In this lecture, Gerald E. Murray will examine the recent life of the Catholic Church by looking back at the pontificate of Pope Francis and considering the early direction of Pope Leo XIV. Drawing on theology, canon law, and the Church’s historical experience, Fr. Murray will review key developments that shaped the Church in recent years and discuss the first signs emerging from the new pontificate. He will consider what changes in emphasis, governance, and pastoral priorities may already be visible, what may remain consistent with the past, and what Catholics might expect in the years ahead.

Suggested Donation $20.

Bio

Father Gerald E. Murray was born in Brooklyn, New York in May 1959, and grew up in New Rochelle. He attended Regis High School and Dartmouth College. He entered St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie in 1980, and was ordained a priest on December 1, 1984. He was assigned to various parishes in the Bronx and Manhattan before being sent to the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1993 to study Canon Law. He was awarded a Doctorate in Canon Law in 1998, and then served briefly as a Judge on the Metropolitan Tribunal before being named Pastor of St. Vincent De Paul Church on West 23rd Street in Manhattan in 1998. In 2012, Fr. Murray was named Pastor of Holy Family Church on East 47th Street, and in 2024 was named pastor of St. Joseph of Yorkville Church on East 87th Street.

Fr. Murray has appeared as a commentator on religious topics on various television and radio outlets, including EWTN, EWTN Spanish, Fox News, Fox Business News, MSNBC, NY1, Fox News Radio and the Voice of America. He is fluent in French, Spanish and Italian, and has a working knowledge of Portuguese. He served in the US Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps from 1994 to 2005. He is co-author with Diane Montagna of Calming the Storm, Navigating the Crises Facing the Catholic Church and Society. He writes at thecatholicthing.org and humanlifereview.com. 

Reception to follow.