We have four amazing speakers lined up for Theology on Tap, which will take place Wednesday eveninga in July. Due to the construction on the veranda, this year’s faith talks will take place in the Parish Parking Lot this year. Fellowship and light refreshments at 7 PM; with the speaker’s talk at 7:30 PM.
Starting Wednesday, July 8, our parish Young Adult Ministry (YAM) will host four weekly talks that will explore this year’s theme, “Spiritual Traditions in the Church.” Our speakers will introduce us to some of the major approaches to living a Christian life, giving you access to disciplines and practices that will help you grow and deepen your faith.
July 8, 2026
Talk Title: The Restless Journey The Augustinian way of life
Rev. Thomas R. McCarthy, O.S.A.
Father Tom is an experienced teacher, administrator, retreat director and parish mission preacher. Fr. Tom entered the Midwest Province of the Augustinian Order in 1987. After completing his novitiate, he attended Catholic Theological Union in Chicago and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree. In 1993 he made his solemn vows as an Augustinian Friar and in 1994 he was ordained to the priesthood. Fr. Tom ministered in Rome as part of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization where he was named a Papal Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis in 2018. Fr. Tom is currently in his 15th year as Vocation Director for the Midwest Province. Father Tom is the Director of St. Rita of Cascia Shrine Chapel in Chicago, IL, and the Director of Community Relations at St. Rita High School in Chicago. Father Tom is also the Prior of the Pre-Novitiate Community of St. Clare of Montefalco Friary in Chicago. Father Tom was elected Prior Provincial of Our Mother of Good Counsel Province and will assume the position in June 2026.
You can find more information on his website www.frtommccarthy.com
July 15, 2026
Talk Title: “May he bring us all together to everlasting life:” Benedictine Perspectives on the Christian Community
Sister Belinda Monahan
Sister Belinda entered the Benedictine Sisters of Chicago in 2007 and took final vows in 2014. Prior to that, she completed her PhD at Northwestern University in Anthropology and worked as a research archaeologist. She has returned to the Sheil Catholic Center at Northwestern University as the Director of Transformative Learning, while also serving on her community council and as a member of the Benedictine Oblate Advisor Team.
July 22, 2026
Fr. Paul Shelton, SJ is the Vocation Director for the Midwest Province of the Society of Jesus. A native of Columbus, Ohio, he attended Marquette University and entered the Jesuits in 2003. He was ordained in 2014 and professed final vows in the Society of Jesus in 2024. In addition to his vocation work, Fr. Paul coordinates young adult participation in World Youth Day, with the next gathering taking place next summer in South Korea. In his free time, he is an avid supporter of Manchester United and enjoys running, gardening, and reading.
Sr. Catherine Kirwan-Avila is a member of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, an international congregation of Ignatian women, rooted in the Eucharist and dedicated to partnering in Christ’s reparative work in the world. She serves as a Campus Minister at Washington University (St. Louis, MO) and supports asylum seekers through Catholic Legal Aid. She also serves as Vocation Director for the Handmaids’ US Province. When she’s not eating, laughing or praying with her sisters or students, she loves a good, long walk in the woods. Like a few of her sisters, she was “ruined for life” (in the best sort of way) by her experience as a Jesuit Volunteer in Bolivia (2004-06). Sr. Catherine is originally from Cape Cod, Massachusetts and studied History, Social work and Theology and Spirituality at the College of the Holy Cross, Boston College and Comillas Pontifical University.
