Resume

• 2020

  Xavier University

• 2014

  Xavier University

  Xavier University

• 2013

  Merrimack College

  Boston College

  Taught introductory Christian theology as well as upper-level Christian ethics courses.

  Merrimack College

• 2009

  Focus: moral formation for Catholic social teaching

  learning

  and practices.

  Boston College

  Ph.D.

  Graduate studies focused on Catholic moral theology and Christian ethics with a specialization in moral formation for Catholic social thought (CST). Dissertation focus: a theology of neighbor and pedagogy for neighbor-formation

  drawing on CST principles of solidarity and the preferential option for the poor.

  Boston College

• 2008

  Member

  Advocate

  Hunger Justice Leader (2008)

  Bread for the World

  Spanish Honor Society

  Member

  Chapter President (2002-2003)

  Sigma Delta Pi

  Member

  Phi Beta Kappa

• 2007

  Spanish

  English

  M.T.S.

  Concentration: Theological Ethics

  Graduate Assistant

  Campus Ministry; Social Justice Committee; co-chair

  Alpha Sigma Nu.

  Boston College

• 2003

  Marquette University

  St. Joseph and St. Mary's Visitation Parishes

  Marquette University

  Masters Student

  Masters in Theological Studies (M.T.S.) in Theological Ethics.

  Boston College

  Director of Youth Ministry

  St. Joseph and St. Mary's Visitation Parishes

  Campus Ministry Graduate Assistant

  Accompanying the students in 4Boston (2008 to 2013) and the Arrupe International Immersion Program (2009-2011).

  Boston College

  Jesuit Honor Society

  Member

  Chapter Co-Chair (2007-2008)

  Alpha Sigma Nu

• 2000

  Honors B.A.

  Majors: English and Spanish Language and Literature\nMinors: Political Science and Theology

  Resident Assistant

  Manresa Scholar

  and member of Phi Beta Kappa

  Alpha Sigma Nu

  Sigma Tau Delta

  and Sigma Delta Pi.

  Marquette University

• Leadership Development

  Spanish

  Higher Education

  Program Development

  Nonprofits

  Tutoring

  Public Speaking

  Theology

  Social Media

  Writing

  Fundraising

  Research

  Student Development

  Teaching

  Social Justice

  Youth Development

  Volunteer Management

  Student Affairs

  Community Outreach

  Youth Ministry

  Reading the Screens of our Times

  The intimate bonds of marriage and family life are increasingly being shaped by digital technology and personal devices. The average American spends at least eleven hours a day with a screen of some kind

  used to help with work

  school

  and family responsibilities as well as endless possibilities for information

  entertainment

  and connecting with others. These digital tools are not inherently good or bad

  as their moral value is measured by their intended use

  circumstances

  and outcome. However

  neither are screens neutral

  since they are situated in a specific social context that can influence the agency of users. This chapter explores how screens are shaping marriage and family life by observing how screens impact personal identity

  marital and family relationships

  and the social consciousness and commitment that link families to society. The goal of this chapter is to invite readers to consider a more virtuous use of screens to promote human dignity and rights

  relationships marked by mutual respect and responsibility

  and digital interactions that advance the common good.

  Reading the Screens of our Times

  Invoking the poignant image of Alan Kurdi

  this article (pp. 8-11) explores the limits of empathy in response to Pope Francis' call to overcome indifference and work for a more inclusive solidarity. A timely and urgent reminder in the face of Syrian refugee crisis and growing concerns about \"welcoming the stranger.\"

  Alan Kurdi

  Martyr

  Mercy is the defining characteristic of Pope Francis’ leadership. Francis’ words and actions have made visible a discipline of mercy

  which does more than illuminate God’s character and purpose; it offers an expansive imaginative framework to spark new possibilities for moral agency and growth. Before Francis

  mercy received limited attention in the canon of Catholic social thought. Francis’ signature message of mercy retrieves a central moral duty in Scripture

  provides a focal lens for Catholic social thought

  and aims to inspire a “revolution of tenderness” capable of inspiring personal conversion and social change. This essay moves forward in three steps: it first unpacks the rich and diverse meaning of the word mercy and explores its undervalued role in CST

  then analyzes how mercy functions as the crux of Francis’ moral imagination

  and finally explores how mercy expands possibilities for living the principles of Catholic social thought.

  Mercy: The Crux of Pope Francis’ Moral Imagination

  Drawing from Robert Putnam's work in Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis

  this essay explores how families are facing new and widespread challenges in the United States. Turning to Pope Francis' appeal to mercy

  solidarity

  and hope

  this essay then explores whether and how the practice of mercy within and between families can help parents and children endure and overcome these challenges in striving for personal and collective flourishing. It proceeds in three steps: first

  by identifying and describing some of the root causes of the chaos and crises being experienced by parents

  children

  and adolescents; second

  by analyzing the church’s response in Amoris Laetitia and Pope Francis’ emphasis on mercy; third

  by proposing James Keenan’s four cardinal virtues—prudence

  self-care

  fidelity

  and justice—as practices of mercy in order to become more attentive and responsive to the needs of families today at the personal

  social

  and institutional levels.

