CMU Osher Program on Thomas Merton Offered in Spring

Following the 100th anniversary year of Thomas Merton’s birth last year, the Merton Center was approached to offer a course on Thomas Merton at Carnegie Mellon University’s Osher Program. Carol Gonzalez and I who were on the anniversary committee in 2015 readily agreed. The 6 week, 6 session class is entitled “Thomas Merton, a Spiritual Guide in a Troubled World”. It begins on Thursday, May 12 from 1 – 2:30 PM. The final session will be on Thursday, June 16 at the same time and will be offered in Wean Hall, Room 4707 on CMU’s campus in Oakland.

The classes will provide an inspiring exploration into the life, relationships, writings, and contemplative practices of Thomas Merton. In addition to the biographical information of Merton's life, classes will focus on his published writings, correspondence with many of his contemporaries around the world, interfaith dialogue, and his spiritual journey in his last year (1968). It will reveal the reason Merton continues to be read and inspire the lives of people in the 21st century as a promoter of peace between peoples

and religions. It will also include the mission and history of the Thomas Merton Center that was founded in Pittsburgh in 1972 and continues to operate out of the Garfield section of the city.

Carol Gonzales is an educator, contemplative activist, Episcopal laywoman, and an Ignatian guide and leader in CVX-CLC, an international, lay Ignatian community on mission in the world. A former history teacher at Shady Side Academy, Carol has served on the board of the Thomas Merton Center, led numerous Merton and Dorothy Day study groups, leads weekly spiritual support groups with incarcerated women, and has been active in community development on the Northside --including urban farming and tree-tending-- for decades. Carol is eager to engage with others on the journey as disciples of meditation become apostles of Love.

Joyce Rothermel is a board member of the Thomas Merton Center.

Joyce Rothermel is a life long Catholic and active member of St. James Church in Wilkinsburg. She is a retired non-profit administrator who served as associate director of the Thomas Merton Center from 1977-87 and has returned as a regular volunteer and board member since her retirement in 2011. She received her master’s degree in education with a concentration in peace and social justice from the University of Dayton in 1977.

Jim Forest’s biography on Merton is required reading for the course. Also recommended but not required is Merton's "Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander".

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), formerly the Academy for Lifelong Learning, is a gathering of people eager to enhance their education by attending classes in a pleasant atmosphere on the campus of a great university. Any adult in the Pittsburgh area is eligible to join the Osher Institute at Carnegie Mellon. Endowed by the Bernard Osher Foundation, OLLI at CMU is a non-credit program supported by Carnegie Mellon University since its charter in 1992. Members participate in courses selected by the Curriculum Committee with suggestions from the membership. Dedicated volunteers lead courses and manage the program. Most classes are held during daylight hours. To find out more about Osher, go to www.cmu.edu/osher

#article