Department of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University

10/05/2026

The Department of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University is proud to share this fascinating upcoming conversation at Villanova University exploring the history and impact of papal encyclicals.

Join our very own- Dr. Ines A. Murzaku for a panel discussion examining how papal encyclicals have inspired and guided social movements throughout history.

📅 Wednesday, October 7th
🕕 6:00 PM
📍 Topper Theater, John and Joan Mullen Center for the Performing Arts, Villanova University

We are especially proud to see Dr. Ines A. Murzaku, Director of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University, participating as one of the distinguished panelists alongside scholars from Villanova University and Indiana University Bloomington.

Join us for an engaging conversation on faith, history, Catholic social thought, and the role of the Church in the public square.

🎟️ Register for tickets and learn more through Villanova University. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/6kb2c6n/lp/3ebadb13-c11f-4b62-bea9-d1bbe1db5771

09/28/2026

EXPLORE THE WORLD THROUGH CATHOLIC STUDIES!! ✈️🌎

The Department of Catholic Studies is excited to share three incredible Spring Embedded Study Abroad opportunities with our students! These programs offer the opportunity to explore faith, culture, history, service, and more through immersive experiences around the world.

🇮🇹 ITALY IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE SAINTS
Explore the fantastic views, beauty, and history of Assisi, Rome, Siena, Naples, Mozzagrogna, Pompeii, and more!

🇲🇽 FAITH AND HEALTHCARE IN MEXICO
Explore faith, service, and healthcare in Mexico! Visit the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Teotihuacán, Cholula, and more, while gaining first-hand healthcare experience through Catholic Social Thought.

🇯🇵 FAITH AND CULTURE IN JAPAN
Explore faith, culture, and history in Japan! Visit Nagasaki, Amakusa, Hirado, and Tokyo while discovering Japan’s rich Catholic heritage through historic churches, the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum, and more.

✨ INTERESTED IN JOINING US?
Click the links below to show your interest and be among the first to know when applications officially open!

⚠️ SPOTS ARE VERY LIMITED, so we encourage interested students to submit their interest as soon as possible.

🌍 Where will Catholic Studies take you this spring?

https://www.shu.edu/international-programs/study-abroad/spring-embedded-programs.html

09/28/2026

‼️🔔 HAPPENING TODAY!!!

We are pleased to share that Dr. Ines A. Murzaku, Professor of Religion and Director of the Catholic Studies Program at Seton Hall University, will be featured in Sarum College’s Modern Mystics on Mondays webinar series this fall.

On Monday, September 28, Dr. Murzaku will lead a special session exploring Mother Teresa of Kolkata, with particular attention to her mystical theology, spiritual writings, and experience of the “Dark Night of the Soul.”

💻 Online via Zoom
📅 Monday, September 28th
⏰ 2:30 PM EST

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from Dr. Murzaku and engage with her scholarship on Mother Teresa alongside an international audience.

Learn more and register:
https://www.sarum.ac.uk/short-courses/modern-mystics-mother-teresa-of-kolkata/

Join us online and support Dr. Murzaku as she shares her scholarship beyond the Seton Hall community. ✨

09/23/2026

Oct 4-6

Seton Hall University will welcome the relics of St. Bernadette Soubirous to the South Orange campus October 4-6, offering the University community a special opportunity for prayer and veneration.

09/17/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us for “I Thirst: Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Theology of the Crucifixion”!

A special thank you to Dr. Edmund M. Lazzari for sharing his insights and reflections with us, and to Dr. Ines Murzaku for organizing and making this event possible. We are also grateful to our co-sponsors, Campus Ministry and the University Core, for their support and partnership.

Thank you to everyone who continues to make Catholic Studies events at Seton Hall a meaningful space for learning, faith, and dialogue. 🤍

09/16/2026

We are pleased to share that Dr. Ines A. Murzaku, Professor of Religion and Director of the Catholic Studies Program at Seton Hall University, will be featured in Sarum College’s Modern Mystics on Mondays webinar series this fall.

On Monday, September 28, Dr. Murzaku will lead a special session exploring Mother Teresa of Kolkata, with particular attention to her mystical theology, spiritual writings, and experience of the “Dark Night of the Soul.”

💻 Online via Zoom
📅 Monday, September 28th
⏰ 7:30-9:00 PM UK time

This is a wonderful opportunity to hear from Dr. Murzaku and engage with her scholarship on Mother Teresa alongside an international audience.

Learn more and register:
https://www.sarum.ac.uk/short-courses/modern-mystics-mother-teresa-of-kolkata/

Join us online and support Dr. Murzaku as she shares her scholarship beyond the Seton Hall community. ✨

09/10/2026

✝️ I THIRST: Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Theology of the Crucifixion

Join the Dept. of Catholic Studies for an afternoon of reflection and theological discussion on the Cross of Christ and the profound insights of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.

📖 Featuring: Edmund M. Lazzari, Ph.L., STL (Cand.), Ph.D.
📅 Wednesday, September 16, 2026
⏰ 2:00 PM
📍 Mooney Hall 339 (The CORE Center)

Drawing from Archbishop Sheen’s decades of Good Friday preaching, this lecture will explore how he understood the Crucifixion, suffering, redemption, and Christ’s universal embrace of humanity through the Cross.

🤍 Free and open to the public!!!

Co-sponsored by the University Core and Campus Ministry.

🔗 Read more about the event and speaker:

https://www.shu.edu/catholic-studies-program/news/i-thirst-archbishop-fulton-sheens-theology-of-the-crucifix.html

09/04/2026

We are pleased to share a new analysis by Dr. Ines A. Murzaku, Professor of Religion and Director of the Dept. of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall University, published by Global Catholic.

In “Look East: Pope Leo’s Concrete Lesson in Synodality,” Dr. Murzaku explores what the Eastern Catholic Churches can teach the universal Church about synodality, communion, and the relationship between papal primacy and authentic ecclesial self-governance.

We invite our students, alumni, colleagues, and friends to read and engage with this timely reflection.

👉 Read the full article below:
https://www.globalcatholic.com/look-east-pope-leos-concrete-lesson-in-synodality/

08/17/2026

In the latest article for Catholic World Report, our very own Dr. Ines Murzaku explores Pope Leo XIV’s recent clarification on papal primacy and its significance for Catholic-Orthodox dialogue. Reflecting on ecclesial unity, synodality, and the distinction between temporal sovereignty and the Petrine ministry, she considers an important question for the future of Christian unity: What’s next?

🔗 Read the full article here: Catholic World Report

https://www.catholicworldreport.com/2026/08/16/clarifying-primacy-for-catholic-orthodox-dialogue/

06/10/2026

How can we safeguard human dignity in an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?

Read this insightful article featuring Dr. Ines Murzaku, Director of our Catholic Studies Program at Seton Hall University, as she reflects on Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, and the Eastern Catholic perspective on human dignity, technology, and the mystery of the human person. (OSV News - We’ve got the Church covered)

Read the article below.

https://www.osvnews.com/pope-leos-encyclical-a-call-to-recover-the-mystery-of-humans-says-eastern-catholic-scholar/