Dominican University established the St. Catherine of Siena Center to examine critical issues of church and society in the light of faith and scholarship. The center calls together members of the university community, professional ministers and the wider community of faith who are committed to deepening their insight into the role of the Christian in today's world.
Like St. Catherine of Siena, the center is concerned with the Church's mission of justice in the world and its own continuous and faithful reform. As St. Catherine responded to the intellectual and ministerial needs of the Church in her day, so the Center hopes to draw upon the rich traditions of the Christian worship, animated by contemplation of the Word of God and dedicated to the mission of Christ in the world.
The center addresses these issues in a variety of ways, including lectures, symposia, conferences, workshops, retreats, research and discussion groups. Events are scheduled in harmony with the Church's calendar; some also reflect the Dominican heritage of the university.
MAJOR PROGRAMS
Every fall the Siena Center sponsors a lecture series tied to contemporary religious issues, particularly those that relate to the contemporary Catholic Church. In the spring, the center sponsors a lecture series related to a contemporary social issue or critical concern.
The Mazzuchelli Lecture, a long-standing tradition at Dominican University, focuses on topics of cultural significance. It honors Fr. Samuel Mazzuchelli, the founder of the Sinsinawa Dominicans, sponsors of Dominican University.
In November, the Albertus Magnus Lecture honors the Dominican saint who is patron of scientists, as we explore the relationship between science and religion. It takes place on or near November 15, the feast day of St. Albert the Great.
Each Advent, when the church looks forward in hope, we ponder signs of the fulfillment of God's reign in the church or the larger world. During Lent, a time of reconciliation, we consider the many places where reconciliation is needed and where healing is taking place.
Finally, toward the end of each academic year, the St. Catherine Lecture honors the center's namesake as one committed to the call of the baptized to transform the world. This lecture reflects St. Catherine's commitment to the continuing reform of the church; it takes place each year near the time of her feast, April 29.
In these events we seek to explore a diversity of contemporary social and church issues, including business ethics, health care, liturgical reform, war and peace, church authority and governance, social justice and the role of the arts in worship. We seek to involve members of the wider community as well as the Dominican University community in an on-going conversation on these issues.
LOCATION
The St. Catherine of Siena Center is located at the Priory Campus of Dominican University, at the northwest corner of the intersection of Harlem and Division Streets in River Forest, Illinois. The original site of Aquinas Institute, the Dominican school of theology now located in St. Louis, Missouri, the Priory Campus is now part of Dominican University. This facility contains a chapel, classrooms, auditorium, and other gathering areas, providing a contemplative atmosphere where faith, scholarship and pastoral experience can be shared and deepened.
SIENA CENTER STAFF
Elizabeth McMahon Jeep, Ph.D. associate director, is a theologian who specializes in religious education and the intersection of psychology with theology. She is an author, lecturer and adjunct professor at the Institute for Pastoral Studies of Loyola University. She is active in several interfaith projects in the Chicago area. She can be reached at emjeep@dom.edu
Patricia A. Kelly, communication and events manager, brings a rich background in events management in both the corporate and non-profit arenas to the Siena Center. She joined the Center after serving as Director of Operations for the National Organization for Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy. She can be reached at pakelly@dom.edu.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Loreto Peter Alonzi, II, is Professor of Economics and Finance at Dominican University. He brings senior corporate experience to classroom Economics and Finance. He ran the Chicago Board of Trade’s Educational Programs Group throughout the 1990s after leading the successful turn around of a privately held financial firm in Chicago where he served first as a director and then its president. His effectiveness in the classroom has been recognized by teaching awards at the University of Iowa, Bowling Green State University (Ohio), and Dominican University. At Dominican he teaches the full range of economics and finance courses to both undergraduate and MBA students. He created and teaches the Derivatives course in the MBA program and teaches in Dominican’s Executive MBA programs in Poland and the Czech Republic. Professionally he served on the boards of the Independent Finance Association of Illinois and the Midwest Finance Association. Currently he serves on the National Futures Association Educational/Testing Advisor Committee, is a member of the board of the journal Financial Decisions, and is President-Elect of the Illinois Economic Association. Peter is the author of the book, History of World Trade Since 1450, and is President of the Illinois Economic Association. Peter is the author of the article "Chicago Board of Trade" found in the book, History of World Trade Since 1450, and numerous papers. Alonzi holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Iowa. He can be reached at lpalonzi@dom.edu
Jessica Ayette is majoring in Political Science and French at Dominican University, and will graduate in 2009. She became involved in University Ministry during her freshman year as a greeter at Sunday evening Mass in Rosary Chapel. She is now a member of the Leadership in Faith Experiences (LIFE) student group, acting as co-chair of the Student Liturgy Planning team. She is also a member of the Dominican University Bell Choir. Jessica currently serves as president of Pro Vita, the pro-life club on campus. She has made two trips to Washington, D.C. with the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Intercollegiate Pilgrimage to meet with representatives of Illinois senators, attend pro-life conferences, and participate in the Annual March for Life. Jessica is planning to spend the spring semester studying in France. She may be reached at ayetjess@dom.edu
