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 Essay Contest
For rules regarding the St. Therese Lecture Essay Contest for middle school and high school students, click here!
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"Out of the darkness of my life, so much frustrated, I put before you the one great thing to love on earth: the Blessed Sacrament.....There you will find romance, glory, honor, fidelity, and the true way of all your loves upon earth, and more than that: Death: by the divine paradox, that which ends life, and demands the surrender of all, and yet by the taste (or foretaste) of which alone can what you seek in your earthly relationships (love, faithfulness, joy) be maintained, or take on that complexion of reality, of eternal endurance, which every man's heart desires." - J.R.R Tolkien
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September 12, 2000
The Most Rev. Oscar H. Lipscomb
The Continuing Quest for Authentic Christian Unity
March 13, 2001
His Eminence Francis Cardinal George
September 20, 2001
The Most Rev. Wilton D. Gregory
How We Are Formed by Our Liturgy
March 7, 2002
The Most Rev. Daniel E. Pilarczyk
“Thinking Catholic” The Christian Community: the One and the Many
October 17, 2002
Dr. Zeni Fox
The Role of the Laity in the Church of the New Millennium
March 12, 2003
Rev. Donald Senior, C.P.
The Gospel as Call to Mission
November 6, 2003
The Most Rev. Robert C. Morlino
Theology of the Body of Pope John Paul II
February 19, 2004
Rev. J. Bryan Hehir
Catholic Social Teaching and Social Ministry: A Time of Challenge and Change
April 2, 2004
Dr. Janet E. Smith
Evangelium Vitae, the Gospel of Life
November 11, 2004
The Most Rev. Timothy M. Dolan
“Duc in Altum”
March 3, 2005
Curtis Martin
New evangelization and ‘the Saints’ of the New Millennium
November 17, 2005
Mother Assumpta Long, OP
Consecrated Life: A Mosaic of Unity in Diversity
March 30, 2006
Rev. Tad Pacholczyk
Stem Cells & Cloning: Understanding the Scientific Issues & Moral Objections
September 19, 2006
The Most Rev. Paul Josef Cordes
President of the Vatican agency, Cor Unum
Deus Caritas Est
November 9, 2006
Dr. George Weigel
The Benedict Project: The Catholic Church in the 21st Century
March 8, 2007
Duncan Stroik
Ex Cathedra: A City Set on a Hill Cannot Be Hid
November 29, 2007
Sr. Prudence Allen, R.S.M
The Nature and Dignity of Women
May 12, 2008
The Most Rev. Celestino Migliore
Apostolic Nuncio to the United Nations
October 24, 2008
W. Bradford Wilcox, Ph.D.
The Facts of Life & Marriage: The Sociological Vindication of Humanae Vitae A Humanae Vitae 40th Event
February 19, 2009
Vicki Thorn
The Biochemistry of Sex
A Humanae Vitae 40th Event
April 23, 2009
Patty Schneier
Prove it God!...and He did
A Humanae Vitae 40th Event
February 19, 2010
Christopher West
God, Sex and the Meaning of Life
November 11, 2010
The Most Rev. John O. Barres
Catechesis & Renewal: 21st Century "Signs of the Times"
April 7, 2011
Rabbi Dr. David Dalin
The Myth of Hitler’s Pope: How Pope Pius XII Rescued Jews from the Nazis (audio)
November 8, 2011
Sister Sara Butler
Women's Ordination: Is it still a question?
May 20, 2012
Prof. Douglas Bushman
Faith, Reason and Unity a tribute to Blessed John Paul II
November 15, 2012
Tom Peterson
“Calling Catholic Heroes to the Rescue!”
April 5, 2013
Joseph Pearce
“The Hobbit and the Beauty of the Christian Life” (audio)
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St. Therese Lecture Series
Through the help of a generous benefactor, outstanding internationally recognized speakers are brought to the Diocese of Madison approximately twice each year as part of the St. Therese Lecture Series.
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 “The Hobbit and the Beauty of the Christian Life”
Catholic Author and Television host Prof. Joseph Pearce
 In a prestigious 1997 British readers’ poll, J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic fantasy The Lord of the Rings was voted the greatest book of the 20th century. In the United States, a 1999 poll of Amazon.com customers selected this same novel as the greatest book not merely of last century, but of the millennium. No less celebrated is this novel’s charming prequel The Hobbit, as last year's new blockbuster motion picture adaptation bears witness.
How did J.R.R. Tolkien’s devout Catholic faith influence his story telling and serve as a guide for communicating beauty, goodness and truth in The Hobbit? How can this film serve as a means of evangelization for our culture?
 World renowned Catholic author and EWTN television host Joseph Pearce will be exploring these questions and more at our spring St. Therese Lecture on Friday, April 5, 2013 at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center in Madison, WI at 7:30 p.m.
Prof. Pearce is Writer-in-Residence and Visiting Fellow at the Thomas More College of Liberal Arts, and Visiting Scholar at Mt. Royal Academy, both located in New Hampshire. He is also the co-editor of the St. Austin Review, executive director of Catholic Courses and series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions. He is a well-known biographer of Catholic literary giants G. K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien and Hilaire Belloc and has hosted numerous television series on EWTN. Professor Pearce’s talk will help us discover how the beauty of Catholic literature in popular culture can win souls for Christ and His Church. Don’t miss this extraordinary event.
Friday, April 5, 2013, 7:30 PM
Bishop O’Connor Catholic Pastoral Center, 702 S. High Point Rd., Madison
Reception to Follow
All the faithful in the Diocese of Madison are cordially invited to attend this special lecture during our Year of Faith.
