500 Years of Saint Teresa of Ávila

Georgetown University will celebrate the Quincentenary of Teresa of Ávila with an all-day commemoration.

The event will include a symposium featuring the most renowned Teresian scholars in the country, a book exhibition at Special Collections in Lauinger Library, a concert of Spanish music by the Georgetown University Orchestra, and scenes from a play, God’s Gypsy, by Coco Blignaut, based on the novel Sister Teresa, by Barbara Mujica. The day’s activities will feature Georgetown faculty and students of Performing Arts. All activities are free and open to the public. Books by presenters will be available for purchase.

Schedule of events

Welcome

• 9:30-9:35 – Welcome: Bárbara Mujica, Professor of Spanish, Event Organizer.
• 9:35-9:40 – Opening Remarks: Dean Chester Gillis, Dean of Georgetown College.
• 9:40-9:50 – Remarks: Ramón Gil-Casares, Ambassador of Spain.
• 9:50-10:00 – The Rare Book Collection: John Buchtel, Head, Booth Family Center for Special Collections, Georgetown University Library.

Symposium

At the Lohrfink Auditorium, Raffik B. Hariri Building. Barbara Mujica, Moderator

• 10:00-10:30 am – Brian McDermott, S.J., Georgetown University and Constance FitzGerald, OCD, Discalced Carmelite Community, Baltimore. Christ-Consciousness: Teresian and Ignatian Spiritualities in Dialogue.
• 10:30-10:50 am – Gillian Ahlgren, Xavier University. Radical Fidelity: Partnership as Teresa’s Principle and Foundation.
• 10:50-11:10 am – Alison P. Weber, University of Virginia. Teresa of Ávila and Spiritual Friendship.
• 11:10-11:30 am – Christopher Wilson. Reimagining Bernini’s Ecstasy of St. Teresa.
• 11:30-12:00 am – Discussion.

Book Exhibition

At the Booth Family Center for Special Collections, Lauinger Library.

• Barbara Mujica, Curator.
• Ross Karlan, Assistant to the Curator.
• John Buchtel, Director of Special Collections.
• Ethan Henderson, Curator of Rare Books.

Performances

At the Lohrfink Auditorium, Raffik B. Hariri Building. Organizing Committee: Barbara Mujica, John Buchtel, Angel Gil-Ordoñez, Ethan Henderson, Grace McKinney, Jennifer Ann Smith, Stephanie Hughes.

• 2:30-3:15 pm – Concert: Georgetown University Orchestra. Angel Gil-Ordóñez, music director. Amaia Arberas, soprano. Program: Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) – Two Ancient Dance Airs and Four Madrigals of Love; Joaquín Nin-Culmell (1908-2004) – Popular Sephardic Songs.
• 3:30-5:00 pm – Play: God’s Gypsy, by Coco Blignaut.

Lecture

At the Murray Room, Lauinger Library.

• 6:00-8:00 pm – Professor Barbara Mujica. Was Saint Teresa a Feminist? RSVP.

View biographies of the presenters and RSVP to attend.