Pilgrims of Hope: A Conference for Clergy and Religious in the Jubilee Year

The Catholic University of America welcomed clergy, religious, and consecrated men and women from across the country for Pilgrims of Hope: A Conference for Clergy and Religious in the Jubilee Year on June 3, 2025. The daylong event, hosted by the Office of Diocesan Engagement, invited participants to step away from their daily routines and gather in a spirit of reflection, fraternity, and spiritual renewal. Anchored in the themes of the Church’s 2025 Jubilee, the conference offered both pastoral insight and opportunities for dedicated, communal prayer—an encounter shaped by grace and grounded in a multidimensional exploration of hope through theological, spiritual, social, and pastoral lenses.

The conference’s title echoed the Jubilee theme proclaimed by Pope Francis: “Pilgrims of Hope.” In his papal bull, Spes non confundit (“Hope does not disappoint”), the late Holy Father reminded the Church that hope is not wishful thinking but a confident trust in Christ, born of love and sealed at the Cross. The theme was chosen in response to the particularly difficult years of global pandemic and forced isolation, as well as ongoing conflicts across the world. These challenges weigh heavily—felt by many as a Cross—but through faith, community, and shared hope, God’s healing grace is present. As the official Jubilee Prayer declared at the start of the conference: “May the grace of the Jubilee reawaken in us, Pilgrims of Hope, a yearning for the treasures of heaven.” Throughout the day, participants explored that yearning and considered how to embody hope in their own ministries and recognize it in others—fellow pilgrims who serve as a reminder that no one is alone in their vocation.

After a morning Mass in St. Michael the Archangel Chapel in Maloney Hall, the conference formally opened with a welcome from Dennis Strach, the inaugural director of the Office of Diocesan Engagement. Commenting on his initiatives in this new role, Strach later shared that he is guided by “President Kilpatrick’s priority for the office to serve as a hub for resources and ongoing formation for clergy and religious, as well as a trusted thought partner on pastoral and contemporary issues in the Church.” While the Office of Diocesan Engagement is relatively new, this special charge traces back to our founding in 1887, when the bishops of the United States—with the approval of Pope Leo XIII—first established The Catholic University to serve the Church. “This conference is a direct response to that mission.”

The morning keynote address was delivered by Robin Darling Young, ordinary professor of Church history at Catholic University. Her talk “Hope in a Time of Strife: Moments from the History of the Church,” explored how hope has sustained the faithful through conflict, division, and trial across centuries.

Breakout sessions throughout the day offered focused insights into the practical dimensions of ministry, including leadership, pastoral strategy, and spiritual growth.

One of the sessions, “Making All Things New: The Role of Conversion in the Ministry of Fundraising,” was led by Associate Vice Presidents of University Advancement, Patrick Dwyer (B.S.B.A. 2007) and William Roth. Dwyer sought to demystify fundraising by setting it within the context of the Gospel and by breaking it down into two components: “It’s all about mission and relationships. Really, clergy and religious leaders need only lean into their God-given skills—creating personal connections and fostering a shared belief in the vision of Jesus.” By aligning fundraising with the ministerial work of communion and community-building, Dwyer spoke to their greatest strengths and made the field more approachable.

Reflecting on the deeper purpose behind parish fundraising, Roth offers this insight: "You should feel empowered when you are fundraising for initiatives that advance the infrastructure and mission of your parish. Through philanthropy, you are respectfully inviting individuals into a more trusting relationship with you, one in which they become knowledgeable and invested partners in the Church’s needs and aspirations. Together, you work toward a more loving and sensitive society, better able to serve the Lord."

Additional breakout sessions included:

• “Caritas: Love Thus Needs to Be Organized”
  Brian Corbin, B.A. 1984
• “The Hopeful Shepherd (with a Business Mindset)”
  Rev. Robert Gahl
• “Salus Animarum: Canons of Hope”
  Rev. Paul B.R. Hartmann, J.C.L. 1999
• “What Do We Owe Each Other? Inter-generational Fraternity in the Presbyterate”
  Rev. Frank Donio, S.A.C., B.A. 1989, M.A. 1993, D.Min. 2012; Rev. Joseph Rampino, S.T.L. 2025; Very Rev. Paul D. Scalia; Stephen P. White, M.A. 2014
• “The Virtue of Spiritual Friendship on the Pilgrimage of Hope”
  Brother Daniel P. Wisniewski, O.S.F.S., B.S. 1995

The afternoon keynote address, “Combatting the Enemies of Hope,” was presented by Sister Anna Wray, O.P., Ph.B. 2012, Ph.L. 2014, Ph.D. 2019. Sister Wray emphasized that recognizing distractions and discouragements that hinder our pursuit of what we truly desire can become a means to nurture the virtue of hope and experience it more fully.

Throughout the day, community was fostered through interaction with Catholic University faculty and within the University’s sacred spaces, where participants had the opportunity for quiet moments of personal prayer.

As the day closed with a cocktail reception before a private dinner for alumni clergy and religious, participants departed not only with new knowledge but with renewed hearts and spirits, animated by the enduring promise of hope rooted in the Cross.