Summer Series Educates and Inspires

The four weeks in July at St. Mary’s were marked by Food, 40’s, Fun, and Film as a part of the Summer Faith and Culture Series sponsored by the Office of Religious Education.

The first part of the series included a talk by Dr. John Cuddeback, who teaches philosophy at Christendom College in Front Royal, VA. He spoke about asking God for what we need in connection with the Our Father (“Give us this day our daily bread.”), giving thanks to God for giving us what we need, working within a natural order to fulfill our needs, and being generous with what God has given us to others. To view photos from the event, click here.

For the second part of the series, the parish put on their dancing shoes for a 40’s Swing Night with local singer Dan Arnold and his band, Swing Theory. Parishioners enjoyed a fun night of dancing, which included a lesson from a local instructor. To view photos from the event, click here.

The third part of the series featured Robert Reilly, who spoke on Fun as Leisure, the Basis of Culture. This talk noted how we have lost the true sense of leisure by distorting reality. Mr. Reilly highlighted what it means to have our faith dictate what happens in the culture, and not the other way around. To view photos from the event, click here

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The fourth and final part of the series showcased a short-film, The Butterfly Circus, which won Best Short Film of the Year in 2010. It told the story of a renowned circus showman who lead his troupe through the devastated American landscape during the Great Depression. Along the way, they discovered a man without limbs being exploited in a carnival sideshow; but after an intriguing encounter with the showman, he became driven to hope against everything he had believed. To watch the film online, click here.

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