Our popular Summer and Winter Forum programs offer Catholic adults and young adults an opportunity to learn and grow in a comfortable, familiar environment. We choose presenters from among pastors, pastoral leaders and academic experts on both the local and diocesan level. We ask them to address a variety of timely and important issues which shape the lives of adults and young adults in the Church and society today. The selection of topics and presenters is inspired by the direction of the Second Vatican Council's document on the Church in the Modern World:
"The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ....
United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is
meant for every man. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds."
(Guadium et Spes #1)
2026 Winter Forum programs will be conducted online via GoogleMeet.
A subscription is not necessary to participate on the GoogleMeet platform.
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Advocating for Justice in the 2026 Iowa Legislature
Presented by Tom Chapman and Iowa Catholic Conference Staff
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Thursday, January 29. 6:30-8:00pm
Online: Use this link to join the discussion
An Introduction and Analysis of Pope Leo's first Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te
Presented by Matthew Shadle
Thursday, February 5. 6:30-8:00pm.
Online: Use this link to join the discussion
The Evolution of Local Faith Communities in the Western Church
Presented by Fr. Robert Grant
Throughout the American church today, Catholics are experiencing the reorganization of local faith communites. In the Archdiocese of Dubuque, the Journey in Faith initiative will reorganize multiple free-standing parishes into single pastorates. In this presentation Fr. Grant will examine how the physical development of local faith communities was shaped by the development of ordained clergy, the hierarchial structure of the church, the liturgy, and the ‘mission’ of the parish from the time of St. Paul and the earliest Christian churches, the development of local churches in the fourth century, the infrastructure of parishes in the middle ages, and developments in the modern era which gave rise to the rural parishes and immigrant churches in the United States in 19th century.
> Read Archbishop Zincula's discussion of the Journey in Faith initiative here.
> Learn more about the Journey in Faith initiative here.
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Christian nationalism is a political ideology that has been part of American culture since the earliest days of our country. In recent years it has grown more popular among a certain segment of the public and has garnered increased attention in the media. People either embrace it as our national birthright or decry it as a distortion of Christianity in the service of political ends. In this presentation, Professor Waggoner will examine how Christian nationalism developed and the challenge it represents to our democracy. In the process he'll help participants reflect on their own assumptions about what it means to be a Christian and a citizen in a democracy, become aware of the individuals and groups that advance or oppose Christian nationalist ideas, and consider the options people of faith have in respond to Christian nationalism.
> Read a Catholic perspective on Christian nationalism here.
> Read an AI-generated summary of Pope Leo's comments on Christian nationalism here.
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Fr. Robert L. Grant is a Catholic priest and professor of theology, chair of the Theology Department and the Master of Pastoral Theology Program at St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa. Fr. Grant is a native of southwest Iowa who earned his B.A. in History and Philosophy at St. Ambrose, an S.T.B. degree in Sacred Theology at the Gregorian University in Rome, an M.A. degree in Western Mysticism at Creighton University in Omaha, and a Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Iowa. He is the founder and co-director of the Academy for the Study of St. Ambrose of Milan at St. Ambrose and served as co-chair of the University’s Mission/Vision/Values integration team. He serves as Sacramental Minister at at. Mary Parish in Wilton, Iowa and St. Andrew Parish in Bluegrass, Iowa. He is a frequent lecturer on environmental theology and contributes to various scholarly publications on St. Ambrose and the early church fathers.
Matthew A. Shadle is the Academic Assessment Coordinator at the University of Iowa. He earned his MA and PhD in theology from the University of Dayton in Ohio and previously served as a professor of Catholic ethics at Loras College in Dubuque and Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. His academic work has focused on the development of Catholic social teaching and its intersection with fundamental moral theology and the social sciences, with a special focus on war and peace, the economy, and immigration. He is the author of Interrupting Capitalism--Catholic Social Thought and the Economy (Oxford, 2018),The Origins of War--A Catholic Perspective (Georgetown, 2011) and “No Peace on Earth--War and the Environment” in Green Discipleship--Catholic Theological Ethics and the Environment (Anselm Academic, 2011). He is widely published in various journals and produces the Window Light substack. He and his wife Gisella live in Peosta.• • •
The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo are committed to providing formation, education and spiritual growth opportunities for adults of all ages.
We value the individual's life experience, respect the diversity of personal convictions, and welcome the wisdom of every participant.
We will never intentionally embarrass or offend participants.
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For more information contact:
Director of Adult Faith Formation • 1425 Kimball Ave. Waterloo IA 50702
Phone: 319-234-0498 • Email: DBQwcaf@dbqarch.org