Being Catholic and Navigating Public Life

June 25, 2026 6:30 PM - 08:00 PM
Location: St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Student Center, 1150 28th Street, Des Moines, Iowa

At a time when religion’s role in American life is both praised and contested, we at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Student Center think it’s important to explore the complex relationship between faith and contemporary life.  Tom Chapman, executive director of the Iowa Catholic Conference,  will present Being Catholic and Navigating Public Life at St. Cate’s on Thursday, June 25, 6:30 p.m. 

Given the recent statements among Pope Leo and American political leaders, the student center is sponsoring this session to provide a forum for area Catholics to learn more about Catholic Social Teaching, recent papal encyclicals, and Gospel imperatives regarding peace, justice, and equality.  

As Pope Francis wrote in Fratelli Tutti, we can seek “a better kind of politics, one truly at the service of the common good.”  In Being Catholic and Navigating Public Life, Tom will invite participants to live out their responsibility to participate in public life as a member of the Body of Christ by addressing political issues with clarity, charity, and creativity.

With an early professional background in TV news and healthcare communications, Tom has served the Diocese of Des Moines as both chancellor and director of communication and is a past president of the National Association of State Catholic Conference Directors.  

Diana Butler Bass, author, public theologian, and the St. Catherine of Siena Dialogue Series keynote speaker on Sept. 20 recently said, “It is a rare day when the door is open quite this wide to explore important ethical, theological, and political issues with church folks.”  We invite area Catholics to walk through the door of St. Catherine’s on June 25, 6:30 pm, to listen, converse, and act for the common good.