Catholic Faith Toward the Future

Dr. Patricia O'Connell Killen
Pacific Lutheran University