Margaret M. Brennan, D. Min. is a university minister at Dominican University. Previous to this role, she was an acquisitions editor for Liturgy Training Publications in Chicago. For many years she worked in hospital ministry and was Director of Pastoral Care for Children's Memorial Hospital. She has also been involved in the religious formation of children as a catechist in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd for her church community. Brennan holds a doctor of ministry degree from the (University of Chicago Divinity School. She can be reached at mbrennan@dom.edu
Elizabeth Collier, Ph.D. (Christian Ethics, Loyola University Chicago) is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Religious Studies Department at DePaul University. Her area of research specialization is Catholic social thought and U.S. Immigration Policy. While completing her dissertation Collier worked in a private immigration law firm and previously worked for a pro bono legal aid office in Houston. She teaches social ethics and business ethics at DePaul. She is also a frequent speaker on various areas of ethics and immigration law and policy throughout the Chicago area. Collier completed her Master’s in Theological Studies at Weston Jesuit School of Theology and earned a Bachelor’s Degree at Creighton University. Her email address is ecollier@depaul.edu
Thomas N. Dart, is Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement. He is a former Peace Corps volunteer who served in Tunisia and then went on to earn an M.A. in International Development at Clark University (Massachusetts). Tom earned his undergraduate degree in secondary education at the University of Virginia. Upon graduation from Clark University Tom joined Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the largest international humanitarian relief and development agencies in the world. During his 13 years with CRS, he served in The Gambia, Burkina Faso, and Rwanda before returning to the United States to CRS headquarters. Tom's leadership roles at CRS include country representative (Rwanda), assistant country representative (Burkina Faso), desk officer (Middle East and former Yugoslavia), director of development education and major gift officer (Midwest Region). In 1998, he moved to the University of Chicago to take up a position in development and joined the development team at Dominican University in 2001. He is proficient in French and has traveled extensively in the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. Tom and his wife, Corinne, have five children and they are members of St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Naperville, Illinois. Tom may be reached at tdart@dom.edu
Germaine Goetz-Sota is associate professor and chair of Communications, Theatre Arts, and Music at Dominican University, where she has served since 1973. In addition to her doctorate in Theatre Arts from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, she holds master’s degrees in British and American Literature (Marquette University) and Communication Arts (University of Minnesota). She was nominated for Dominican’s Excellence in Teaching Award twice, and has been recognized multiple times in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. Goetz-Sota was a member of the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation of religious for 32 years, and is now active in the Sinsinawa Dominican Associates program. Since 1978, as a member of the Catholic charismatic movement, she has been engaged in spiritual direction, preaching, and workshop participation in spirituality, healing, and prayer. Her academic and creative work focuses on dramaturgy, solo performance, multicultural theatre, and a range of communication areas, as well as teaching in the undergraduate Seminar program. At present, her scholarly focus is on Graham Greene as dramatist. Her email address is goetzsota@dom.edu
Joseph Heininger is an Assistant Professor of English at Dominican University, and is now in his second year of teaching in River Forest. He was educated at the University of Toronto, Fordham University, and the University of Rochester, and holds a doctorate in English from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. He has previously taught at the University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, St. Olaf College, and Hamilton College. He has interests in modern and contemporary Irish and British literature, especially in contemporary Irish poetry and visual culture. He has published several articles on Joyce, Yeats, Heaney, and Dante, and regularly reviews new fiction and non-fiction for the Michigan Alumnus. He is a member of the American Conference for Irish Studies and the Academy of American Poets. For recreation, he enjoys reading, traveling, exploring new places, and watching his teenage son play high school baseball and football. Joe may be reached at jheininger@dom.edu
Katherine Heskin, D.Min. is Associate Professor of Pastoral Ministry and Theology at Dominican University. She is also adjunct faculty for the doctor of ministry program at St. Mary of the Lake and a formator at that institution's Mundelein Seminary. She is the founder and director of Dominican University's bachelor level Pastoral Ministry Program. In that capacity she serves on many activities and commissions throughout the Archdiocese of Chicago, including Advisory Boards for Lay Ecclesial Ministry and for the Office for Catechesis which together certify lay ecclesial ministers in the Archdiocese of Chicago. Author of Marriage: A Spiritual Journey (Twenty-Third Publications, 2002), she is a frequent speaker at church-related events around the country, particularly within her scholarly specialties of marriage, ministry, and spirituality, including Native American spirituality. In July 2003 she keynoted the Worldwide Marriage Encounter Convention. She has been married for nearly forty years and has three sons. Her undergraduate degree was completed at Rosary College in Political Science and her Master of Divinity degree is from Loyola University Chicago's Institute for Pastoral Studies. Kathy holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from the University of St. Mary of the Lake. She may be reached at kheskin@dom.edu
