A conference in June will honor the life and teachings of Henri Nouwen, the late Catholic priest, professor and prolific author. Way of the Heart: Exploring the inner journey through the lens of Henri Nouwen, will highlight how Nouwen’s works still inspire theology, thought and action today.
“More than anything, his audience is telling us to continue his legacy,” said Karen Pascal, executive director of the Henri Nouwen Society. “The great reality is that when he died, he had sold about a million-and-a-half books in his lifetime. He wrote 40 books, and 20 years later, all of them are still published except one. There have been over 7.5-million copies sold, and they are read around the world.
“Twenty years of ministry have gone on since he died. More than ever, as a society, we feel a responsibility to extend his legacy to a new generation of readers.”
The international event will commemorate the 20th anniversary of Nouwen’s death and runs from June 9-11 at the Erindale campus of the University of Toronto, Mississauga. Organizers hope to draw 500 attendants from around the world. High-profile speakers Shane Claiborne, Esther de Waal and Ron Rolheiser will be keynotes and will share how Henri influenced, inspired and informed their life and work, and a varied group of workshop leaders will discuss topics related to social justice, caregiving, spirituality, the environment, and the arts. Music will be led by Steve Bell.
“I’m hoping [participants] will be freshly resourced by the richness of Henri’s legacy, and will also see how ministry fanned out from him,” said Pascal. “Henri was the kind of person who had a wonderful spiritual curiosity. If he was alive today, he would be involved in so many current things.”
Nouwen was born in Holland, but eventually made his home in Richmond Hill, Ont., at L’Arche Daybreak—one of more than 100 communities around the world founded by Jean Vanier where people with developmental disabilities live together with those who are normally abled.
A second, smaller event entitled “Henri & me with Anne Lamott,” will take place May 13 at Convocation Hall, University of Toronto. Steve Bell will be featured here as well.
For more information on both events, visit henrinouwen.org.
