The First Friday Club welcomes our guest, Fr. Thomas Hurley

The First Friday Club of Chicago

Welcomes
Ms. Maureen Maher
Award-Winning Investigative Journalist
for the CBS News Magazine, 48 Hours
Who Will Address the Topic

“The World I want for my Daughter...and Son.
Using Lessons from Our Time to Create a Better Future.”

On Friday, April 6, 2018 in the Main Lounge of the Union League Club

The First Friday Club Welcomes
Mr. Kenneth L. Woodward
Former Religion Editor, Newsweek Magazine
Who will address the Topic?

“Religion and American Politics: The Recent History of a Stormy Relationship”

We have been told to avoid two topics in our conversations: religion and politics. On April 6 th
our speaker, Ken Woodward, will address both of them!
One of the people most qualified to address this issue is Ken Woodward who for 38 years covered the
topic of religion in America for Newsweek Magazine. And since then he has continue to speak on and
write about the place and impact of religion in our country.
His most recent book is titled Getting Religion: Faith, Culture, and Politics from the Age of Eisenhower to
the Era of Obama.
Ken Woodward’s intent during his First Friday Club presentation is to begin with an analysis of the
present situation of Evangelicals in current American politics and then go back to JFK and move
forward to a discussion of Religion and the GOP and Religion and the Democrats.
This should be very interesting!
Ken Woodward has authored over 750 articles for Newsweek, including nearly 100 cover
stories. He has been a news commentator on NBC, ABC and CBS. Among his numerous awards
are the National Magazine Award, the Pulitzer Prize of the magazine industry, and the Robert E.
Griffin Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Art of Writing from the University of Notre
Dame.
Mr. Woodward grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, graduated from St. Ignatius High School there and
from the University of Notre Dame (1957). He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three children and
seven grandchildren.
His current book, Getting Religion: Faith, Culture, and Politics from the Age of Eisenhower to the Ascent
of Trump will be available in paperback after his presentation.

Violence is a Three-Sided Coin

The out-of- control violence that plagues so many pockets of Chicago focuses on two elements:
the perpetrators and the victims. Often they are described as opposite sides of the same coin, the 2
sides of a violent action.

Yet there is another element that very often encircles those two sides. Violence between perpetrator
and victim often occurs in the same territory, neighborhood, or community: the third side of the coin.

Fr. Dave Kelly and other members of his religious congregation began the Precious Blood Ministry of
Reconciliation. This Ministry reaches out to those who have been harmed, the one who has done the
harm, and the community.

Our criminal justice system asks what law was broken and what the punishment is. There is very little
energy offered to the victim or to the process of healing.

Fr. Kelly's Restorative Justice Program seeks to restore the peace, to fix the harm and pain by
working together with the victim, the offender, and the community.

In the great Tradition of our Faith rooted in Christ, he sees all life as precious: the offender, the
victim, and all in the community. He believes that healing and hope can be restored by all three sides
of this coin coming together in Peace and Justice.

Violence among us may be defined as out of control. But Fr. Dave Kelly's ministry has proven that
can change.

Father Dave Kelly has earned his Doctorate of Ministry from the Catholic Theological Union. His
thesis is entitled: "Responding to the Violence Among Urban Youth: a Restorative Approach."

On the first Friday in February we are dealing with the issue of Homelessness. We want to get beyond the stereotype and, look deeply and honestly at this growing sad cultural issue that surrounds all of us. Too many social issues have become the victims of dishonest and unfair stereotypes. 

Yes. There are homeless people who beg on many of the street corners in downtown Chicago.

But did you know there are college students in the Chicago area who return to homeless shelters each night? Yes, there are.

There are also many homeless people who hold jobs and work every day, but cannot make enough money to rent a place to live for themselves and their children. So they travel night after night from town to town with their children, to the humiliation of a shelter - trying to get back on their financial feet.

This is occurring during these cold winter nights throughout the city and even in many of the best Chicago suburbs. 

Our February speaker, Mark McGreevy, made a commitment 27 years ago in London to bring an end to homelessness. That has led to 100 projects in 6 countries supporting over 23,000 people. We have much to learn about this issue that surrounds us all.

The first Friday Club welcomes Father Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries