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Catholic Imagination Conference explores faith's role in modern arts

St. Barbara Church | St. Barbara Church

The recent Catholic Imagination Conference at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, brought together over 1,200 participants and 175 presenters to discuss the role of Catholic imagination in contemporary arts and letters. The event, held from October 31 to November 2, was guided by the theme "Ever Ancient, Ever New."

Since its inception in 2015, the biennial conference has aimed to promote a Catholic voice in fiction, poetry, and fine arts. This mission stems from a perceived decline in Catholic presence in public consciousness since the mid-20th century and seeks to counteract latent anti-Catholic sentiment in academia and secular culture.

This year's conference was organized alongside the University of Notre Dame's de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture. While primarily focused on literary arts, the involvement of the de Nicola Center expanded discussions into areas such as healthcare, civil discourse, polarized communities, and artificial intelligence.

Angela Alaimo-O'Donnell from Fordham University noted that earlier conferences had a strong literary focus but have since broadened to include diverse topics like crime novels and visual art. "Our offerings, speakers, and panel discussions have become more diverse," she stated.

Women authors were prominently featured this year with readings from Latina poets Sarah Cortez, Natalia Treviño, Gina Franco, and Adela Najarro. The conference also included workshops on both well-known and lesser-known Catholic women writers.

Judith Wolfe delivered the keynote address. She emphasized that while human imagination cannot fully grasp divine mysteries, art can offer glimpses of transcendence. "Poetry and art cannot guarantee the fulfillment of our glimpses of wholeness but they can awaken the courage to hope for it," Wolfe said.

Dana Gioia played a significant role in shaping the conference's vision. In his closing address at this year's event, he urged Catholic creatives to explore essential truths beyond contemporary secular norms. "If you want to be a writer," he advised attendees, "don't meet the world on the world's terms."

Michael Mastromatteo contributed as a writer covering this event.