with Walter Robinson, Stephen Kurkjian, Michael Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, and Matt Carroll / Robsham Theater

Thesis advisor: Thomas E. Wangler / The story of the transformation of St. Benedict Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, originally a small Catholic student center, into a controversial and socially disruptive religious community is little known today even by most Bostonians. Some sixty-five years ago, however, the Center's public activities under the leadership of its chaplain, Leonard Feeney, S.J., were the focus of intense controversy and publicity, nationally and internationally as well as locally. In the 1940s, there was no clear theological consensus on the possibility of salvation for non-Catholics. Although there seems to have been a notable hesitation on the part of theologians and hierarchy alike in Boston to issue an official pronouncement on the Church's theology of salvation, there was at the same time an unhesitating consensus among them that Fr. Feeney's rigorist interpretation of the Catholic doctrine extra ecclesiam nulla salus ("no salvation outside the Church") was not that of the Church in the modern age. Complex social and cultural factors were at play in the controversy. Ultimately, though, any historian attempting to make sense of the ideas and actions of Fr. Feeney and the members of the Center is confronted with the fact that they took theology seriously, and so also must the historian who hopes to understand them. My thesis in this dissertation is that a uniquely explosive combination of theological developments, social flux, and intersecting personalities led to the eruptions at St. Benedict Center. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2014. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Theology.

Thesis advisor: Thomas F. Mulvoy / The Boston Globe has had an unfair reputation as an anti-Catholic newspaper since the 1970s, but the claim surfaced with new vigor in response to the newspaper's coverage of the sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in 2002. The accusations stems from three misconceptions: (1) that the Globe is a remnant of Protestant power in Boston; (2) that the Globe seeks to antagonize the Catholic Church with its liberal social positions; and (3) that the Globe intentionally sensationalized its coverage in 2002 and essentially mounted a media attack on a defenseless archdiocese. The idea that the Globe holds a longstanding gripe against the Catholic Church is completely false. Through a historical account of anti-Catholicism and journalism in Boston and an analysis of the Globe's 2002 coverage, this work shows that (1) the Globe was the first Boston paper to appeal to the interests of the Irish Catholic population and has maintained a consistent policy of fairness since the 1870s; (2) the Globe's liberal editorial stances are formed without consideration for Church positions; and (3) the coverage of the sex abuse scandal in 2002 was the product of fair and balanced reporting, with the antagonism originating from the archdiocese. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: College Honors Program.