Though it is not necessary for attendance, please register below so we may appropriately prepare for the honor of your presence. For a Flyer, click here.
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St. Therese Lecture Essay Contest
The Office of Evangelization & Catechesis sponsored an essay contest to coincide with this spring’s St. Therese Lecture.
The lecture will be given by professor, renowned author and EWTN television host Joseph Pearce on “The Hobbit and the Beauty of the Christian Life” at the Bishop O’Connor Catholic Center in Madison, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 5, 2013 exploring a similar topic to the essay.
Essay contest winners will be honored following the lecture. The essay topic asked how Bilbo Baggins grows in Christian virtue throughout the story and becomes more like Jesus Christ. While all participants will receive a prize, winners will have their work published in the April 11th issue of the Madison Catholic Herald and receive a cash prize.
High School prizes include $300 for first place, and $150 for second. The Middle School award is $200 for first place and $100 for second.
Congratulations to all of our participants. Together more than 50 essays were submitted with each of them providing a particular dimension of excellence. The task of our judges was very difficult. The essays were judged on, structure, form, clarity, style, accuracy, and understanding of the topic. After much consideration and collaboration among our several judges, we have arrived at the following winners.
High School Winners
1st Place
Marie Vande Hey
Homeschool
St. Katharine Drexel Parish
Kaukauna, WI
2nd Place
Daniel Schiedermayer
St. Ambrose Academy
Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael
Madison, WI
Middle School Winners
1st Place
Samuel Galvin
St. Ambrose Academy
Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael
Madison WI
2nd Place
Benedict J. Gallagher
Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael
Homeschool
Evansville, WI
Congratulations to these special students and many thanks to each of our outstanding young people who took the time to consider this topic and submit a thoughtful essay. We hope this exercise assisted each of them in recognizing some of the transcendentals of truth, goodness and beauty which are often present in popular culture and remain a most fitting preparation in drawing us closer to the ultimate perfection of these qualities Who is the Person of Jesus Christ, risen from the dead!
In addition, thank you to Our Essay Contest Judges:
Patrick Delaney
Director, Office of Evangelization & Catechesis
Diocese of Madison
Andy Galvin
Coordinator of Marriage and Family Ministry
Associate Director, Office of Evangelization & Catechesis
Diocese of Madison
Marie Lins
Administrative Assistant
Office of Evangelization & Catechesis
Diocese of Madison
Michelle Nilsson
Associate Director, Office of Evangelization & Catechesis
Diocese of Madison
Gina Pignotti
Dean of Students, Teacher, Religion, Science
St. Ambrose Academy
Madison, WI
Margarete Schels
Teacher, Grade 8
Saint John the Baptist School
Jefferson, WI 53549
Kevin Sullivan
Director of Religious Education
St. Bernard’s Catholic Church
Middleton, WI
Doug Ulaszek
Youth Minister
St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church
Cross Plains, WI
We look forward to seeing everyone at the lecture on Friday night to hear Prof. Pearce provide his reflections related to this interesting subject, and to also give us each a chance to discuss them more as well. See you Friday!
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About the St. Therese Lecture series
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In his Apostolic Letter Divini Amoris Scientia (The Science of Divine Love), Pope John Paul II examines the life and works of St. Thérèse of Lisieux and concludes that St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus demonstrates a “special charism of wisdom” in her teaching, which “is at once a confession of the Church’s faith, an experience of the Christian mystery and a way to holiness.”
Founding her “little way” of spiritual childhood in her letters and other writings - particularly her autobiography Story of a Soul - St. Thérèse lived her vocation of love. Making herself “very little,” she allowed God to make her service to the Gospel and to the Church very great (MS B, Ch. IX).“With her distinctive doctrine and unmistakable style, Thérèse appears as an authentic teacher of faith and the Christian life. As a woman, as a contemplative, and as a young person, Saint Thérèse is truly a “Teacher for the Church of our time.” Her feminine genius, hidden but fruitful life, and example for new generations make her message and its impact the kind of eminent doctrine which draws Christians of all ages and places to the Gospel she lived and loved.
As Bishop Bullock noted in his dedication of the Series to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the series offers Catholics in the Diocese of Madison a new opportunity to experience that life giving presence of Catholic Tradition, to learn more about their faith and to live more authentically the charity which St. Thérèse came to understand as her vocation.
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Follow-up to past St. Therese lectures
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Bishop John Barres, STD, JCL,DD
"Catechesis and Renewal: 21st Century 'Signs of the Times' in the World of Catechesis"by Bishop Barres, Bishop of the Diocese of Allentown, PA
Christopher West
Good News About Sex & Marriage by Christopher West - available through Ascension press in English and Spanish.
Patty Schneier
Women Healed - edited by Jean Blair Packard, Physician comments by Thomas W. Hilgers, M.D.Available through One More Soul, this book is filled with the testimonies of fifty women (and their husbands) whose lives have been enriched by the medical care at the National Center for Women's Health. The anecdotes draw the reader into the lives of women and men who have received help through the Creighton Model FertilityCare™ System and NaProTechnology.
Assorted CD’s by Patty Schneier available online or by phone through One More Soul. Titles include:
- Prove It, God! (And He Did)
- Reaching the Cafeteria Catholic-a talk for clergy
- True Love...How Will I Know?
- Parents, Get Real--Talk to Your Teens About Love
Vicky Thorn
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