Seton Values Summit on Faith and Work

The Center for Catholic Studies and the G.K. Chesterton Institute for Faith & Culture, partnered with RENEW International, are excited to announce the program and speakers for the Seton Values Summit, a one-day conference for professionals in any field and stage of life. The upcoming Summit will focus on balancing faith and work in everyday life, and is scheduled to take place on Saturday March 9, 2024, beginning at 8:30 a.m. on campus in Bethany Hall.

As an Archdiocesan institution (one of only 10 diocesan Catholic colleges/universities in the United States), part of Seton Hall’s unique mission and identity involves engagement with the local Church and community. The Center for Catholic Studies lives, shares, and deepens this identity by fostering dialogue between the Catholic Intellectual Tradition and the lived experience of Seton Hall community members in every area of study and contemporary culture. RENEW International is not-for-profit organization that works toward a complementary goal, striving to accompany and support the people of God as they strengthen their personal faith & parish vitality and inspire them to connect faith and life. While headquartered in Plainfield, New Jersey, RENEW’s outreach and impact in organizing parish, family, and community initiatives for evangelization and spiritual growth extends to more than 160 dioceses in the United States and 24 countries. The current executive director of RENEW is Seton Hall graduate G. Gregory Tobin, M.A. '06, appointed by Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, Archbishop of Newark, in 2022. 

The 2024 Summit promises a full lineup of dynamic presentations and workshops, including keynote speakers Carolyn Woo, Ph.D. and Christopher Lowney. Woo served as the dean of the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame for 14 years and as President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services. She is the author of Rising: Learning from Women's Leadership in Catholic Ministries. The Center is delighted to welcome Carolyn Woo to present on "Grace in a Competitive World."  

Chris Lowney, author of Heroic Leadership and What Me, Holy? will open the program with his talk, "The Spirituality of Great Leadership - Best Practices for Life and Work." A one-time Jesuit seminarian who later served as a Managing Director for JP Morgan on three continents, Lowney will reflect on the complex, change-intensive world we all must navigate and highlight how the wisdom of our spiritual tradition can help us to become better decision-makers, to find peace amid life's daily chaos, and to live "whole" rather than "split" lives.

Breakout sessions throughout the morning and afternoon will cover topics of mission, vocation, leadership, and using one’s spiritual gifts, always tying into the theme of balancing faith, work, and life. Among these optional session leaders are Lt. Col. Matthew Pride, military officer and professor of military science at U.S. Army cadet command; Tom Pagano, co-founder and President of Mission Advantage Recruiting; Julie Burkey, D.Min., Adjunct Professor of Pastoral Theology at Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary and School of Theology; and John Fontana, Executive Director of the Ignatian Business Chapters, RENEW International since 2017.

Participants will be invited to worship together at the closing Mass at 4:30 p.m. with Monsignor Joseph Reilly, Vice Provost for Academics and Catholic Identity, as the main celebrant.

The cost of attendance is $50 per person, including breakfast and lunch, and the event is open to all adults seeking to better integrate their faith into their daily work routines. All Seton Hall students and faculty are welcome to attend! Be sure to save the date and register here; RENEW International, the G.K. Chesterton Institute and the Center for Catholic Studies look forward to a fruitful summit.

Categories: Education, Faith and Service