Mid Century American Short Stories

 Starts Wednesday 3 Feb
This course explores the preoccupations of four mid-20^th century American short story writers: William Faulkner, Carson McCullers, Flannery O’Connor and Ernest Hemingway. In particular we will read, examine and discuss the way these writers represent spiritual isolation, desire for redemption and hunger for true connection. These giants of American Literature hold in their cross hairs a landscape driven by uncertainty and estrangement.

Concluding with Francis' Fratelli Tutti

  Starts Thursday 4 Feb
This course will consider the development of Catholic social teaching from both a historical and theological perspective.  It will begin with the attempts by Catholic thinkers and pastoral leaders to respond to the injustices of industrialization in nineteenth-century Europe.  It will then consider

Crises & dimensions, thinking & willing

Starts Thursday 4 February
In Unit I we focused on some general principles underlying the development of a healthy spirituality. In Unit II we will focus more on particular concrete facets of spirituality. Walker Percy, the American essayist, wrote: “It is pilgrims we are, wayfarers on a journey, and not pigs, not angels.” (Walker Percy, Love in the Ruins: Adventures of a Bad Catholic at a Time Near the End of the World, Avon Books, 1978, 104.)

Pilgrims frequently come to crossroads, choices must be made – sometimes without much knowledge of what the consequences might be.

  Starts Tuesday 2 March

We often hear the phrase ‘follow your conscience’. But what exactly does the word ‘conscience’ mean? How does ‘follow your conscience’ differ from ‘anything goes?’ How important is the role of ‘conscience’ - in the eyes of the Church and, more importantly, in the eyes of God? How can we understand the ‘primacy of conscience’ and the way it relates to the ‘primacy of truth’?

St Patrick’s Parish Covid-19 Safety plan covers Aquinas Academy. The Parish plan is registered with the State Government and may be viewed on the Parish web site.

A copy of this plan is also available here.

Specific procedures applying at Aquinas Academy are as follows: Chairs, table tops and other surfaces are disinfected prior to all classes; coffee and tea and biscuits are served rather than self-served.

Michael Whelan SM PhD, Director