Conference held for St Mary’s Acquisition of Franciscan Studies Collection

A one-day conference to celebrate the acquisition of the world-renowned Franciscan Studies Collection was recently held by the Centre for Initiatives in Spirituality and Reconciliation (InSpiRe) at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.

The conference, which featured international speakers including Dr Tom Herbst, Sr Patricia Rumsey, Dr Sarah Boss and Br Chris Dyczek, looked at the origins, influence and impact of Franciscan spirituality from the medieval period to the present day.

More than 60 people attended the event, celebrating the dynamic and life-changing impact that Franciscan spirituality has made on church and society, which closed with Vespers in the Franciscan tradition celebrated in St Mary’s Chapel.

Director of InSpiRe at St Mary’s Prof Peter Tyler, said, “This was a significant event that marked the opening of a new chapter in the study of Christian spirituality at St Mary’s. The Franciscan studies will form a key element in the MA in Christian Spirituality that we are developing and hope to run from this September.”

Further information of the event, video of the talks and access to the papers can be found online.