Bishop James Conley / Facebook
CV NEWS FEED // Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, has announced that his diocese is offering a humanities syllabus for the Jubilee year exploring various works of literature that are among “the greatest treasures of our culture.”
“We suffer from a kind of cultural amnesia where we have forgotten the tremendous legacy of our past,” Bishop Conley wrote in a Jan. 17 column of the Southern Nebraska Register. “It is through exposure to the humanities, whether that be great literature, poetry, music, art or even film, that we can discover our deepest purpose and meaning in life, like it did for me years ago as a young college student.”
As CatholicVote previously reported, Bishop Conley has emphasized the profound value of an authentic Catholic education and of liberal arts education.
“When I discovered truth, goodness, and beauty in the great books… wonder took hold within me,” Bishop Conley wrote in a September 2024 pastoral letter, in which he shared how classical literature was crucial to his conversion.
The Diocese’s 2025 yearlong literature project is titled “A Pilgrimage of Truth, Goodness and Beauty: A Humanities Syllabus.” The first installment of the project will be available in the Southern Nebraska Register soon, according to Bishop Conley’s Jan. 17 column.
Describing the project as “a guided pilgrimage” through the selected works, Bishop Conley explained that every month, a new theme will be introduced and various forms of the humanities including literature, poetry, music, art and film will be analyzed.
“The common goal of each selection will be to highlight ‘the good, the true and the beautiful,’” Bishop Conley wrote. “These are things we should see or experience along life’s journey to inspire our hearts and minds to become the best possible person — the best possible Catholic — God created us to be.”
In addition to each monthly theme, the Diocese will also provide further materials for those who engage in the syllabus, including discussion questions and appreciation notes.
Bishop Conley encouraged the faithful to consider organizing a monthly meeting at their parishes to discuss and enjoy the syllabus’ recommendations.
“I urge you to be creative – reading aloud, poetry recitation and memorization, live musical concerts or plays, visits to art galleries and movie nights can all be options,” he wrote.
Referencing Pope Francis’ desire for this Jubilee year to be “marked by the hope that does not fade, our hope in God,” Bishop Conley said he prays that the new local project “might inspire us to be true pilgrims of hope.”
