International Thomas Merton Society Conference Gathers at Regis

From June 19-22, nearly 200 participants from around the country and world gathered at Regis to celebrate the witness of Thomas Merton, a Catholic monk, prophetic peacemaker and promoter of interfaith dialogue, and one of the most influential spiritual writers of the 20th century. Hosted by Regis's Ignatian Chair and professor of theology, Chris Pramuk, a past president of the ITMS, and welcomed to campus by President Aceves, attendees enjoyed presentations centered around Merton's sojourns in the American west in 1968 before his final journey to Asia. The conference theme, "The Calligraphy of Snow and Rock and Sky: Thomas Merton and the Spirit of Place," was inspired by Merton's journals as he flew over the Rocky Mountains on his way to California, and his later travels in Northern New Mexico, where he spent time on the Jicarilla Apache reservation. Regis proved to be a wonderful gathering spot for three days of scholarship, prayer, artistic performance, and fellowship. As one conference participant wrote, "Great setting. Everything about the campus was beautiful, especially the chapel. The artwork all around campus was amazing. Thank you for sharing this remarkable place with us."

For inquiries about the conference, including links to the keynotes, feel free to contact Chris at cpramuk@regis.edu. (I am currently uploading a number of wonderful photos from conference keynotes in the chapel and can provide those on request.)