The Rev. William Graham speaks about Catholic colleges at Saint John's

The Rev. William Graham presents a speech titled “Why Spend $30,000? Seven Attitudes and Approaches That Make a College Catholic,” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 8, in the Alumni Lounge on the Saint John’s University campus, Collegeville. 

The evening, sponsored by SJU Campus Ministry, will conclude with Eucharist at 9 p.m. in the Abbey Church at SJU.

Graham’s speech will focus on what elements allow colleges to identify themselves as Catholic. He hopes that through his seven steps that the “identity of the Catholic institutions will be recognized and celebrated as we work with our students on their journey to growth in wisdom and grace.”

Graham has served for over 10 years as pastor in the Diocese of Duluth in northern Minnesota. He now works as a professor in the theology department and is the director of the Catholic Studies department of the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn.; a master’s degree from Saint John’s School of Theology•Seminary; a master’s degree in liturgy from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.; and a doctorate from Fordham the Jesuit University of New York City in historical theology. Over the years, Graham has worked as a columnist, author and co-author for several publications, including the National Catholic Reporter and the Catholic Wedding Book.

The purpose of Graham’s talk arose from the Second Vatican Council document specifying the efforts in the Declaration on Christian education. According to the declaration, “the hoped-for result is that the Christian mind may achieve a public, persistent and universal presence in the whole enterprise of advancing culture, and that students may become truly outstanding in learning.”