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Gonzaga Lecture Series 2024

We are excited to announce our upcoming Gonzaga Lecture Series for 2024. This year, in partnership with Jesuit Missions and The Archbishop Romero Trust, we are exploring the theme of "Prophetic and resilient presence in the face of injustice" with some esteemed guest speakers. To register your place for any of the lectures (details of which can be found below) please email CFAdmin@staloysius.org stating which lectures you would like to attend. 

The full schedule for the lecture series is as follows:

Wednesday 6th March, 7pm | Prof. Bart McGettrick: Educating in the face of Injustice: Christians in the Holy Land today

Professor Bart McGettrick is Emeritus Professor of Education and Dean Emeritus, of the Faculty of Education at the University of Glasgow. He was the first Dean of the Faculty of Education at the University of Glasgow. He was Dean of the Faculty of Education and Professor of Christian Education at Liverpool Hope University.

He has a background in education and public life that is varied. He was a teacher of Geography in St Aloysius’ College from 1968 - 72.  He later chaired the Board of Governors of the College for many years. He was Principal of St Andrew’s College (The national College for the education of teachers) in Scotland, and became the first Dean of the Faculty of Education at Glasgow University. He was then appointed Dean of the Faculty of Education at Liverpool Hope University

He is Chairman of the International Board of Regents of Bethlehem University (Palestine). He holds other positions in international groups and committees in education and beyond. He is a member of the Board of Regents of the American University of Madaba in Jordan.  He is a member of The Grand Magisteriun of The Equestrian Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem having served on the Grand Magisterium since 2003. He is currently President of The Holy Land Commission and formerly President of the Schools Commission for The Holy Land.  He is Chairman of the Board of Governors of Tabeetha School, Jaffa-Tel Aviv.

Among the honours he holds are: an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to education in the UK; “Ex Corde Ecclesiae” Medal of the International Federation of Catholic Universities; Knight Grand Cross of the Order of The Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem; Golden Palm of Jerusalem; Gold Cross of Jerusalem.

Wednesday 13th March, 7pm | Dr Raymond Perrier: Prayerful & Prophetic Resilience in the Face of Injustice: Archbishops Oscar Romero & Denis Hurley

Since 2015, Raymond has been the founding Director of the Denis Hurley Centre – a community centre in the heart of Durban South Africa which brings together different faith groups to help the poor and marginalised of the city. This landmark building has established its reputation as a place of care, education, and community, responding to issues of refugees, drug addiction, and homelessness. Raymond is also involved in different networks working to help transform inner-city Durban; he has been Chair of the Municipal Task Team on Homelessness, helped set up South Africa’s National Homeless Network, and is part of the team drafting a national policy on homelessness for South Africa. He also works as a consultant to the Global Interfaith Network which provides theological resources for religious leaders in the Global South who wish to look at questions of LGBTI inclusion. For 5 years, Raymond was Director of the Jesuit Institute - South Africa, working to bring a faith perspective to debates on social issues. He also designed and facilitated courses in values-based leadership delivered at several South African and US business schools.

For 6 years, Raymond was a trainee Jesuit priest. This included 2 years living and working in a refugee camp in Uganda with the Jesuit Refugee Service serving 60,000 Sudanese refugees with pastoral support and education. After leaving the Jesuits, Raymond became the Head of Communities for CAFOD working with Catholic parishes and schools across the country. Raymond’s initial professional experience was in marketing consultancy, working for Interbrand with companies such as American Express, British Airways, IBM and BP. He developed with Business Week an annual league table of the world’s most valuable brands and pioneered a global consulting practice in brand valuation. He was Managing Director of the New York office of Interbrand with a staff of 160. Of Indian parents, Raymond was born and educated in the UK. He holds a BA in Philosophy and Theology from New College, Oxford; an MA in Philosophy from the University of London; and an MSc in Human Rights from the London School of Economics.

He recently completed a PhD with the University of KwaZulu-Natal writing about Paddy Kearney (the founder of the DHC and a renowned Struggle activist). He is also a Research Associate at the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Faith and Community and a frequent writer and commentator in newspapers, on radio and television, including a regular column in ‘The Southern Cross’ (SA’s national Catholic newspaper.)

Wednesday 20th March, 7pm | Dr Jan Graffius: Resilience in the Face of Injustice: Romero & the Jesuit Martyrs

Jan Graffius, Curator of Collections and Historic Libraries at Stonyhurst College since 2001, has  worked for nearly 40 years in a variety of national and municipal museums in Scotland and England.

Jan has curated exhibitions in London, Rome, France, Washington, Boston and Durham. She has wide broadcasting experience and has published on a range of subjects notably on British Catholic Material Culture in the post-Reformation era. Recent work has included scripting and narrating films and podcasts relating to the creative role of recusant women in the 17th century, focusing on the extraordinary embroideries of Helena Wintour as part of the Hot Holy Ladies exhibition at Stonyhurst in 2022. She has curated a celebration of Stonyhurst’s First Folio for the 400th anniversary which opened in 2023, with a series of exhibits highlighting themes from Shakespeare’s plays through artefacts.

Since 2007 Jan has been involved in a major conservation project in El Salvador working on the Martyr Vestments of Saint Óscar Romero and items belonging to the Jesuit Martyrs of the University of Central America.

She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of London in 2018 for her work in El Salvador and graduated with a PhD from the University of Aberdeen in 2020 which focused on the history and significance of the College Collections in 17th century St Omers. She was elected as a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 2016, and is a Director of the St Omers Press, founded in 1608.

All lectures will take place at St Aloysius' College, 45 Hill Street, Glasgow, G3 6RJ.