7 Principles of Our Church's Social Teachings

The St. Mary’s Pastoral Council is excited to announce the fourth in a series of presentations on The Seven Principles of our Church’s Social Teachings as promulgated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Join us to hear Rev. Dennis J. Billy, C.Ss.R., address this topic on Tuesday, September 19, at St. John Neumann in Seelos Hall beginning at 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm.

According to the USCCB website: “The person is not only sacred but also social. How we organize our society—in economics and politics, in law and policy—directly affects human dignity and the capacity of individuals to grow in community. Marriage and the family are the central social institutions that must be supported and strengthened, not undermined. We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and well-being of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.”

Fr. Dennis Billy, C.Ss.R. serves as professor of moral theology and spirituality and is holder of the Robert F. Leavitt Distinguished Service Chair in Theology at St. Mary’s Seminary & University. He is a Redemptorist of the Baltimore Province. He comes from Staten Island, New York, and was educated there through high school in local Catholic schools. He holds an A.B. in English from Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire) and studied for the priesthood in the Redemptorist seminary system. After his priestly training, he went on to earn a Th.D. in Church History from Harvard Divinity School, an M.A. in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto, an M.M.R.Sc. in Moral Theology from the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven in Belgium, an S.T.D. in Spirituality from The Pontifical University of St. Thomas (Angelicum, Rome), and a D.Min. in Spiritual Direction from the Graduate Theological Foundation. Fr. Billy has authored more than 50 books and published over 400 articles in a variety of scholarly and popular journals.  

Life & Dignity of the Human Person; Call to Family, Community and Participation; Rights and Responsibilities; Option for the Poor and Vulnerable; The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers; Solidarity; and Care for God’s Creation.