This September, The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street at the corner of Elizabeth Street in NYC), the arts center of the Archdiocese of New York, launches its fall season with a dynamic line-up of film, live music, gallery exhibition, and talk events

This September, The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street at the corner of Elizabeth Street in NYC), the arts center of the Archdiocese of New York, launches its fall season with a dynamic line-up of film, live music, gallery exhibition, and talk events. Featured artists and thought leaders include former Ambassadors to the Vatican Jim Nicholson, Miguel Diaz and Ken Hackett with Fr. Matt Malone, S.J., editor in chief of America Magazine; acclaimed string/piano ensemble Merz Trio in an intimate salon setting; and biographer Fr. Wilson Miscamble, C.S.C. Events will explore topics ranging from faith; U.S.-Vatican relations; the depiction of salvation and creation in sacred art; Christian persecution; El Salvadoran martyr Saint Oscar Romero; and more.

Film Event

September 11, 2001. Images of that shocking tragedy are forever etched into our collective consciousness. And yet, on that very same day, a small island just 1,900 miles from Manhattan in the middle of the Atlantic gave voice to all that is good and generous during America’s darkest hour. The citizens of Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 38 airliners with no place else to go and hosted the thousands of passengers who were strangers in a strange land. Gander shone as the beacon of hope in the wake of tragedy, welcoming strangers who left as life-long friends. A discussion with producer Peter Gentile and members of the cast of Broadway’s Come From Away will follow the screening. Free with RSVP

Talk Event:

Former Ambassadors to the Holy See Jim Nicholson, Miguel Diaz and Ken Hackett join America Magazine editor-in-chief Fr. Matt Malone, S.J. to discuss the importance of U.S.-Vatican relations and the unique accomplishments it produces. $20

Gallery Exhibition:

The Sacred Art Institute was founded to promote, preserve and rediscover the role of sacred art in the story of salvation. Throughout its history, the Church has told the story of the Gospel through images of Creation by sacred artists. This exhibit will provide a stunning glimpse into mission and ministry of the Sacred Art Institute of St. Edmund’s Retreat. The exhibit will include examples of Byzantine iconography, illuminated manuscripts, calligraphy, stained glass, and woodcarving. Exhibitions in the Gallery at The Sheen Center (in the Elizabeth Street lobby) are free and open to the public from 9AM to 10:00PM daily.

Film Event:

Celebrate the 30th anniversary of this acclaimed film, starring Raúl Juliá as El Salvadoran martyr and saint Archbishop Oscar Romero, the first bishop to be slain at the altar since Thomas Beckett in the 12th century. A conversation with screenwriter John Sacret Young (TV’s “China Beach”, “The West Wing”) follows the screening. $15

Live Music Event:

Merz Trio is a bold, new, fiercely creative piano/string ensemble that will be playing an intimate and up-close salon concert for 35 people who will be onstage with them. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to witness the extraordinary musicians of Merz Trio right in front of you and to ask questions between pieces. $55

Talk Event:

During the United Nations’ Climate Week in NYC, join us for a discussion with some of the most influential sustainability advocates in the world, all of whom are women, promoting climate action throughout the world by using the powerful platform of sports. Participants in this discussion will include Kathy Behrens, President of the NBA; Lauren Tracy, Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives and Sustainability at the USTA. and Julia Palle, Senior Director of Sustainability at Formula E. Moderated by Ama Ruth Francis, Climate Law Fellow at the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia Law School and Dr. Allen Hershkowitz, Chairman and Founding Director of Sport and Sustainability International. Free with RSVP

Author’s Night Event:

Author and Notre Dame priest-professor Fr. Wilson D. Miscamble, C.S.C. tracks how famed Notre Dame president Fr. Theodore M. Hesburgh, C.S.C. transformed postwar Catholic higher education and became a celebrated voice in America at large. Yet, beyond the hagiography that often surrounds Hesburgh’s legacy, lies another more complex and challenging story. Following Fr. Miscamble’s presentation, he will be joined in conversation by Francis X. Maier, Senior Advisor and Special Assistant to the Archbishop of Philadelphia, and William McGurn, Wall Street Journal editorial board member and author of the weekly “Main Street” column, and former Chief Speechwriter for President George W. Bush. $15

Tickets/reservations for all events at The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (18 Bleecker Street, at the corner of Elizabeth Street) are available online at SheenCenter.org, by phone at 212-925-2812, in-person at The Sheen Center box office, or OvationTix.com.

The Sheen Center for Thought & Culture (www.sheencenter.org) is a New York City arts center located in NoHo that presents a vibrant mix of theater, film, music, art and talk events. The arts center of the Archdiocese of New York, The Sheen Center serves all New Yorkers by presenting performances and artists that reflect the true, the good, and the beautiful.  Named for the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, best remembered as an inspirational author, radio host and two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality, The Sheen Center reflects his modern-day approach to contemporary topics. The Sheen Center is a state-of-the-art theater complex that includes the 270-seat off-Broadway Loreto Theater, equipped with five-camera high-definition TV and live-stream capability and a multi-track recording studio; the 80-seat off-off-Broadway Black Box Theater; four rehearsal studios; and an art gallery.