Good Apples and Broken Records: Studying U.S. Catholic History Under Spotlight’s Glare

Event description

  • Academic events
  • Arts and entertainment
  • Free
  • Inclusion
  • Open to the public

This talk delves into clerical sexual abuse in the Boston Catholic Archdiocese, utilizing documents from the 2002 Boston Globe Spotlight investigation. Focusing on Sister Catherine Mulkerrin’s role (1992-1994), it demonstrates how engaging with sources on clerical sex abuse prompts historians to reconsider interpretations of the American Catholic past. Emphasizing the scandal’s impact on narratives of gender and hierarchy post-Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), the talk also casts themes like antebellum anti-Catholicism and mid-20th century triumphalism in a new light.


This event is organized as a partnership between the Humanities Institute and the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict at Arizona State University.

About the speaker

Kathleen Sprows Cummings, Professor of American Studies and History at University of Notre Dame

Kathleen Sprows Cummings is the Rev. John A. O’Brien Collegiate Professor of American Studies and History at the University of Notre Dame. She teaches classes on the history of women, Catholicism, sanctity, and American religion and is a former president of the American Catholic Historical Association. She often serves as a media commentator on contemporary events in the church. Her latest book is “A Saint of Our Own: How the Quest for a Holy Hero Helped Catholics Become American.”


Logistics

This event will take place on the ASU Tempe campus in West Hall, Room 135. Your confirmation email will provide detailed directions to the venue. The lecture will be followed by audience Q&A and a reception with light refreshments.

Note: This event is in-person only and will not be live-streamed for remote viewing. 

Registration details:

  • Free and open to all.
  • Register to guarantee your seat.
  • For classes or other groups, please contact us directly with your request.

Additional information

Event contact

Alex Brooks
480-727-7195
csrc@asu.edu
Date

Wednesday, February 7, 2024


Time

3 p.m.4:15 p.m. (MST)

Location

West Hall, Room 135

Cost

Free