I’m delighted and honoured to be one of the speakers at a conference on English Catholicism in Greenville, SC, on Saturday, January 21st.

Greenville, amongst its other claims to fame, is home to Bob Jones University, the hub and heart of Protestant Fundamentalism. It is, therefore, a paradoxical pleasure to bring English Catholicism to the inner sanctum of the Bible Belt. The pleasure is heightened by the fact that Father Dwight Longenecker, one of the speakers at the conference, is himself a graduate of Bob Jones, though obviously long before his conversion. I’m also excited at the prospect of meeting my compatriot, Joanna Bogle, once again. Joanna is one of the brightest stars in the firmament of evangelical Catholicism in England and is best known in the States for her regular appearances on EWTN.

Father Dwight will be speaking on “Merry Ole England: Life in the English Middle Ages” and also on “C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – Conversion and Catholicism”.

Joanna Bogle will speak on “Feasts and Seasons: How to Celebrate the Catholic Faith English Style” and “Catholicism in Tension: The Catholic Church in Britain Today”.

I will be speaking on “The Jolly Prophet: The Importance of G.K. Chesterton Today” and “Searching for Shakespeare: Was Shakespeare Catholic?”

I hope that visitors to this site might be tempted to attend this conference, which will be a celebration of England and Catholicism in the spirit of the English saints and martyrs. Full details are given below:

Now and in England
A Day Conference on English Catholicism Then and Now.

with EWTN personalities and authors
Joanna Bogle, Joseph Pearce and Fr. Dwight Longenecker

Saturday, January 21, 2012
at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church
3710 Augusta Road, Greenville, South Carolina, 29605

8:30 – Registration and Refreshments
9:00 – Deacon Ballard – Opening Comments – Why English Catholicism is Important for Americans Today
9:15 – Fr Longenecker – Merry Ole’ England – Life in the English Middle Ages
9:45 – Joanna Bogle – Feasts and Seasons – How to Celebrate the Catholic Faith English Style
10:30 – Break
10:45 – Joseph Pearce – The Jolly Prophet – The Importance of G.K. Chesterton Today
11:30 – Fr Longenecker – C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien – Conversion and Catholicism
12:00 – Lunch – Book Signings
12:45 – Holy Rosary Before the Image of Our Lady of Walsingham
1:15 – Joseph Pearce – Searching for Shakespeare – Was Shakespeare Catholic?
2:00 – Break
2:15 – Joanna Bogle – Catholicism in Tension – The Catholic Church in Britain Today
3:00 – Plenary Session – Questions
3:15 – Deacon Ballard – Closing Comments
3:30 – Departure

Registration: $15.00, including lunch. Call OLR Parish for reservation at 864-422-1648