Hey Western Washington Chestertonians!

Dear Friends of the Seattle G. K. Chesterton Society,

On Thursday, April 10, at 7:30 PM at the UW Newman Center, Dr. Luis Fraga of the University of Washington will lead us in an evening of discussion concerning the future prospects of Catholic education in the United States.

Please see below for full details.  Please see also our full Events Calendar for more details pertaining to our 2013-2014 season.

The UW Newman Center is located at 4502 20th Ave NE, Seattle, WA 98105.  Please note that parking space at UW Newman Center is limited.  Commuters may park in the nearby N5 lot at the University, accessible via the north gate at NE 45th and Memorial Way.
We hope to see you next Thursday evening.   Please bring a friend!

Yours faithfully,
The Seattle G. K. Chesterton Society

Thursday, April 10, 2014, at 7:30 PM, UW Newman Center

Catholic Education for the 21st Century:
Expanding Access to Build Inclusive Communities of Faith

Dr. Luis Ricardo Fraga
University of Washington

It is estimated that at least 1,400 Catholic schools have closed in the United States from 2000 to the present.  As a result, there are now 500,000 fewer seats available in Catholic schools.  In 2007-2008 there were 691,000 empty seats in Catholic schools throughout the country.  Additionally, only 24% of self-identified Catholics attend Mass at least once per week.

Do Catholicism and Catholic education have a future in the United States? How will that future be structured by the dramatic shifts in the demographic profile of practicing Catholics in the U.S. over the last two decades? What is the place of an educated Catholic in the “modern” world, who wants to be a contributor to the ongoing American experiment? As a prominent and widely respected figure in higher education who has also worked directly on Catholic education in the Seattle Archdiocese, Dr. Fraga will offer his insights regarding Catholics, Catholic education, and the the role educated Catholics in society and the public square.

Luis Fraga received his doctorate in Political Science from Rice University in 1984 and his A.B., cum laude, from Harvard in 1978. Now at the University of Washington, he is the Associate Vice Provost for Faculty Advancement, Russell F. Stark University Professor, Director of the Diversity Research Institute, and Professor of Political Science. He has been on the faculty at Stanford University, the University of Notre Dame, and the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Fraga has authored and co-authored five books and has published widely in scholarly journals and academic volumes. He has received fifteen awards for his teaching, mentoring, and advising. In 2011 he was appointed by President Obama to the Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. In 2012 Dr. Fraga was recognized as a Champion of Catholic Education by the Archdiocese of Seattle Fulcrum Foundation.