  Families in Crisis and the Need for Mercy

  Grace is hardly mentioned in the canon of Catholic social teaching. When grace is invoked

  it is typically discussed as a gift for personal sanctification

  but not a relationship empowering human and divine cooperation for social and ecological responsibility. This essay examines the limited treatment of grace in Catholic social teaching outside of Familiaris consortio and Amoris laetitia before proposing that the traditional emphasis on grace at work in family life can be a model for more intentionally partnering with grace beyond family life. Reclaiming grace as a relationship for cooperation provides a framework for practicing the principles of Catholic social teaching in order to effect change in family life

  in local faith communities

  and through Catholic NGOs that forge international connections. Grace thus inspires a template for moral formation from the ground up that emphasizes shared practices for participating in “social grace” (in contrast to “social sin”) for integral flourishing as envisioned in Catholic social teaching.

  Reclaiming Grace in Catholic Social Thought

  This essay aims to rescue the Jesuit value of magis from becoming banal jargon like striving for “excellence” or “generosity.” While some might have a vague sense of what magis means

  this charism of Jesuit education is better understood as a horizon of meaning that orients our work as partners in mission for inclusive and integral human flourishing for the Greater Glory of God (A.M.D.G.). After describing how magis provides the raison d’être of Jesuit education

  this essay addresses several challenges that result from current perceptions of higher education as well as the socio-cultural context that shapes students today. Insofar as widespread moral relativism blunts the call to action implied by magis

  this essay proposes five key virtues (love

  mercy

  justice

  solidarity

  and hope) to amplify how magis can inspire in us a commitment to pursue “the good life” as part of our work in Jesuit education. Finally

  this essay pivots to the praxis of teaching by highlighting three tools (contemplation

  imagination

  and vocation discernment) for education as formation for magis.

  Teaching Magis at College: Meaning

  Mission

  and Moral Responsibility

  Mercy is the defining characteristic of Pope Francis’s leadership. His words and actions have made visible a discipline of mercy

  which does more than illuminate God’s character and purpose; it offers an expansive imaginative framework to spark new possibilities for moral agency and growth. Before Francis

  mercy received limited attention in the canon of CST. Francis’s signature message of mercy retrieves a central moral duty in Scripture

  provides a focal lens for CST

  and prompts a “revolution of tenderness” capable of inspiring personal conversion and social change. This chapter examines this message in three stages: we first unpack the rich and diverse meaning of the word mercy and explore its undervalued role in CST; we then analyze how mercy functions as the crux of Francis’s moral imagination

  and finally

  we explore how mercy expands possibilities for living the\nprinciples of CST.

  Mercy

  In this chapter (pp. 46-62 in the edited volume

  \"Liturgy + Power\")

  I argue that the essential link between the Eucharist and social justice (as the Catechism teaches

  it “commits us to the poor”) needs to be reclaimed with greater emphasis and urgency. Even before theological reflections on the Eucharist were formulated

  the liturgical act of breaking bread was practiced by the first Christians to re-present Jesus’ inclusive table fellowship that erased the barriers rendering some unclean

  unworthy

  and otherwise outcast (so disruptive to the worldview of Jesus’ contemporaries that they wanted him dead). Today

  the church—most clearly in the celebration of Eucharist—is the assembly of people in relationship empowered by the synergy shared between humanity and divinity. However

  Eucharist cannot be the activity of human and divine power-sharing unless and until those gathered (i.e.

  the church) are aware of the reality they are being invited to share. Moreover

  for Eucharist to become genuine synergy for solidarity

  the celebration of the liturgy must become a practice of co-responsibility initiated by radical welcome

  reception of God’s self-giving presence and power

  and a return-gift that uses this presence and power to cultivate inclusive relationships rooted in justice and love.

  Liturgy as Power-Sharing: Synergy for Solidarity

  If we are going to heal our broken world

  we must shatter the illusion that we are separate from each other. This is what it means to be Jesuit educated. To be women and men for and with others

  striving to live out our faith in the promotion of justice. We might talk about magis like generosity or excellence

  but it’s really about bringing glory to God (AMDG) by embracing our inherent goodness

  affirming the dignity of others

  and building communities marked by shared flourishing

  the common good.

