As the ‘Way of Hope’ Alpha Catholic Conference approaches on 31 October and 1 November at the Liverpool Catholic Club, anticipation is building for the keynote address by Sr Elena Marie Piteo OP, a Dominican Sister of St Cecilia who has a PhD in psychology and a passion for helping others flourish in faith.
In most keynote speeches about evangelisation, faith and doctrine often take centre stage, overshadowing the psychological factors that affect how receptive people are to the Gospel.
With her deep knowledge of human behaviour and armed with a passion for bringing people to Christ, Sr Elena Marie’s journey is a powerful testament to the integration of psychology and faith as a tool for evangelisation.
“I earned my PhD in psychology before I entered the Dominican Sisters in 2011. Since then, I have acquired a teaching degree and a Master of Arts (MA) in teaching,” she explains.
“Through formation classes, further study, and teaching at university, I’ve been able to delve a little bit more into the integration of faith and psychology and how the two can work together.”
Sr Elena Marie’s work at Aquinas in Nashville, Tennessee, with Catholic educators sees her combine her passion for the integration of contemporary psychology, science, mental health with her Catholic faith.
“One of the great gifts has been to work with Catholic educators by helping them to use contemporary educational psychology, but integrated with a sound Catholic anthropology, so that they can come to a deep understanding of the human person and the importance of these different aspects for human flourishing.”
Research, she notes, strongly supports the connection between faith and wellbeing.
“There are numerous studies in positive psychology that show us when individuals have meaning and purpose, when they are hopeful, this may lead to and contribute to greater wellbeing and flourishing,” she adds.
“The other significant finding is the significance of relationships, especially those early relationships which are significant for one’s wellbeing and flourishing. We can see how this is related to faith, the significance of developing relationships in community, primarily with God, but then also with each other.”
Sr Elena Marie’s keynote, “Resilience in the Face of Adversity: Insights from Theology, Philosophy and Psychology,” will offer practical wisdom for those seeking deeper discipleship.
“What I’m going to be looking at is, what does it mean to be resilient when we are faced with adversity, and especially how we do this through a Catholic Christian vision of the human person,” she says.
She will draw from Scripture, church documents, St Thomas Aquinas’ teaching, the Catechism, and contemporary psychology, focusing on the dignity of the human person, the life of virtue, and the significance of relationship.
Her passion for evangelisation and helping others discover their gifts shines through: “I hope that the talk will give them some tools and means of understanding more, perhaps about themselves and who they are and how God has created them for flourishing and then also how to help those whom they encounter.”
She believes that “conferences like ‘The Way of Hope’ are a great way to gather people and to help them to see that they’re not alone, and to give them encouragement and tools of how to live their faith practically in everyday life, and hopefully draw closer to Jesus and in turn by their witness point others to Christ as well.”
To those considering attending, she offers this encouragement: “Don’t be afraid. God desires to give you his very self. So come with an open and generous heart and you may be surprised by the gifts of God’s grace.” Join Sr Elena Marie and many others at the ‘Way of Hope’ Alpha Catholic Conference for an experience that promises to inspire, equip, and renew your faith journey.
The Way of Hope conference takes place on 31 October and 1 November at the Liverpool Catholic Club, registrations close 17 October. For more information and to register, visit the link here.
