Keynote speaker urges comfort with Saint Paul

photo courtesy of Fr. Patrick Mullen

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Fr. Patrick Mullen, the keynote speaker for the 2008 Religious Education Congress.

SALT LAKE CITY — Saint Paul, the great evangelizer was intelligent, zealous, self-less, courageous, and hot tempered. Sometimes Saint Peter and St. Paul disagreed. Today there are intelligent and devout Catholics who disagree with St. Paul, said Father Patrick Mullen, PH.D, the keynote speaker for the 2008 Pastoral Congress to be held Oct. 18 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Skaggs Catholic Center. The theme of the congress is: "Saint Paul the Pastor.

"I will address the critical things that trouble informed Catholics about Paul and help them appreciate him as a result," Fr. Mullen told the Intermountain Catholic.

He said Catholics should see St. Paul as a pastoral man, "a saint and a preacher, who was impelled by his fear that the world would end before people could learn the truth."

"When people enter into St. Paul’s world, they need to know how Paul saw the passing of each day," said Fr. Mullen "He was a phenomenal missionary, and the list goes on and on regarding the things he did. He traveled from place to place on roads that were not good, and he probably didn’t even have a horse."

Fr. Mullen began teaching full-time at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Calif., after completing doctoral studies in 1999. A priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Fr. Mullen is the associate professor of Biblical Studies, New Testament, at St. John’s Seminary. He was born and raised in Holy Family Parish in Glendale, Calif. He served in two local parishes after his ordination. He is a member of both the Catholic Biblical Association and the Society of Biblical Literature.

Fr. Mullen is a regular speaker at the L.A. Religious Education Congress, the Bible Institute, and the Liturgical Formation Days of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He has spoken at the San Diego Annual Conference for Church Ministers, the Diocese of Boise Fall Conference, the Winter Hope Conference for the Diocese of Reno, and the Annual Diocesan Conference for the Diocese of Las Vegas.

He has given retreats and continuing education seminars to priests in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Phoenix. He is a regular contributor to "Homily Helps," put out by St. Anthony Messenger.

Fr. Mullen’s latest publications include "Dining with Pharisees" (Collegeville: Liturgical Press, October 2004; "Reconsidering Live: John the Baptist’s Wilderness Invitation to Repentance," The Bible Today March, 2007; and "As Paul Talked On and On" (Acts 20:9) Preaching on the Second Reading," Liturgical Ministry, Fall 2004.

Fr. Mullen earned his Ph. D. in Biblical Studies, New Testament, from the Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., his S.T.L. in Sacred Theology from the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif., his M. Div. from St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, Calif., and a B.A. in Philosophy from St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo, Calif.

"If we superimpose a map of St. Paul’s travels throughout the Middle East, we would be amazed at where he walked," Fr. Mullen said. "Even though many people have trouble with his writings, we keep going back to them again and again."

He said when St. Paul is well explained, women understand his writings on women. "These are curious teachings for women, but we can decrease that discomfort."

Fr. Mullen said Biblical scholars agree that Paul himself wrote seven of the books attributed to him: Romans One and Two, Corinthians One and Two, Galations, Philippians, his letter to Philomen and First Thessalonians. Other books were written by his followers in his name over two generations, including Second Thessalonians, Colossians, and Ephesians. A third group is recognized as pastoral epistles by Paul, those being One and Two Timothy and Titus.

Fr. Mullen said he will not dwell very much on St. Paul’s conversion, of which there are two accounts in the Acts of the Apostles.

"Instead, I want to seed the teachers in what I think are their problems with St. Paul, and I believe that by the time they leave the conference, they will be much more comfortable with St. Paul."

For further information about the 47th annual Pastoral Congress, "Saint Paul the Pastor," call Susan Northway, director of Religious Education at 328-8641 ext. 326.