Thesis advisor: Richard Lennan / Thesis advisor: Margaret E. Guider / As the Archdiocese of Boston continues to heal from the clergy sexual abuse crisis, it is engaged in a pastoral planning process designed to prepare parishes for the task of evangelization. According to the 2012 Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, the goal of evangelization is to “create the possibility” for an encounter and relationship with Jesus. To create the possibility for people to encounter Jesus Christ in faith, the implementation of the New Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Boston at this point in its history must focus on two aspects: healing the inner life of the Church, its communio, through a process of conversion and reconciliation and engaging the Church in the missio given it by Jesus by becoming a church of the poor. This paper begins with a presentation of the New Evangelization as described in papal and other ecclesial documents highlighting several principal themes: the context and content of the New Evangelization, the Church and the poor, Christian witness, conversion, reconciliation, Christian hope, and apologetics. Following a brief overview of the North American context in which evangelization must take place, the third chapter focuses on conversion as a response in love to God’s invitation to live in the love of the triune God and on reconciliation as the healing of relationships through celebrations of reconciliation and through the work of the church community. The fourth chapter presents the challenge of becoming a Church of the poor by which the Church comes into closer relationship with Jesus who is present in the suffering poor. Finally, the hope to which God calls us is eternal life in the loving communion of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the Kingdom of God. Christian hope is the virtue that sustains us on our way to the fulfillment of God’s Kingdom while in the midst of its non-fulfillment. / Thesis (STL) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. School of Theology and Ministry. / Discipline: Sacred Theology.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T14:27:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabio Vieira de Souza.pdf: 575790 bytes, checksum: eb3e657ee17e95beb22d1bc5363f7691 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-26 / This study aims to present systematically the impact and resonance of the Second Vatican Council on the Archdiocese of Montes Claros. It starts with the analysis of the conciliar event in order to better understand its internal dynamics, its meaning and the scope of its conclusive documents. Following, it presents the reception as a theological category, the theoretical framework which has allowed us to interpret the changes that occurred in this local Church in the North of State of Minas Gerais after Vatican II. Finally, it focuses on the reception of Vatican II in this Archdiocese, reporting the way that this diocesan church has received the renewing impulse of Vatican II. It presents the historical and theological factors that signaled the new attitudes of the Archdiocese of Montes Claros, and that enabled the consolidation of a Church as people of God, being active and syntonized simultaneously with the invigorating breath of Vatican II, with the guidance from the Church in Brazil and Latin America and with the social reality of the people in the north of the State of Minas Gerais / O presente trabalho busca apresentar, de forma sistemática, os impactos e a ressonância do Concílio Vaticano II na Arquidiocese de Montes Claros. Este estudo parte da análise do evento conciliar no intuito de melhor compreender sua dinâmica interna, o seu significado e o alcance de seus documentos conclusivos. Na sequência, apresenta a recepção enquanto categoria teológica, referencial teórico que permitiu interpretar as transformações ocorridas nessa Igreja local do Norte de Minas Gerais no pós-Vaticano II. Finalmente, concentra-se sobre a recepção do Vaticano II nessa Arquidiocese, tratando da forma como essa Igreja diocesana recebeu o impulso renovador do Vaticano II. São apresentados fatores históricos e teológicos que assinalam uma nova tomada de postura na Arquidiocese de Montes Claros e que possibilitaram a consolidação de uma Igreja Povo de Deus, atuante e sintonizada simultaneamente com o sopro renovador do Concílio Vaticano II, com os encaminhamentos da Igreja na América Latina e no Brasil e com a realidade social do povo norte-mineiro.

Despite the authoritative and very explicit directions from the Vatican in 1903, the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne successfully resisted the demands for a major reform of liturgical Church music for 35 years. This thesis will examine the reasons for this strong and effective resistance to the demands of the Holy See and show that despite being complex and interrelated these reasons can be summarised under two fundamental headings. The thesis will examine the broad spectrum of music performed in the Melbourne Archdiocese, but because of the limited availability of information and the prime importance of the two principal churches of the Archdiocese, it shall concentrate on St. Patrick’s Cathedral and on St. Francis Church. The thesis shall also examine in detail the documents of the Holy See concerning liturgical music which were relevant to musical practice in Melbourne. Special attention is drawn to the influential Motu proprio Tra le sollecitudini (1903) issued by Pope Pius X. The time span of this thesis covers the 95 years from March 1843 when the first music was sung in Melbourne’s only Catholic church to 1938 when Archbishop Daniel Mannix ordered the reforms to liturgical music as demanded by the Vatican. The thesis shall demonstrate that the resistance to the reform of liturgical music in the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne was due to the two following influences: the fact that the new freedom and wealth that the immigrant Irish community of the Archdiocese of Melbourne experienced enabled them to establish churches and liturgies whose grandeur and artistic excellence symbolized their success in establishing a major new social and cultural status in their new home. Church music was one of the great manifestations of this and as an integral part of their new significance and sense of achievement, it was to be jealously guarded. the second was the matter of authority and the independence of the Catholic bishops from the dictates and interference of the Vatican authorities. These Irish-born bishops were trained in an historical milieu in Ireland and Europe which fostered a fierce pride in the value of autonomy from external and alien authority. In this they were given a great degree of protection by the isolation of Australia and its distance from outside authority. In this Archbishops Carr and Mannix both proved to be strongly independent leaders who proved to be most reluctant to automatically implement reforms imposed by the Vatican. It will be shown that only in the fourth decade of the twentieth century was Episcopal authority finally brought to bear to make reforms to liturgical music a reality in the Catholic Church in Melbourne.

Aim. While there is much talk of an emerging interest in spirituality in Australia, there is evidence of a declining affiliation with the established Churches. The impact of mainstream Christianity in these circumstances would appear to be waning. The continued attention given to the Church in the wake of these realities and that of the Church's dealing with situations of sexual abuse has often focussed around the way in which the Church has used its power and influence. While undoubtedly there is much evidence of the Church's service and care for its members and those most in need, more questions are being asked about the accountability of those who minister within the boundaries of Catholic Church structures, and the healthiness of those very structures for helping the Church to live out its mission with integrity. Further questioning has often been around the perceived intent of Church authorities, as seen by many, to return the Church to times prior to the Second Vatican Council when clerical authority was unquestioned. There are divergent viewpoints as to whether the call of the Council for wider involvement of lay people in Church decision-making and structures is in the process of being reversed. The researcher, coming from his experience as a member of a Catholic Religious Congregation of Men, is interested in looking broadly at the issue of how power is used in the Catholic Church, with a particular focus on a case study of one Group of Male Religious in the Archdiocese of Melbourne. The aim of the study is to provide further insight into use of power in the Catholic Church, and to offer some recommendations for future use of that power in a healthy and constructive way for the benefit of the Church and, ultimately, all of society. Scope. A Literature Review was carried out to investigate the broader issues of how power may be defined. A multitude of answers emerged, resulting in a rich understanding of power and some specific related factors: gender, hegemony, patriarchy, authority, leadership, empowerment and networks. Following these explorations around how use of power may be understood, examination of issues relating to abuse of power took place. Given this background, attention was then given to issues of power in relation to Church structures. With these learnings, the researcher conducted five focus groups of people who had relevant knowledge of the male Religious Congregation in Melbourne, which was the specific case study for this research. The groups included current members of the Congregation, former members, staff members in schools run by the Congregation, former students and a women's group. The study was restricted to one specific Congregation, the 'Brothers of St Charles' [fictitious name], in Melbourne, in order to provide a particular and manageable focus. While limited in scope, the study provides an analysis of the focus groups and a linking between this analysis and the Literature Review. Conclusions. The study finishes with some reflections by the researcher on the learnings of the study and recommendations arising from the study. Central place is given to the quality of relationships of those engaged in ministry on behalf of the Catholic Church. An interplay of personal and Church/Congregational factors is proposed in order to provide some qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of such relationships. In order for ministers to take up and use their power in an enriching way for themselves and particularly for those to whom they are called in service, recommendations are made around the need for learning about use of power as part of formation for Church personnel, around encouraging ongoing personal growth in those in Church ministry, around the importance of engaging in processes of healing where people have been hurt by past inappropriate use of power, and around the need to continually critique and challenge existing Church structures where there is injustice through lack of inclusivity.

This thesis analysed Religious Education Coordinators’ perceptions of their role in Catholic secondary schools of the Archdiocese of Melbourne from 1970 – 2000. The theoretical framework for the study, which was reported on in this thesis, was drawn from Catholic Church documents on religious education at both international and national levels, and from the work of researchers within the field of religious education. In particular the study investigated the diversity of language used to describe religious education and religious education theory and analysed the significance that this has had in the development of an understanding of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator. It was argued that there were significant factors in the development of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator that included changes in the understanding of the nature and purpose of religious education during the second half of the twentieth century. In addition there were historical factors peculiar to the Archdiocese of Melbourne that played an important part in the understanding of the RECs role. Quantitative data in the form of annual survey material (1988-1999) from the Catholic Education Office Melbourne provided a framework for the empirical component of the research. The empirical component involved the interviewing of Religious Education Coordinators from a deliberately selected sample that covered the range of skills and experiences deemed necessary in the research. The purpose was to ascertain from the perspective of the Religious Education Coordinators themselves how they analysed their role. Grounded theory methodology was used as the basis for the inductive analysis of the data that emerged from the in-depth interviews. Theory that was generated on the role of the Religious Education Coordinator includes: the importance of an understanding of the theoretical dimensions of religious education and the role of the Religious Education Coordinator; an elaboration of the role of the Religious Education Coordinator in the school context and the necessary skills and attributes that are required to meet the challenges in the role; and the complexity of the challenges that are faced by the Religious Education Coordinator.

