Dr. Tom Urbaniak presents Can Concerned Catholics Repair the Church? Faith, Governance, and Accountability. As a political science professor, expert in governance, and a concerned Catholic with significant parish experience and crisis-management experience, Dr. Tom Urbaniak has been studying models of church governance and options for reform. He has visited Catholic communities that tried new methods of governance and accountability, sometimes thoughtfully defying authoritarian and spiritually impoverished bishops. In this lecture, he will try to answer key questions: Is there hope for the Catholic Church? Can concerned lay Catholics start somewhere? If so, where? Will the interventions make a difference?

This webinar will be presented on ZOOM

Bio

Dr. Tom Urbaniak is a professor of political science at Cape Breton University, where he also serves as director of the Tompkins Institute (named after the late Father Jimmy Tompkins) and chair of the University Senate. He is the past board chair of the national inter-faith organization Faith & the Common Good and a past chair of the National Trust for Canada. Tom is an active leader in Cape Breton's and Atlantic Canada's Polish communities. He is a dedicated parishioner of St. Mary's Polish Catholic Church in Whitney Pier - a parish with a strong practice of lay leadership and governance. He chaired the parish council for six years, working alongside fellow parishioners to rebuild the church after a devastating fire, reverse a diocesan plan to close the church, and help the small but vibrant community to prayerfully discern its future. Tom has also served as an official Canadian election observer in Ukraine and has chaired organizations dedicated to affordable housing and community development. He is the author of five books, including Dignity, Democracy, Development: A Citizen's Reader. Tom is a frequent media commentator on public policy, giving interviews in English, French, and Polish. Tom is married to Rev. Alison Etter, the United Church minister in Glace Bay. Their son, Oliver, was born on February 11, 2022.