a conference for pastors, architects, building committees, artists, liturgical consultants and all interested in the beauty of the Catholic artistic heritage

Supported in part by a grant from the Bricks and Mortar Foundation.

Heaven On Earth: The Theology and Design of Catholic Church Buildings

Keynote Speaker David Fagerberg is a sacramental theologian and Associate Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He holds an MA. in Theology from St. John's University (Collegeville), and and STM, MA, MPhil and PhD From Yale University.  Fagerberg’s area is liturgical theology: its definition and methodology, sacramental theology, and liturgiology. His work has explored how the Church’s lex credendi (law of belief) is grounded on the Church’s lex orandi (law of prayer). Liturgy is the trysting place where God and humanity meet. Additional interests include Eastern Orthodoxy, liturgical asceticism, linguistic and scholastic philosophy, and G. K. Chesterton. Published books are What is Liturgical Theology? (Pueblo 1992), The Size of Chesterton’s Catholicism (Notre Dame, 1998), and Theologia Prima: What is Liturgical Theology? the second edition (Hillenbrand Press, Fall 2003). His articles have appeared in such journals as Worship, America, New Blackfriars, Pro Ecclesia, Diakonia, Touchstone, and Antiphon. He was the Richardson Fellow at Durham University, U.K. in 1996. He is on the editorial board of the Chesterton Review, and a contributing editor to Gilbert! A Magazine of Chesterton.

Ethan Anthony is principal of HDB Cram/Ferguson Architects in Boston, the successor firm to noted church architect Ralph Adams Cram. Anthony specializes in Catholic churches which continue the medieval architectural tradition, having designed Our Lady of Walsingham Church in Houston, Texas and the Phillips Chapel in Greensborough, North Carolina. He is currently designing a new church for Saint Charles Borromeo parish in Hampshire, Illinois. www.hdb.com

Christopher Carstens is Director of the Office of Sacred Worship
of the Diocese of La Crosse, Wisconsin where he has recently published architectural guidelines for new church construction. He holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of Dallas and an MA in Liturgical Studies from the Liturgical Institute.

Jeff Greene is founder of Evergreene Painting Studios in New York, which specializes in the design and restoration of ecclesiastical art and decorative painting. His firm oversaw the restoration of the extraordinary religious murals at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, the Cathedral of St. Matthew in Washington, DC, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, California, and the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Wheeling, West Virginia. They have also restored and created new art work in parishes across the nation. www.evergreene.com

Rev. Mark Daniel Kirby, O.Cist., a sacramental theologian and seminary professor, is a monk of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme Abbey in Rome. He has published extensively on many topics related to sacramental theology, and in particular on the nature of the sung prayer.

Rev. Thomas Loya is pastor of Annunciation Byzantine Catholic Church in Homer Glen, Illinois. His knowledge of theology and iconography is widely known,  as evidenced by his appearances on Catholic radio and speaking engagements. He is currently writing the icons in his newly-built parish church. See http://www.byzantinecatholic.com/photos.htm

Denis McNamara, an architectural historian, is Assistant Director and faculty member at the Liturgical Institute in Mundelein, Illinois, where he teaches course on liturgical art, architecture, and aesthetics. In addition to articles in Communio, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, The Priest, Environment and Art Letter and Rite, he is the author of Heavenly City: The Architectural Tradition of Catholic Chicago (LTP: 2005).

Rita Perrett of Century Philanthropy Group in Glen Ellyn, Illinois specializes in parish fundraising projects, particularly for new construction. She has been involved successful in fund-raising for more than 10 years for churches and schools. She brings extensive corporate experience (product/service management, marketing, project management) to her fund-raising work on her client's behalf. As Director of Client Services, Rita works closely with clients to achieve their fundraising goals for new projects and buildings. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

William Buckingham, of S/L/A/M Collaborative in Boston, specialized in Catholic church design while working for Keefe Associates architects, and brings extensive experience in the practical concerns of new church construction.