The Most Reverend John McCarthy Lecture Series on the Catholic Church in the 21st Century
The series honors the Most Reverend John McCarthy, who led the Diocese of Austin from 1985 to 2001, and underscores the university’s commitment to its Catholic roots and Holy Cross heritage.
Held on campus through the School of Arts and Humanities, the McCarthy Lecture Series brings Catholic religious and lay experts from around the country to discuss issues facing the Catholic Church in the 21st century. The lectures are free and open to the public.
In Fall 2026, the Most Rev. John McCarthy Lecture will feature Dr. Maureen O’Connell; her lecture, "Synodality: Walking Together from Hope to Holiness," will tell the story of the Church’s synodal journey to date. O'Connell will highlight the ways that communities of teaching and learning, like the one at St. Edward’s, are animating this ongoing process of collective conversion. She will show how becoming a listening, dialogical, and communally discerning Church offers tangible experiences of hope in the midst of threats to the common good right. Finally, she will invite the St. Edward’s community to discern how we might grow in holiness through our own participation in local, national, and global efforts to walk together as the People of God.
Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026 at 5pm
Location: St. Edward's University, 3001 South Congress Ave, Austin, TX 78704
Jones Global Event Center (located on the ground floor in Ragsdale Center)