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MOTHER MARY LANGE LECTURE in Black Catholic Studies

Villanova's annual lecture is named in honor of the chief founder of the Oblate Sisters of Providence, the first permanent congregation of African American women religious in the Catholic Church. The lecture is sponsored by the Office for Mission and Ministry; the Office of the Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Department of History.

Head shot of Bryan Massingale, guest lecturer

In the Spotlight

The Rev. Bryan Massingale, STD, one of the most distinguished voices in theological and social ethics, will deliver the 2022 Mother Mary Lange Lecture.

The winner of many prestigious awards and a tireless advocate for justice, Father Massingale is the author of Racial Justice and the Catholic Church.

 

2022 Program Details

Second Annual Mother Mary Lange Lecture

Thursday, Nov. 3 | 7–8:30 PM | Topper Theatre (in the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts)

Keynote Speaker

The Rev. Bryan N. Massingale, STD
Professor, Department of Theology
James and Nancy Buckman Chair in Applied Christian Ethics
Fordham University

Presentation of Painting

The Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, and the Dallas-based artist Vernon Adams will unveil an original painting of Augustine, commissioned by the President's Office.

Host

Tia Noelle Pratt, PhD
Assistant Vice President of Mission Engagement and Strategic Initiatives
Office for Mission and Ministry

Registration

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Please register to reserve your tickets. (Note. Registration ends 11/3 at 9 AM. After that, please go to the box office to ask about available tickets.)

Reserved tickets may be picked up ...

  • in advance of the lecture at the box office of the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts

OR

  • in the lobby the night of the event, starting at 6:30 PM.

Walk-Ins

If you have not registered and want to attend the lecture, please visit the box office the night of the event to see if any seats are open.

Live Stream

If you cannot join us in person, we invite you to watch live.

Directions and Parking

Visitors are invited to park in I-1, Ithan Garage. Please refer to the campus map to locate the garage and the John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts (no. 73, blue), and to get directions. 

Villanova University will be taking photographs during this event. If you attend and do not wish to have your likeness made public, you must advise the photographer at the time the picture is being taken. By consenting to have your picture taken and/or by failing to inform the photographer of your intention not to have your likeness made public, you are authorizing Villanova University to publish in any format, and use for any purposes, your name and affiliation and any photographs taken of you at the Event.

Explore More

Resources on Racism

Explore this sampling of church, academic and popular articles on the evil of racism.

"Black Saints in the Americas, Past and Present"

Erin Rowe, PhD, the author of Black Saints in Early Modern Global Catholicism, delivered the inaugural Mother Mary Lange Lecture in 2021.

"Holiness and Prejudice: The Black Catholic Legacy"

The Most Rev. Joseph N. Perry, an auxiliary bishop of Chicago, addressed Villanovans as part of Black History Month in February 2020.

#BlackCatholics Syllabus

This collection of resources relates to Black Catholics in the US. It is intended for academics, journalists, educators, diocesan institutions, parishes, congregations of women and men religious, and the general public. This syllabus prioritizes the work of Blacks in order to center the voice of Black Catholics in the creation of their own narrative.