Pilgrims of Hope Speaker Series: Michael Hollerich

The Council of Nicaea as a Symbolon of Hope

Sunday, November 23, 11:15am

This presentation will explain what was new and what was old at the Council of Nicaea, which met in May and June of 325, 1700 years ago, and the first of our “ecumenical” councils. The late Pope Francis made “synodality” a major theme of his pontificate and his hope for renewing the Church today. I will discuss the nature of early church “synods” (just the Greek word for a council, though the etymology, “a common road,” is very apt for what Francis meant by synodality) and what was unique about the one in 325. I will show how it can be a symbol of hope — even though it took fifty years to “stick,” and it certainly helped to have the emperor on your side. Along the way, I give brief explanation of that long Creed that still reccite on many Sundays of the year.

Michael J. Hollerich
Professor Emeritus of History of Christianity
University of St. Thomas

You may also like the following events from The Basilica of Saint Mary:

• This Saturday, 15th November, 02:00 pm, Who is My Neighbor? in Minneapolis
• This month, 27th November, 10:00 am, Thanksgiving Day Interfaith Service in Minneapolis
• This month, 30th November, 11:00 am, Multi-Generational Advent Wreath Making in Minneapolis