CINCINNATI, January 31, 2017 – Father Daniel Groody, CSC, the award-winning filmmaker of “Dying to Live: A Migrant’s Journey” will speak at a free presentation at 7:30 pm on April 5 at Bellarmine Chapel at Xavier University.

His presentation is entitled: A God of Life and a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to the Refugee and Immigration Crisis. The presentation is free and open to people of all faiths. His visit is made possible through a mini-grant from Xavier University’s Mission Animators.

“Mission Animators are a group of Xavier faculty and staff working with President Michael Graham, S.J., to more deeply integrate Xavier’s Jesuit identity into everyday life at Xavier. Inspired by the words of Pope Francis, the first Jesuit and current pontiff, the group chose the theme of immigration as a focus for the 2016-2017 academic year. With the generous gift of an anonymous Xavier supporter, mini grants were offered to faculty and staff to create programming around immigration,” said Debra Mooney, Assistant to the President for Mission and Identity and Chief Mission Officer at Xavier.

Fr. Groody is a Catholic priest, a Holy Cross religious, a scholar, teacher and an award-winning author and film producer, who is currently an Associate Professor of Theology and the Director of the Center for Latino Spirituality and Culture at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. Drawing on his work experience along the U.S.-Mexico border, he wrote Border of Death, Valley of Life: An Immigrant Journey of Heart and Spirit and Globalization, Spirituality, and Justice: Navigating the Path to Peace (2007). He is also editor of The Option for the Poor in Christian Theology (2007) and co-editor of A Promised Land, A Perilous Journey: Theological Perspectives on Migration (2007).

He has worked with the U.S. Congress, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the World Council of Churches and the Vatican on issues of theology, globalization and immigration. He is also the executive producer of several films and documentaries, including “One Border, One Body: Immigration and the Eucharist” and “Dying to Live: A Migrant’s Journey,” which received international acclaim. In 2012, Rev. Groody served on the Syrian Refugee Delegation to the Middle East.

This event is sponsored by the Institute for Spirituality and Social Justice and Department of Theology at Xavier University and co-sponsored by the Xavier’s Mission Animators; Xavier’s Ethics/Religion & Society Program; Office of Social Action, Archdiocese of Cincinnati; Office of Social Mission, Bellarmine Parish; and the Su Casa Hispanic Center, a program of Catholic Charities of Southwestern Ohio.

RSVP by March 30 and to learn more about fall and spring semester topics visit: Xavier Mission Animators.

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Catholic Charities Southwestern Ohio, a United Way Agency Partner, has been serving the most vulnerable in our community for 100 years. Our programs serve the poor, protect the vulnerable and welcome the stranger regardless of their religious background or country of origin. Our mission to enlighten, serve and empower is enabled by the generosity of donors and volunteers. Together, we serve and bring hope to more than 91,000 people last year.