DIOCESAN NEWS
010/02/09
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Oxford hosts national Catholic meet
      OXFORD — The Law School at the University of Mississippi with much support from St. John Parish will host the annual meeting of the Society of Catholic Social Scientists (SCSS) Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31.
      “This is the first time in its history the society has met on the campus of a secular university and the first time in the South,” said Ron Rychlak, associate dean for academic affairs of the University of Mississippi School of Law and a member of St. John Parish.
Rychlak has been an advisor to the Holy See’s delegation to the United Nations for the last 10 years and attended three of the society’s conferences.
      “We’re anticipating at least 80 members of the society attending, and hoping a large number of priests, religious and lay people from the Oxford area and from around the state will take advantage of this opportunity and join us,” he said.
      Among the highlights are a special Mass on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at St. John Church followed by a reception and catfish dinner at St. John parish hall.
      Archbishop Celestino Migliore, apostolic nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, will give a keynote address on Friday at 8 p.m. at the Law School, Moot Court I. His topic will be “The UN: Modern Aeropagus for the Catholic Church.”
      Over 50 Catholic scholars have signed up to participate in 20 different panels on a variety of topics during the conference.
      Rychlak said three panels will run simultaneously providing something of interest to all participants.
      Panels will begin after lunch on Friday. Included are such varied topics as joint models of psychological and spiritual care, bioethics, human struggles and structures, toward the common good: a Catholic critique of political science, population, on love and prayer, same-sex marriage issues, Catholic economics, social structures, religion in the public square, Catholicism and freedom, war and peace and sex and sexuality.
      Presenters hail from colleges, universities and institutes from across the country including Gonzaga University, Loyola/Chicago, Ave Maria University School of Law, St. Ambrose University, Northern Illinois University, Texas State University, as well as a priest from the Archdiocese of Manila.
      Father Peter Stravinskas, scholar, author and apologist, will speak at the barbecue lunch on Saturday. His topic will be “A Sociological Overview of Priesthood over the Past 40 years.”
      In the local community’s efforts to make the conference a memorable event, a host of special activities will be offered and will include a tour of Oxford on a double-decker bus (including a ride to William Faulkner’s home Rowan Oak), a screening of the movie “Intruder in the Dust” (based on a Faulkner book and filmed in Oxford in 1949), and music by Catholic recording artist W. Keith Moore (who was featured on EWTN’s “The Journey Home” on Aug. 24).
      Registration for non-members of the society is $55. A block of rooms at The Inn at Ole Miss has been reserved. Rooms range from $76-89 for a single and $86-99 for a double.
      Msgr. Elvin Sunds, vicar general of the Diocese of Jackson, said, in a letter to priests and religious in the Jackson diocese, “It looks like a rare opportunity to attend a quality conference in our own back yard.”
      Fees for priests and religious in Mississippi have been waived, Rychlak said.
      Send registration information and fees by Wednesday, Oct. 14, to Niler Franklin, School of Law, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677. Visit online fore more information.

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