January 20, 2010

Biblical School awad to go to apologist Scott Hahn

By Julie Filby

Popular Catholic speaker, teacher and author Scott Hahn has been selected by the Denver Catholic Biblical School for the eighth annual Servant of the Word Award. Hahn will be honored at the school’s banquet and auction Feb. 12 at St. Mark Church in Westminster.

“It’s a chance for students, graduates and friends of the biblical school to come together and to honor an individual who has spent himself in service to the study and teaching of God’s word,” said Ben Akers, director of the Catholic Biblical School, a lay division of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.

Hahn is a professor of theology and Scripture at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he founded and directs the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology. In 2005, he was appointed as the inaugural chair of biblical theology and liturgical proclamation at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Penn. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 books.

In addition to teaching courses at Franciscan University and St. Vincent Seminary, Hahn also enjoyed teaching at Denver’s Augustine Institute last summer.
“It’s a privilege to serve (God’s) word—and it’s a joy,” Hahn said. “It seems almost wrong to get an award for it.”

In the past year, Hahn published a number of books designed to bring Catholics closer to God’s word including “Covenant and Communion: The Biblical Theology of Benedict XVI,” “Catholic Bible Dictionary” and “Kinship by Covenant.” He also published his first children’s book “God’s Covenant with Us.”

“Each of those projects reflects my dependence on other, greater servants of the word,” he said. “Especially my favorite biblical theologian: Pope Benedict XVI.”
The evening’s events begin at 5:30 p.m. with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., followed by a reception and silent auction, dinner, award presentation and words from Hahn. The cost is $65 per person or $120 per couple.

The following day, Feb. 13, Hahn will present a workshop “Letter and Spirit: The Relationship between the Bible and the Liturgy” at St Thomas More School in Centennial.
“If you’ve ever wondered about how the Bible relates to the worship of God or how scriptural the Mass is, this day is for you,” Akers said.

In the workshop Hahn will explore the complex relationship between the Bible and the Catholic liturgy, offering insight into what the Bible teaches about living the spiritual life.
“The Bible gives us both the content and context of the liturgy,” Hahn explained. “If we read the Bible as it was written, we’ll read it from the heart of the Church. And that heart is eucharistic—it’s the heart of Jesus.”
The workshop, which will run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., includes Mass and lunch for $40 per person or $70 per couple.

Registration for both events is available at www.sjvdenver.edu (click on Catholic Biblical School) or by calling 303-715-3195. Seating is limited and filling up fast. There are discounts for couples and individuals attending both events.

SERVANT OF THE WORD EVENTS

 Banquet: Dinner, auction and award presentation
When: 5:30 p.m. Feb. 12
Where: St. Mark Church, 3141 W. 96th Ave., Westminster
Cost: $65 per person, $120 per couple

Workshop: “Letter and Spirit” by Scott Hahn
When: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 13
Where: St. Thomas More School, 7071 E. Otero Place, Centennial
Cost: $40 per person, $70 per couple

Cost to attend both events: $95 per person, $185 per couple
Register: www.sjvdenver.edu (click on Catholic Biblical School) or call 303-715-3195, space is limited
Deadline: Feb. 3