As conversations across the Church increasingly turn toward artificial intelligence, technology, and the future of human connection, questions about attention, presence, and authentic encounter have taken on new urgency. Echoing many of the concerns raised by Pope Leo XIV in his recent encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on AI and human dignity, this lecture invites participants to consider what it means to remain truly attentive to God, to one another, and to the world around us.
Join the Gregorian University Foundation for our free Distinguished Lecture Series, Scattered Attention, Real Encounters: Mission in an Age of Distraction. Featuring voices from the Pontifical Gregorian University, this online series will explore faith, mission, technology, and the challenge of authentic human encounter in today’s distracted world.
Please register below. All sessions will be live streamed, and registered participants will also receive recordings to watch at their convenience.
Speakers:
Fr. Daniel Patrick L. Huang, SJ is a Jesuit priest, theologian, and coordinator of the specialization of Missiology in the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Gregorian University. Before joining the Gregorian faculty, Fr. Huang served for eleven years in the General Curia of the Society of Jesus in Rome as General Counselor and Regional Assistant for Asia Pacific. A former Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in the Philippines and Rector of San Jose Seminary, Fr. Huang has spent decades accompanying the Church through theological education, priestly formation, and global Jesuit leadership. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of Georgetown University.
Fr. Michael Rossmann, SJ serves as a Jesuit chaplain in Campus Ministry at Loyola University Chicago, superior of Arrupe House, and adjunct professor in the Department of Theology. A native of Iowa and alumnus of the Pontifical Gregorian University, Fr. Rossmann is active on social media and digital evangelization, and he is the creator of the popular “One-Minute Jesuit” digital series, which brings Jesuit spirituality and reflection into everyday life online. Fr. Rossmann is the author of the books The Freedom of Missing Out and Online Pre-Evangelization, and frequently gives talks and retreats on faith, technology, discernment, and authentic encounter in the modern world.
Moderator:
Fr. Sam Sawyer, SJ is Editor-in-Chief of America Magazine and a trustee of the Gregorian University Foundation. A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania, Fr. Sawyer is a graduate of Boston College and Loyola University Chicago, with a background in computer science and software development that has shaped his thoughtful engagement with media, technology, and Catholic journalism. Since joining America in 2015, he has helped lead the publication’s digital transformation, expanding its reach to millions of readers through podcasts, video, and online content. Fr. Sawyer also co-founded The Jesuit Post, a digital platform created by Jesuits in formation to engage younger audiences through articles and video. Through his writing and editorial leadership, he continues to foster thoughtful Catholic dialogue on faith, culture, technology, and public life.
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