Lumen Christi Institute
Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university
Featured Events & News
Newman Forum Summer Institute – There and Back Again: The Adventures of Heroes, Saints, and Pilgrims | Aug. 5-9, 2026
St. Augustine once wrote that we should “so seek as if we should find, and so find as if we were going to go on seeking.” Join us for a week of exploring the Western and Catholic intellectual tradition as we examine together the rich theme of the journey. High school students (including rising freshmen and recently graduated seniors) are welcome to apply. Applications are due June 29.
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Apply to Ricketts House, our Catholic Student Residence
The Lumen Christi Institute offers a residential community for current and incoming male University of Chicago students, with capacity for nine total residents. As an intentional Catholic residence, the residents partake in weekly community meals, community prayer, and opportunities for intellectual and spiritual formation.
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Today, become part of a community seeking Christ!
As Catholics we are called to rely upon one another and be relied upon in return. This mutual support sustains Lumen Christi’s community, nourishing faith and friendship among students, faculty, religious, and lay Catholics. Please invest in this community’s work with a gift by June 30th.
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Summer Seminar – The Thought of René Girard | July 2-8, 2026
One of the most influential 20th century Catholic thinkers, René Girard transformed our understanding of culture, religion, and human behavior. Taking place at Lumen Christi's Gavin House, this five-day seminar for undergraduate students will explore Girard’s key insights into imitation, conflict, and scapegoating, connecting them to central themes of Christian theology.
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Summer Seminar – The Thought of John Henry Newman | July 19-25, 2026
Now in its twelfth year, this intensive seminar will examine the achievements of Saint John Henry Newman as a theologian, philosopher, educator, preacher, and writer. The seminar will convene at the National Institute for Newman Studies in Pittsburgh, where participants will engage with Newman's "Apologia Pro Vita Sua," "An Essay on the Development of Christian Doctrine," among other works.
Learn MoreLumen Christi has been one of the great spiritual achievements of the last 25 years. And to see Lumen Christi flourishing so well and expanding around the country is a sign of tremendous hope for the Church.
The longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.
Celebrated University of Chicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins once remarked that the Catholic Church has “the longest intellectual tradition of any institution in the contemporary world.” The mission of the Lumen Christi Institute is to make the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university and the broader culture. The Lumen Christi Institute’s programs enrich academic communities at the University of Chicago and beyond with the insights of Catholic thought, in order to engage our secular culture in dialogue and ultimately to renew our civilization by forming leaders for a global society in need of Christian wisdom.
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Making the Catholic intellectual tradition a vital part of the secular university