  Beyond Us and Them: Learning to Be the Difference by Being Together

  This essay (pp. 329-344) applies Pope Francis' repeated call to foster a \"culture of encounter\" to ecological engagement in a way that takes into account the increasing rates of human experience mediated through a screen. This essay first proposes what it means to apply Francis' \"culture of encounter\" to the natural environment

  subsequently addresses why this matters with respect to ecological crises

  and finally explores whether and how digitally-mediated engagement might be used to promote the \"ecological conversion\" highlighted in Laudato Si' in order to raise awareness and sustain responsible action to promote the flourishing of the whole created order. (Volume 13

  Issue 2

  16 pages.)

  Beyond Slacktivism: A Culture of Encounter and Ecological Conversion through a Screen?

  Today

  many people think that college is a commodity

  reducing it to preparation for a profession

  or focusing on the “return on investment” in the cost of tuition. But the costliness of Jesuit education requires much more. Our core Jesuit values rooted in reflection and discernment

  care for the whole person

  being women and men for and with others

  and living a faith that does justice are much more than charisms that distinguish us from other institutions. They mark a way of proceeding that seeks to be ever more attentive and responsive to God’s presence and power in and around us

  so that we can be partners in building a more inclusive and equitable society. Jesuit education provides a vision of partnership so that unilateral doing for is replaced with mutuality and accompaniment

  a journeying together toward hope and healing.

  The Costliness of Jesuit Education

  Some bishops and priests have warned Catholics to avoid Pride Month events

  calling them \"especially harmful to children\" or opposed to the \"truth of the Gospel.\" But Jesus never said one word about LGBT persons and the Catechism of the Catholic church insists that LGBT persons \"must be accepted with respect

  compassion

  and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided” (no. 2358). This article describes how homophobia has no place in any Christian community and why each person who identifies as Christian should work to model Jesus' inclusive table fellowship that excluded no one.

  Confronting Homophobia in our Church

  The church has never had a pope like Francis. His radical vision

  embrace of mercy

  emphasis on geography

  listening

  and synodality are all practices that not only define his pontificate

  but model a pathway for turning the \"Francis Moment\" into goals and strategies to build a \"Francis Movement.\"

  The Mercy Pope: Five Takeaways from Francis' First Five Years

  Pope Francis calls on us to build a “culture of encounter” to bring people together across differences. This book proposes what that would take in an American context marked by rising individualism

  racial tensions

  class segregation

  hyperpartisanship

  and echo chambers online. To overcome despair

  distrust

  and division

  The Ethics of Encounter draws from scripture

  church teaching

  and the work of Fr. Greg Boyle

  SJ

  as a case study in order to construct a moral framework for practicing Christian neighbor love that aspires for inclusive solidarity. This book proposes a way to move from a \"culture of encounter\" to a \"culture of belonging.\"

  The Ethics of Encounter

  This essay considers the impact of our time spent with screens on moral identity

  agency

  and relationships. It addresses the ways these digital devices function as structures of vice/sin and how we can respond by practicing the virtues of prudence

  temperance

  fidelity

  self-care

  and resistance.

  The Moral Impact of Digital Devices

  This article addresses the pervasive reality of indifference as an obstacle for mercy in social and ecological justice. It draws on the work of Fr. Gregory Boyle to propose compassion and kinship as necessary to respond to Pope Francis' call to \"overcome indifference.\"

  The Problem of Indifference

  This article unpacks the rich

  manifold descriptions of mercy in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures. In a nutshell

  these pages (4-5) demonstrate that mercy is who God is and what God wants for God's people. Mercy is the basis for right-relationship with God and neighbor

  the motivation for not just reaching out to others in need

  but allowing ourselves to be reached by others

  as well.

  Reach out with Mercy

  In the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric and myths

  we need to confront and condemn fear of the stranger

  immigrant

  and refugee. We shouldn’t welcome immigrants and refugees because it benefits us (it does). We should welcome them because it is what Christ commands. Matthew 25:31-46 depicts the Final Judgment not based in piety or prayer

  but love. The sheep (those who are saved) are just as surprised as the goats (those who are condemned) that they are welcomed into the kingdom of heaven because they fed the hungry

  clothed the naked

  and welcomed the stranger. And if that was the standard even before Jesus offered this instruction to his disciples

  then so much so will it be for us who have been warned. This scene represents a fitting test or examination of conscience for the limits of our love and solidarity.

  Manufactured Fear vs. the Christian Call to Solidarity

  As Saint Ignatius of Loyola reminds us -- and Pope Francis tries to show us -- love is better shown in deeds than in words. Pope Francis' example in humility

  inclusion

  listening

  forgiveness

  and presence reflects the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.

  5 Lessons Pope Francis Shows with his Actions more than his Words

  This article argues that peace requires interfaith solidarity

  especially in a way that forges mutual respect and dialogue between Christians and Muslims. These pages (28-29) unpack the significance of Pope Francis' recent claim that all Christians are called to be \"artisans of peace.\"

  Why We Must Make Room for the Other

  Marcus