Washington D.C., Mar 9, 2018 / 11:45 am
In a room full of Lutheran and Catholic intellectuals on Wednesday, one women stood up and shared a story about a civil rights advocate whom she met in New York City in the late 1960s. At a time when many in her civil rights community were beginning to get caught up in abortion advocacy, this man took the time to sit down with her to help her to understand the theological basis for defending the human dignity of both minorities and the unborn.
That man was Richard John Neuhaus, who went on to become a priest and a leading Catholic voice in American politics.
This was one among the many personal stories shared at a March 7 symposium celebrating the gift of a collection of Father Neuhaus' letters, publications, and photographs to the American Catholic History Research Center archives at Catholic University of America.
George Weigel, Rusty Reno, Hadley Arkes, Robert Wilken, and Gil Meilaender were among the contributors who spoke of Neuhaus' impact on politics, religion, and culture in America.