dCEC hosts popular theologian
Rev. Gregory Pine, O.P., a popular Dominican theologian, recently visited campus for two events centered on his forthcoming book, Training the Tongue and Growing Beyond Sins of Speech. The de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture (dCEC) welcomed Fr. Pine for a public book talk and conversation, followed by a day of recollection for the dCEC’s Sorin Fellows.
The public event, entitled “Training the Tongue: How to Avoid the Sins of Speech,” left standing room only in Andrews Auditorium in Geddes Hall. This conversation on the purpose of speech was between Fr. Pine and Dr. Angela Knobel, a professor of philosophy at the University of Dallas and the dCEC’s current Myser Visiting Fellow.
During the discussion, Fr. Pine explained that he did not write his book to scold readers into avoiding wrongdoing, but rather “to show how to use speech well.” Describing speech as something meant to build relationships and foster communion, he emphasized that conversation should be “a genuine sharing of life” between individuals.
Knobel raised the concern that modern technology can discourage authentic conversation, even when people are more “connected” than ever. Fr. Pine responded by emphasizing that the goal of conversation is not efficiency or entertainment, but rather “meeting each other in our depths.”
The following day, the dCEC hosted an on-campus day of recollection for its Sorin Fellows, which included two talks and Q&A sessions with Fr. Pine, conversations with Professor of Theology Rev. Matthew Hovde, C.S.C. and graduate student Rev. Brendan Baran, O.P., and Mass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
The theme of the day of recollection was a question many carry quietly: Can you “mess up” God’s plan for your life? Fr. Pine encouraged participants to approach this fear with both honesty and trust, emphasizing that God’s providence is not fragile or easily “ruined” by human weakness. “God is not scandalized by your imperfections,” Pine said. “He knows what he was doing when he made you.”
Throughout the day, Fr. Pine stressed that Christian life is not lived in an imagined future where everything is finally in order. He remarked that “your real life is not elsewhere … it is here and now.” He encouraged students to resist both despair and perfectionism, reminding them that God works through ordinary circumstances and even through failure.
Dr. Jennifer Newsome Martin, Director of the dCEC, explained in an email to the Rover that the events were planned as part of the Center’s mission of promoting formation for its community of undergraduate, graduate, and professional students.
“Our Sorin Fellows program is designed to support holistic, integral student formation in the Catholic tradition,” she said. Martin noted that this includes “focused attention, not only on intellectual development, virtuous friendships, professional training, and vocational mentoring, but also—given Catholicism’s universal call to holiness—upon the interior, spiritual lives of the students under our care.”
Martin explained that the dCEC has long been interested in hosting a day of recollection for the Sorin Fellows, and that “since Fr. Gregory is a known quantity through his work at the Thomistic Institute and various podcasts alongside his fellow Dominicans (not to mention that he is intellectually serious, deeply funny, and manifestly approachable!), we knew he would have broad appeal not only to our Sorin Fellows, but also to the broader campus and local community.” She also added that graduate Sorin Fellow Fr. Henry Stephan, O.P. helped facilitate the introduction.
The reception of both events was overwhelmingly positive. Freshman Sorin Fellow Christian Weber told the Rover that Fr. Pine “has this uncanny ability to voice our inner thoughts in a way that’s both deeply relatable and spiritually formative.”
Sophomore Sorin Fellow Ella Ortiz echoed Weber’s praise, writing to the Rover that the day of recollection was “a wonderful opportunity to contemplate my role in God’s divine plan, entrusting my life and my semester to Him.”
Across both events, Fr. Pine’s message remained consistent: The Christian life, whether expressed in the way people speak or the way they imagine their future, is inherently oriented toward communion. For attendees, his two-day visit offered the practical challenge of cultivating “verbal virtue” and a deep reassurance that God’s plans are not derailed by human imperfection but patiently carried forward through His grace.
Jeremy Siegl is a freshman from Southern California studying history and constitutional studies. He’s currently complaining about winter weather to anyone who will listen to him. You can reach him at jsiegl@nd.edu.
Photo Credit: Catholic Information Center
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