Woodstock's Catholicism and Civic Renewal program, under the direction of John Farina, sponsored a panel discussion on "The Ethics of Eating: Will Genetically Engineered Food Feed the World?"  The panelists were Andrew Kimbrell, executive director, Center for Food Safety; Margaret Weber, coordinator of corporate responsibility, Adrian Dominican Sisters, Dean Kleckner, chairman, Truth About Trade, and Catherine Halvey Goodwin, cofounder, Center for Human Rights in Manaus, Brazil, and current International Visiting Fellow at Woodstock.

The evening presentation was co-sponsored by the Center for Food Safety and by several student groups, who responded to the panel with questions.

A news report, photographs, and several of the presentations are available online.

October 13-16, 2005, Woodstock director Gap Lo Biondo and attended a conference about justice in Jesuit higher education.  Entitled "Nurturing the Commitment to Justice," this conference extended the work of a previous gathering in 2000.  Together with Kathleen Maas Weigert, director of Georgetown University's Center for Social Justice, Gap presented a workshop entitled "Domestic and Global Jesuit Connections: Education About and For a Just Global Economy." More information on the Commitment to Justice initiative, including research, course syllabi, and spirituality resources, can be found on their site, Justice Web.

Gap's travels also brought him back to Rome in November for the final meeting of the Jesuit Task Force on Globalization and Marginalization. You can read more about the Task Force on the Social Justice Secretariat webpage (click on "interest areas").

On October 18, 2005, Woodstock's Theological Reflection on the Arts, together with the Washington Theological Consortium, sponsored an outing to see "Othello" at the Shakespeare Theatre in DC, featuring a pre-performance discussion on "The Problem of Evil," led by Dr. Roger Ferlo of Virginia Theological Seminary, along with members of the theatre company.

Dolores Leckey

In September, Woodstock fellow Dolores Leckey gave talks on the Decree on the Laity at St. Charles Borremeo Parish in Brunswick, ME, and at St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, IN.  Her book on the same topic, part of Paulist's Rediscovering Vatican II series, will be published shortly.

In October, she gave a Day of Renewal for the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement at the Graymoor Spiritual Life Center in Garrison, NY, entitled "Ministry in an Age of Anxiety."

Woodstock fellow Ray Kemp, director of the Preaching the Just Word program, has been on the road, directing retreats for priests in the Archdioceses of San Francisco and the Diocese of Sacramento and one for deacons in the Diocese of Orlando.

Woodstock fellow John Haughey, director of the Catholic Higher Education project, traveled to South Africa in September to give lectures at three universities.  One of his presentations was on the finality of knowledge, or "Where is knowing going?" as he phrased it.  His other lectures were on the future of ecumenism and higher education.

In November, he spoke at a conference at St. Peter's College for the Vice Presidents for Mission and Identity at Jesuit universities.  The conference was sponsored by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities.  He also spoke in November at Bentley College in Waltham, MA, on "Discernment about Contemplative Practices in the Classroom."

Woodstock's Brown Bag lunch series has begun anew with three more presentations from visiting fellows:

On September 22, Thomas Zhang Xian presented on the topic of Christian Philosophy in China.

The Maryland Province of Jesuits is sponsoring a Year of Prayer, with the theme "Co-laboring with the Living Lord."  As part of this year of prayer, there is a public lecture series in Baltimore, MD, with events running through June 2006.  More information on the dates, locations, and speakers is available on the Woodstock website and on the Maryland Province website.

Woodstock has continued its co-sponsorship of the Pacem in Terris lectures, commemorating the encyclical that declared "truth, justice, love, and freedom" as prerequisites for lasting peace.

Recent speakers include: Father Cedric Prakash, S.J., director of a center for human rights, justice, and peace in India; Dr. Marcello Pera, current President of the Senate of the Italy; Dr. James Martin, digital technology consultant and expert in the social and commercial ramifications of computer technology; Father Robert Vitillo, special advisor on HIV/AIDS to Caritas Internationalis, the Vatican-based global confederation of national Catholic social service and development organizations; Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace; and Dr. Charles Villa-Vicencio, former National Research Director in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa.