Conference of the St. John Henry Newman Society of America
Theme: Formation of a Philosophical Habit of Mind
July 23-25, 2026 | St. Thomas University, Miami, Florida
Tentative Conference Schedule
Thursday, July 23
| 11:00-12:30 | Registration Opens |
|---|---|
| 12:30 | Lunch |
| 1:30 | Opening Remarks |
| Session 1: Education in the "Large Sense": Foundations of Intellectual Formation | |
| 2:00 | Robert Kirkendall: What is "Education" in the "large sense?" |
| 2:30 | Erik Ellis: Humanism vs. Classics |
| 3:00 | Break with coffee |
| 3:30 | Concurrent Richard Bulzacchelli: Theology and the Philosophical Habit of Mind in Idea of a University |
| 3:30 | Concurrent Fr. Pawel Surowiec: Conscience, Discernment, and Ecclesial Responsibility |
| 4:00 | Edgar Guzman: A Newman Approach to the Realities of Young People |
| 4:30 | Mark A. Jubulis: The Enduring Power of the Philosophical Mind |
| 5:00 | Mass |
| 6:00 | Social Time with wine |
| 6:30 | Dinner with wine |
| 8:00-9:30 | "Lead Kindly Light" an exciting new documentary on Newman's life filmed in various locations with appearances by many familiar friends. |
Friday, July 24
| 8:00 | Morning Prayer |
|---|---|
| 8:30 | Breakfast |
| Session 2: Newmanian Pedagogy and the Young | |
| 9:00 | Patrick Reilly: Cultivating a Catholic Culture of Learning |
| 9:30 | Concurrent Fr. Joseph Pearce: Work with the Boys at Birmingham Oratory School |
| 9:30 | Concurrent Fr. Peter Conley: Becoming Dexterous Gleaners |
| 10:00 | Break with coffee |
| Session 3: The Teacher, Formation, and Intellectual Habitus | |
| 10:30 | Corey Gunter: The Pastoral Role of the Teacher |
| 11:00 | Giancarlo Vera Vasquez: Newman's Philosophical Habit of Mind and Bloom's Taxonomy |
| 11:30 | Nicholas Galiatsatos: Newman on the Recovery of Intellectual Habitus |
| 12:00 | Mass |
| 1:00 | Lunch |
| Session 4: Conscience, Affectivity, and the Knowledge of God | |
| 2:00 | Fr. Eric Mason: The Darkness of the Philosophical Habit of Mind |
| 2:30 | Fr. Robert Whitney: A Heart to Know Thee... Christian Affectivity |
| 3:00 | Donald Graham: Who Has Known the Mind of the Lord? |
| 3:30 | Break |
| Session 5: Literature, Imagination, and the Cosmos | |
| 4:00 | Peter Scheck: Master of the Twofold Logos |
| 4:30 | Samuel Adamson: Reason and the Moral Sense in Loss and Gain |
| 5:00 | Concurrent Nathaniel Birzer: Alexandrian Epistemology in Newman's Angelology |
| 5:00 | Concurrent Ono Ekeh: Divine Illumination |
| 5:30-6:30 | Social Time with wine |
| 6:30 | Banquet with wine and Keynote Address Paul Shrimpton |
| 9:30-10:00 | Compline |
Saturday, July 25
| 8:00 | Morning Prayer |
|---|---|
| 8:30 | Breakfast |
| Session 6: Reason, Assent, and Illumination | |
| 9:00 | Michael DiMassa: Right Use of Reason in Scriptural Exegesis |
| 9:30 | Peter A. Huff: Philosophical Habit of Mind in an Age of Unbelief |
| 10:00 | Angela Brown: Assent and Address: Linguistic Formation |
| 10:30 | Break with coffee |
| Session 7: Philosophical Habit and Public / Civic Life | |
| 11:00 | Concurrent Charles Cacciatore: Philosophical Habit of Mind and the Declaration of Independence |
| 11:00 | Concurrent Angela Cuba: Pilgrims to Beatitude |
| 11:30 | Bernadette Waterman Ward: Sacraments against Chatbots |
| Alternate | Alternate paper: The Intellectual Symphony: Barbara H Wyman |
| 12:00 | Mass |
| 1:00 | Lunch/Farewell |