Noted Dominican author to speak on St. Francis

Friday, Feb. 27, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — Dominican Father Augustine Thompson will present “Saint Francis, the Saint and the Man” at the March Dominican Forum at Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center in Salt Lake City.

Fr. Thompson, a historian of medieval Christianity and a professor at the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, is the author of several books; his most recent is Francis of Assisi: An New Biography, released in 2012.

In its review of the book, Our Sunday Visitor wrote: “in this extensive work, based on all the existent original documents, including those written by Francis, the saint emerges as a much more complex and complicated man than previously believed, tormented by interior demons, nearly overwhelmed by the challenges of governing a religious movement and troubled by self-doubt, yet still a shining figure of the transforming power of an encounter with the living Christ.”

“Fr. Augustine is a great speaker, and I have no doubt that people will come away inspired by a new way of looking at St. Francis, but also a way that is helpful for their own spiritual lives,” said Dominican Father Peter Hannah, St. Catherine of Siena parochial vicar, who is organizing the forum. “He is a good story teller. He has a passion for his subject matter. He is immensely knowledgeable. He has an ability to relate historical facts in ways that are really engaging. He makes history come alive. That’s a special talent, I think.”

Fr. Peter began the Dominican Forum at St. Catherine’s with this month’s presentation, “Working to Live or Living to Work? Sabbath Rest in a Workaholic Culture.” The idea came from similar forums at other parish sites overseen by the Western Dominican Province, “which seem to work very well,” he said.

For the monthly forum, a Dominican brother, sister or priest will be invited to give a talk on some aspect of the faith related to contemporary culture, Fr. Peter said; when he was assigned to Holy Family Cathedral in Anchorage, the forum topics ranged from the Book of Revelations to proofs for the existence of God to “Sports and Spirituality.”

Those who attend the presentations “can have their interests piqued, their minds expanded by learning a few new things about the faith as well as seeing the relevance of the faith to both contemporary questions – contemporary social questions, contemporary spiritual questions – and also their own spiritual faith lives as well,” he said.

With Fr. Augustine’s presentation on St. Francis of Assisi, the audience can learn about a great saint in the life of the Church; they also can relate it to their personal devotion, Fr. Peter said. “St. Francis is an enormously popular saint. He is revered not only in the Catholic Church but in the Eastern Orthodox tradition he also has a great following. Protestant Christianity recognizes him, even non-Christians tend to identify with St. Francis. I think there’s a natural … interest in the person of St. Francis of Assisi. What will be helpful about the talk is that Fr. Augustine will help clarify the historical figure of who St. Francis was.”

Fr. Augustine will clarify what is legendary and what is historical fact about St. Francis of Assisi, and also give context for correcting popular misconceptions, Fr. Peter said.  

WHAT: Lecture – “Saint Francis, the Saint and the Man”

WHO: Dominican Father Augustine Thompson

WHEN: Sunday, March 8, 12:30 p.m.

WHERE: Saint Catherine of Siena Newman Center, 170 University St., SLC

Free and open to the public