Lumen Christi Institute

Fr. Paul Mankowski (1953 – 2020) was a brilliant essayist, a singular wit, and a devoted son of the Church. Born in South Bend, Indiana, he put himself through the University of Chicago while working summers in a steel mill. Called to a vocation with the Society of Jesus, Fr. Paul entered the novitiate in 1976 before studying Classics at Oxford and Semitic languages at Harvard.

Though lacking all instincts for self-promotion, Fr. Paul quickly gained a reputation for his erudition and his razor-sharp intellect.  He suffered greatly for his loyalty to the Church before finding a home at the Lumen Christi Institute at the University of Chicago. Having returned to his alma mater, he served as a fulcrum of intellectual and spiritual formation for countless students. In passing away unexpectedly on September 3, 2020, Fr. Paul Mankowski left a legacy of principled and courageous allegiance to the Church and her tradition of integrated intellectual and spiritual life.

This event will celebrate the life and legacy of Fr. Paul Mankowski through a conversation with Professor Gary Anderson (University of Notre Dame), who will comment on Fr. Paul’s work as a scholar. and Fr. Kevin Flannery, SJ ( Pontifical Gregorian University), who will reflect on Fr. Paul’s life as a Jesuit (with Fr. Paul’s letters as a point of departure).