MACKEY MARIANIST LECTURE
Dominican Sister Donna Markham, the chief executive officer of Catholic Charities USA, will speak on the plight of today’s refugees and migrants at the Mackey Marianist Lecture, 4 p.m., Sept. 30 at the Mystical Rose Oratory on the Kaimuki campus of Chaminade University and Saint Louis School.
Pope Francis has called on people of faith and good will to “share the journey” with the more than 60 million vulnerable sisters and brothers fleeing war, poverty, gangs and domestic violence. While Jesus says we will be judged by how we welcome the stranger, many governments are turning their backs to them.
Sister Donna will draw on her background as a psychologist, a religious and as the head of Catholic Charities to speak on the intensity of the migrant crisis, efforts being made to alleviate the problem, and ways local individuals and groups can help.
Catholic Charities is working in concert with Caritas International to address the crisis caused by millions around the world experiencing massive displacement.
Across the U.S., Catholic Charities serves 10 million people annually. Their 70,000 employees are on the front lines of the church’s social service efforts.
Sister Donna is the first woman to hold the position of president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA in its 100-year history.
An Adrian Dominican sister with a doctorate in clinical psychology, she served on the Catholic Charities board of trustees for eight years, two as chairwoman. She has also served in leadership positions in behavioral healthcare in the United States and Canada and is an internationally-recognized author and speaker in areas pertaining to transformational leadership, organizational change management and treatment of the mentally ill.
Sister Donna received her doctorate from the University of Detroit. Before her position at Catholic Charities, she was president of the Behavioral Health Institute at Mercy Health System where she led the transformation of the delivery of behavioral health services across seven geographic regions.
She also served on the faculties of St. John’s Provincial Seminary in Michigan and the Kellogg School for Nonprofit Management at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Sister Donna is a fellow in the American Academy of Clinical Psychologists. In addition to executive management and clinical work, she is engaged in global peace initiatives directed toward building bridges of understanding and collaboration across conflict zones.
She is also a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in the areas of migration, domestic policy and racism.
The lecture is free and no registration is required. For further information, go to www.marianisthawaii.wordpress.com and click on “Mackey.” You can also contact Marianist Brother Dennis Schmitz at baldschmitz@aol.com or 232-6691.