Peter Steinfels Receives Colman Barry Award

Collegeville, Minn. - Saint John's University will present its 1997 Fr. Colman J. Barry Award for Distinguished Contributions to Religion and Society to journalist Peter Steinfels. Steinfels, former senior religion correspondent for the New York Times, is currently a visiting professor at Georgetown University. He will speak here on "Alternative Futures for the Catholic Church in America," which springs from his current research focus. The award presentation and address are scheduled for Friday, April 18, at 7:30 p.m. in the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater.

Steinfels will also participate in a panel discussion on Thursday, April 17, at 9:45 a.m. in the Stephen B. Humphrey Theater titled "Where is the Hope for Church Renewal?" Both the address and panel discussion are part of a series at Saint John's titled "The Spirit of Renewal," examining the current state of modern Catholicism.

Before joining The Times, Steinfels was editor-in-chief of Commonweal, an independent bi-weekly journal of political, religious and literary opinion published by Roman Catholic lay people. Steinfels worked at Commonweal in a variety of posts from 1964 to 1971 and again after 1979.

From 1972 to 1977, Steinfels was associate for the Humanities at the Hastings Center of the Institute of Society, Ethics and the Life Sciences, a center for research and discussion on ethical issues arising from developments in medicine, science and technology.

A graduate of Loyola University in 1963, Steinfels received a Ph.D. in European history from Columbia University in New York City. He is the author of "The Neoconservatives: The Men Who Are Changing America's Politics," a widely discussed analysis of politics in the last 20 years.

The Fr. Colman J. Barry Award recognizes the contributions that the Rev. Barry, a Benedictine monk of Saint John's Abbey, made during his life of scholarship and teaching. The author of several books, including his three-volume "Readings in Church History" and "Worship and Work," the Rev. Barry began his teaching career at Saint John's in 1952. He died in 1994.

The Rev. Barry played a role in the establishment of the Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research at Saint John's, and was responsible for the creation of the Jay Phillips Chair in Jewish Studies, the first such chair at an American Catholic college.

His creative leadership set the roots on the SJU campus for Minnesota Public Radio, which has grown to become one of the top public radio networks in the nation. For more information about Steinfels' award, call 320-363-2595.