In partnership with Borromeo Seminary and Saint Mary Seminary & Graduate School of Theology, MMGSI sponsors at least two public lectures each year:
The Mullen Lecture (theology), usually in November
The Aquinas Lecture (philosophy), usually in February or March
MMGSI also sponsors various talks and workshops at parishes throughout the Diocese of Cleveland. To receive email updates about these events and others like them, sign up here!
The Mullen Lecture
Occurring annually since 1969, the Mullen Lecture brings distinguished Catholic thinkers to Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology to discuss topics of relevance to Catholic theology and the life of the Church. It is named in honor of Monsignor Joseph Mullen, former rector of the seminary. Past Mullen lecturers include Henri Nouwen, Cardinal Avery Dulles, René Girard, and Bishop Robert Barron. Over the past decade, Mullen lecturers include:
- Joseph Lienhard, S.J., University of Notre Dame (2015)
- Francis J. Moloney, SDB, Australian Catholic University (2016)
- Helen Alvaré, George Mason University (2017)
- David Fagerberg, University of Notre Dame (2018)
- Martin Zielinski, University of Saint Mary of the Lake (2019)
- Brad Gregory, University of Notre Dame (2020)
- William Mattison, University of Notre Dame (2021)
- William C. Loewe, Catholic University of America (2022)
- Timothy P. O’Malley, University of Notre Dame (2023)
- Jim Towey, advisor and biographer of St. Mother Teresa (2024)
The Aquinas Lecture
The Aquinas Lecture, sponsored by Edward G. and Mary E. Mansour, brings renowned intellectuals to the seminary to consider perennial questions, especially those relevant to philosophical studies. Past lecturers include:
- Fr. Andrew Pinsent, University of Oxford (2015): "Natural and Supernatural: Aquinas, Science and the Most Contentious Issue in Theology"
- Daniel Howard-Snyder, Western Washington University (2016): "The Nature and Value of Faith"
- Meghan Sullivan, The University of Notre Dame (2017): "One Eternal Sacrifice: How contemporary theories of time and change can help us appreciate the Eucharistic sacrifice"
- Michael Rota, The University of St. Thomas (Minneapolis/St. Paul) (2018): "Slavery, Christian Revelation, and Moral Blindness"
- Christopher Tollefsen, University of South Carolina (2019): "The Sanctity of Life"
- Maria Fedoryka, Ave Maria University (2021): "The Respective Roles of Heart and Will in Moral and Spiritual Growth"
- Zena Hitz, St. John's College (2022): "The Life of the Mind and the Virtue of Charity"
- Francis Beckwith, Baylor University (2023): "Religious Liberty and the Changing Face of Liberalism"
- Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P., Dominican House of Studies (2024): "If Your Head Causes You to Sin: Thomistic Wisdom for Negotiating Contemporary Madness"
- Sr. Anna Wray, O.P., The Catholic University of America (2025): "From the Fullness of the Heart: Fatherhood and Speech"
