St. Ignatius Church -- Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Best-selling author and Boston College alumnus Rev. James Martin, SJ, joined Jesuit Connections for the second installment this year of “Pizza & a Pint & Ignatian Conversations” in an evening co-sponsored with the Jesuit Parish of Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

Over seventy young adults participated in an intimate, honest, and wide-ranging conversation about the underlying issues of Fr. Martin’s latest book, Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter Into A Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Spirituality, and how the book has been received by the Catholic community. Fr. Martin stayed for pizza and beer (and a lot of selfies) with Jesuit Connections before addressing an overflow capacity crowd of more than 1,000 at St. Ignatius Church for his book talk.

​Loyola House -- 300 Newbury Street, Boston

Jesuit Connections began this year’s series of “Pizza & a Pint Conversations” with a panel of four alumni from Jesuit schools who have been called to serve the Church as ordained clergy or lay ministers in a variety of Christian traditions.

Lyn Campbell, a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross, shared her experience of being raised in the Roman Catholic tradition and the path that led her to becoming an ordained Episcopal priest. Joceyln Collen, a Fairfield University graduate with a Master of Divinity from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, discussed her work with “Catholic Women Preach" as chaplain and religion teacher at a school for special needs children, and her prison ministry work in Boston. Jason Downer, SJ, a graduate of Canisius College and a current student at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, shared his journey to becoming a Jesuit. Mina Kaddis, a graduate of Boston College, talked about his multi-dimensional vocation as a practicing dentist, husband, father, and an ordained priest in the Coptic Orthodox Church.