Lumen Christi Institute
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university
Featured Events & News
Webinar Watch Party - Beyond the Tenure Track: Catholic Vocation in Higher Education | Feb. 10, 2026
Graduate training often assumes a single path: the tenure-track job at a major research university. This webinar reframes professional development within a Catholic understanding of vocation and invites Catholic graduate students to reflect on their academic calling by exploring possibilities for faithful, flourishing work in higher education. A house watch party with dinner served will be hosted for graduate students and early career scholars.
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Masterclass - Wonder at the Silence of God: Sin and the Mystery of the Divine Presence in Shusaku Endo's Masterpiece | Mar. 19, 2026
Scott Roniger will lead a masterclass on Thursday, March 19 at 1:00pm, followed by a wine and cheese reception. This event is designated for current graduate & advanced undergraduate students and faculty from the University of Chicago & regional colleges and universities.
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Winter Monastery Visit - Conversion in the Modern Church: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil | Feb. 28, 2026
Experience the silence, prayer, and chant with the monks at the Monastery of the Holy Cross. In addition to a taste of the contemplative life, join a conversation hosted by the Prior of the Monastery, Fr. Peter Funk. He will lead a discussion on “Conversion in the Modern World,” with a focus on “The Flesh.”
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2026 Healthcare Summer Seminar announced; CST in Business Education Extended: March 2
Applications for two of Lumen Christi's upcoming summer seminars, "Catholic Social Thought in Business Education" and the newly announced "'From Ancient Wisdom to Person-Centered Care': Historical, Philosophical, and Theological Foundations of Healthcare" are due on Monday, March 2.
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Winter Newman Forum Conference for High School Students: Back to the Future! | Feb. 21, 2026
What is the relationship between the past and the present? And how can this relationship prepare us for our future? How do we think about the past in a world fixated on the new? The "Back to the Future!" conference will gather high school students to discover the fascinating realities of everyday and misunderstood scientific, historical, literary, and religious topics.
Learn More and RegisterLumen Christi has been one of the great spiritual achievements of the last 25 years. And to see Lumen Christi flourishing so well and expanding around the country is a sign of tremendous hope for the Church.
The longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.
Celebrated University of Chicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins once remarked that the Catholic Church has “the longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.” The mission of the Lumen Christi Institute is to make the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university and the broader culture. The Lumen Christi Institute’s programs enrich academic communities at the University of Chicago and beyond with the insights of Catholic thought, in order to engage our secular culture in dialogue and ultimately to renew our civilization by forming leaders for a global society in need of Christian wisdom.
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Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university