Migrations in Our Common Home: Causes, Effects, and Responses
Since 1984 the SMA has hosted an annual Summer School in Dromantine, Newry, Co Down. It began as a means of providing ongoing formation for SMA missionaries home on leave from Africa, a way of keeping up with developments in theology, spirituality and the social teaching of the Church. It soon became one of the major events in the SMA calendar. As time went by the Summer School broadened its scope to welcome, not just SMA’s, but also lay people and members of other religious congregations. Many participants came year after year, attracted not only by the high quality of input delivered by speakers but also by Dromantine itself, its beautiful location, mature grounds and the welcome provided by the SMA and the Dromantine staff.
In recent years, the School has focused on issues of Social Justice, with themes such as “Living faith means living justly”, “Living Laudato Si”, and “Faith responding to changing times.” Real issues facing Ireland and the wider world were examined in a faith context and from the perspective of Catholic social teaching.
Plans for the 2020 Summer School were, due to Covid-19, first put on hold but then cancelled when lockdown restrictions came into effect. This year as restrictions continue, the 2021 Summer School will, for the first time, move online and be a little shorter than in previous years.
In the past attendance was limited by the capacity of the Dromantine venue which could cater for about 130 participants. While many of those who attended the School in the past will miss being in Dromantine the move online, and Zoom technology, means that more people can attend and that participants need not travel.
The theme for this year’s Summer School is: Migrations in Our Common Home: Causes, Effects, and Responses. It will be chaired by Fr Seán Healy, SMA, CEO, Social Justice Ireland. The Speakers at this year’s event are:
Prof John Barry – School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy, Politics and International Relations, Queen’s University, Belfast.
Dr Dug Cubie – School of Law, University College Cork.
Dr Kevin Hargaden –Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice, Dublin.
To view full programme, click here
To Book a Place at the 2021 Summer School Click Here
just fill in your name and email address and you will then receive a confirmation email shortly after registering.
There is no charge for attending the Summer School although participants may, if they wish, donate to the Mikono Yetu Project in Tanzania. Its mission is “to find new ways of empowering women and girls economically so that they can own and control resources more productively and profitably, while also sustaining the environment to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.” For more information and to make a donation click here.
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