Cyprian Davis Lecture: "Making Disciples of All Nations"
Thursday March 27
Saint Meinrad Archabbey
7:00 p.m. CST
Fr. Josh Johnson will be the featured presenter at the Cyprian Davis Lecture at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology, St. Meinrad, IN. His talk, “Making Disciples of All Nations,” will be held on Thursday, March 27, at 7 p.m. Central Time in St. Bede Theater.
In too many parishes, there are barriers that keep various groups of people from sharing in the sacramental life of the Church. In his presentation, “Making Disciples of All Nations,” Fr. Josh will encourage all Catholics to recommit themselves to building a Church here on earth that reflects the rich ethnic diversity of the body of Christ “as it is in heaven.” Drawing on the wisdom of Scripture, personal experiences, and the witnesses of holy men and women in the Catholic Church, Fr. Josh will remind us of our mission to draw “all tribes and peoples” (Rev. 7:9) into the body of Christ so that our Churches on earth can begin to look a lot more like St. John’s vision in the Book of Revelation of the Church in heaven.
Ordained for the Diocese of Baton Rouge in 2014, Fr. Josh has dedicated his priesthood to inviting all people to become saints in their walk toward eternity. He is the vocations director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge, as well as pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus parish.
Fr. Josh travels widely as a speaker at conferences, retreats, and youth events. He was one of three master of ceremonies at the historic National Eucharistic Congress in 2024. He is well-known for his popular Ascension podcast Ask Father Josh as well as his Q&A videos on Ascension Presents, one of the largest Catholic YouTube channels in English.
Fr. Josh has written several books including Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation co-written with Fr. Mike Schmitz and On Earth as It Is in Heaven: Restoring God’s Vision of Race and Discipleship.
Fr. Cyprian Davis, OSB, for whom the lecture is named, was a professor of Church history at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology. His award-winning book, The History of Black Catholics in the United States, is regarded as the essential study of the American Black Catholic experience.
He was a founding member of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus and a contributor to Brothers and Sisters to Us, the 1979 pastoral letter on racism published by the United States Catholic bishops. He died in 2015.
The lecture is free and open to the public. Parking is available at St. Bede Hall and in the Guest House and student parking lots. For more information, call Krista Hall at 812-357-6501 during business hours.