Therese Hogan is the Director of Graduate Programs in Special Education at Dominican University. In addition to her work at a teacher educator, Therese has done a number of national and local presentations for professional organizations as well as numerous in-services across the state on various topics including: modifications for academic instruction and assignments for students with disabilities, collaboration and co-teaching, and using diagnostic data for planning student instruction and interventions. Her article, “Planning Instructional Modifications for Students with Learning Disabilities in Inclusive Settings,” appeared in Kappa Delta Pi Record in 2005. She has two videotapes on classroom modifications and one on teaching writing to students with disabilities published through United Cerebral Palsy. Prior to her work as a teacher educator and presenter, Therese taught students with learning disabilities, behavior disorders and mild mental retardation in both self-contained and resource classroom settings. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Rosary College and her Master of Science in Special Education and Doctorate in Educational Psychology from Northern Illinois University. She may be reached at tfhogan@dom.edu
Diane Kennedy, OP, D.Min is associate provost of Dominican University. She was the founding Director of the Parable Conference for Dominican Life and Mission and a former Vicaress General of the Sinsinawa Dominicans. In addition to her doctoral degree in ministry from the Pacific School of Religion, she holds a master's degree in theology from the Aquinas Institute of Theology and a master's degree in English from the University of Notre Dame. Sister Diane is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Fund for Theological Education and the Board of Trustees of Trinity High School, River Forest, Illinois. She is a former academic dean of Aquinas Institute of Theology and past present of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada (ATS). Her scholarly focus has centered on biblical and theological principles for equality and mutuality, the psychological and social factors influencing gender roles, and transformative models of leadership and ministry. She may be reached at dkennedy@dom.edu
Jessica Mackinnon has been director of public relations at Dominican University since 2003. Prior to 2003, she served as executive director of the Oak Park Art League and program director for the Oak Park Area Arts Council. She served in a number of capacities, including public relations, publications and membership services at The Adler Planetarium for 10 years. With a degree in journalism form the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Jessica began her career as an editor of a community weekly newspaper before becoming director of community relations at a downstate community college. She has lived in Oak Park for 13 years and has two young sons. She has been involved in the Unitarian Universalist Church at Oak Park's Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Unity Temple for 12 years. Jessica may be reached at jmack@dom.edu
Sheila McLaughlin is Director of the Bernardin Center for Theology and Ministry at Catholic Theological Union, established in 1997 to continue the work of the late Cardinal. From 1994-2001, she served as director of the Office for Divine Worship of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, working closely with Cardinals Bernardin and George, serving as one of their principal advisors. She was the first lay person and first woman to head Chicago's liturgy office, the largest liturgy office in the United States. With a master’s degree in Pastoral Studies-Liturgy from Catholic Theological Union, McLaughlin served as director of parish liturgy at St. Cletus Church, LaGrange, Illinois before joining the Office for Divine Worship in 1988. A respected educator and gifted speaker, she serves on the board of directors of the Georgetown Center for Liturgy and the planning board of Form-Reform National Conference for the Building and Renovation of Churches. She is also a liturgical consultant for the Catholic Health Association. Sheila was part of the original conversations in 1999 that ultimately led to the creation of the Siena Center. She may be reached at smclaughlin@ctu.edu
Mary Ann Mueninghoff, OP is a member of Dominican University's Office of Mission Integration. She can be reached at mmueninghoff@dom.edu
Liesl Orenic is a Chicago native and received her B.A. in History at the University of Illinois-Urbana. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in History at Carnegie Mellon University. Orenic is Associate Professor of History and Director of American Studies at Dominican University. She was a founding member of the Roosevelt Adjunct Faculty Organization (RAFO), IEA-NEA at Roosevelt University and worked as a higher education organizer for the Illinois Education Association. She is working on manuscript revisions for her book, "On the Ramp": Labor Relations in the American Airline Industry, 1930-1970. Her publications include “Rethinking Workplace Culture: Fleet Service Clerks in the American Airlines Industry, 1945-1970” in the Journal of Urban History. She serves as co-chair of the Chicago Center for Working-Class Studies affiliated with the University of Illinois School for Industrial and Labor Relations and on the Board of Directors of the Labor and Working-Class History Association. She may be reached at lorenic@dom.edu
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Siena Center
Priory Campus
Dominican University
7200 West Division Street
River Forest, IL 60305
(708) 714-9105
siena@dom.edu