The Catholic Education Office (CEO) Sydney is a large non-government education authority which administers the systemic, Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia. The system consists of 148 primary and secondary schools with an enrolment of some 62,000 students. The major research question was: What characteristics of a learning organization can be identified in the Catholic Education Office (CEO) Sydney and are these perceived to raise standards in systemic schools of the Archdiocese of Sydney? Like all western education systems the CEO Sydney is immersed in constant change and is expected to account for improving educational standards within the system. The learning organization with its emphasis on adaptability and continuous improvement was considered an appropriate framework within which to conduct this research. The study consisted of two main parts the first investigated the CEO Sydney as a learning organization using a survey questionnaire distributed, using a dedicated web site, to a sample of primary and secondary principals in the system and a smaller number of senior CEO Sydney personnel. The response rate was 91%. This was complemented by examination of relevant CEO Sydney documentation and policies. The definition of the learning organization adopted for the study consisted of eight characteristics each of which formed a scale in the questionnaire. The eight characteristics adopted were: ‘Systemic Thinking and Mental Models’, ‘Continuous Improvement of Work’, ‘Taking Initiatives and Risks’, ‘Ongoing Professional Development’, ‘Trusting and Collaborative Climate’, ‘Shared and Monitored Vision/Mission’, ‘Effective Communication Channels’ and ‘Team Work and Team Learning’. This part of the study was essentially a quantitative one, with the data subjected to descriptive, statistical analysis complemented by some clarifying and contextualising qualitative data. The second part of the study investigated the perceived relationship between the CEO Sydney and its learning organization characteristics and the standards in three curriculum outcome areas (religious education, literacy and numeracy). This part of the study was also quantitative using descriptive statistics complemented by Pearson correlation, multiple regression and canonical correlational analyses. Once again some relevant contextualising qualitative data was gathered. Five demographic groups (gender, role, region (principals only), years of experience as a principal and age) were examined to see if there were any differences in the extent to which the various learning organization characteristics and curriculum outcomes were identified by each group. The results of this study indicated that the CEO Sydney exhibited many of the characteristics of a learning organization with particular strengths in ‘Continuous Improvement of Work’, ‘Systemic Thinking and Mental Models’ and ‘Shared and Monitored Vision/Mission’. The weakest characteristic was ‘Taking Initiatives and Risks’. Demographic group analysis of this data revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in the responses of the different demographic groups. The results also indicated that there were correlations between the CEO Sydney as a learning organization and raising standards particularly in religious education and literacy and less so in numeracy. Finally, the study made a number of recommendations for the further development of the CEO Sydney as a learning organization and ways that it can further raise standards in the schools of the system.

Ever since its promulgation, in the late 1960s, the curriculum document entitled The Melbourne Religious Education Guidelines for Primary Students in the Archdiocese of Melbourne has attracted strong criticism from various members of the Roman Catholic community. This adverse criticism has prompted me to undertake an evaluation of the 1984 edition of this document. To enable me to analyze the document, both theologically and educationally, I have constructed classifications of theologies and education models. These classifications have been used to identify the dominant theological basis of the suggested curriculum and the religious education model used in its implementation. My analysis established that the theological basis of the document was Propositional, tempered by some of the characteristics of Heilsgeschichte theology. The content of the program contained both secular and religious material but, since they were not integrated, they gave the impression of two separate syllabi, used independently of each other. The methodology commenced with the students' experience but proceeded to the transmission of doctrinal religious knowledge. The language used in the expression of aims and goals contained characteristics of Heilsgeschichte theology and the Kerygmatic model of religious education. It was, therefore, seen to be in tension with the teaching methodology which emphasized transmission of doctrine, thus causing internal tensions and inconsistencies.