with Amie Sims
Sundays, October 23 – November 13 at 9:30 a.m.
The Divine Comedy takes Dante first to hell, where souls in chaos choose disordered love, putting a lesser love in place of a greater one. In purgatory, he travels mindfully with the souls in the process of ordering their loves, and finally, the poet is invited to the contemplation of paradise, where the souls in joy live “the love that moves the sun and stars.” This accessible epic speaks to the human condition on several levels – an adventure story and Dante’s psychological and spiritual crisis – and how that crisis was resolved. The Florentine poet emphasizes that everyone and everything on earth can be a channel of God’s grace.
Pope Francis recommends Dante’s Divine Comedy as important reading for the Year of Mercy, saying that Dante’s experience can help us “get through the many dark woods we come across in our world.”
Amie Sims is an adjunct instructor at Christian Brothers University, parishioner of St. Peter, and well known adult faith formation presenter in the Diocese of Memphis. Catechist certification hours with the Diocese of Memphis available.
Everyone is invited. You do not need to have read the Divine Comedy to attend. There is no cost for the course, but copies of the book will be available for purchase.
Please join us as we celebrate the extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy with Dante’s work as a spiritual guide!
Patricia Bruno, O.P. Is a Dominican Sister of San Rafael, CA, Sister Patricia writes a monthly scripture Internet article, “Stories Seldom Heard”, is a retreat director and has led preaching workshop in New Zealand, Australia and the United States. Formerly Patricia served as a member of the board for the Academy of Preachers, the Promoter of Preaching for her congregation and the Promoter for the Dominicans in the Western Region. She co-teaches a poetry writing class at Faithful Fools in San Francisco and volunteers with the Center for Justice and Accountability: an international human rights organization.
Fr. Jude Siciliano, O.P. Lives in a Dominican community in Dallas, Texas. He has been a preacher since his ordination in 1969. For fourteen years he taught Homiletics at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Ca. At that time, he was also a volunteer chaplain at San Quentin Prison. In Texas he is prior of his community and continues to do volunteer ministry at two local prisons. He has preached parish retreats as well as retreats for priests, religious, deacons and laity. He also travels throughout the country giving preaching workshops to ordained and laity.