News & Media

From 2012 to 2020, Fr. Paul Mankowski, SJ delivered hundreds of lectures and master classes at the Lumen Christi Institute. Seeking to share the depth of his scholarship, this podcast offers many of his lectures (edited for coherence and quality) to the public in digital format for the first time. 

The first season features a course that Fr. Mankowski gave on Joseph Ratzinger’s Jesus of Nazareth, and dozens of lectures centered around the books of the Bible (including Genesis, many of the prophets, the Gospel of Matthew, and St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans). Two interviews with people who knew Fr. Mankowski well and can offer an entry point to his person and scholarship conclude the season.

News
July 1, 2026

A Day in the Life of a Lumen Christi Student with Miriam Shah

“One thing that's really striking about the Lumen Christi events,” Miriam thinks, “is that they never compromise the integrity and the truths of the Catholic faith."
News
June 19, 2026

A Poem of Emancipation

On June 19, our country remembers the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. To commemorate this moment, I would like to share with you an excerpt from a poem by Phillis Wheatley (1753-84).
News
June 4, 2026

Today, become part of a community seeking Christ!

We recently celebrated the feast of the Ascension. Christ’s departure from His apostles is described in the New Testament not as an occasion of mourning, but of joy. For He did not leave us alone.
News
May 25, 2026

“A Prayer for Peace”

For Catholics, the month of May is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. This year, Memorial Day coincides with the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, celebrated annually on the Monday after Pentecost.
News
April 8, 2026

Seeking Graduate Reading Groups for the Fall Quarter

Lumen Christi follows St. Paul’s injunction to attend to whatever is true, noble, right, admirable, and lovely. We support this endeavor by sponsoring a number of graduate student reading groups that may explore any genre, theme, time, and place.
News
April 5, 2026

“Bring me the life-giving mysteries”

Christ is Risen! On Easter Sunday, I write to tell you about St. Mary of Egypt, who is remembered by the Catholic Church on April 2 – Holy Thursday this year.
News
April 1, 2026

How the Lumen Christi Institute Formed My Adult Faith

Rose Johnson, one of our Development Associates, tells her story of how Lumen Christi has shaped her adult relationship with Christ, especially during her time as a graduate student at UChicago.
News
March 31, 2026

The Lion and the Lute: Music of Pope Leo X

Learn More and Register for the concert in Wilmette (May 21st) Learn More and Register for the concert at UChicago (May 22nd) The Lumen Christi Institute is excited to host Schola Antiqua for a series of concerts on the music

News
March 23, 2026

Christ Did Not Travel Alone

In the season of Lent, the Church calls us to reflect upon Christ’s years of ministry. In pondering His revelation and His divine miracles, I am particularly reminded of one essential part of Christ’s journey toward Jerusalem: He did not
News
February 24, 2026

Applications Open for The Nicklin Fellows Program

The Nicklin Fellows are the recipients of a competitive, application based fellowship for undergraduate students. Nicklin Fellows are granted exclusive access to research and development grant funds to pursue their intellectual interests. Applications are due March 22.
News
February 18, 2026

“Dust called to glory”

At the Ash Wednesday liturgy, the priest says, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” These special words remind me of a fundamental tension in humankind, described by Bishop Erik Varden.
News
January 19, 2026

“The church was a thermostat”

Today, our country remembers Martin Luther King, Jr. On April 19, 1963, King wrote his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," addressed to fellow clergymen who criticized his activities as "unwise and untimely."