Papal Scholars at Holy Cross Available for Expert Commentary on Pope's Visit to the U.S.

WORCESTER, Mass. – The following faculty members at the College of the Holy Cross are available for media interviews related to Pope Benedict’s XVI visit to the U.S. from April 15 – 20, 2008, including his address on Catholic education to presidents of Catholic colleges and universities and diocesan education leaders on April 17 at the Catholic University of America.  For more information, or for assistance scheduling an interview, please call Kristine Maloney at 508-793-2419. Experts listed below may also be contacted for comment directly. Mathew N. Schmalz, associate professor of religious studies; director of the College Honors Program mschmalz@holycross.edu 508-793-2557 (office) 508-831-7044 (home) Schmalz specializes in global Catholicism, the Papacy, and Catholicism/culture issues in the U.S.  A frequent media commentator, he has provided expert analysis on a multitude of issues, including the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI, to outlets including the Associated Press, USA Today, The Boston Globe, The San Francisco Chronicle, U.S. News & World Report, and NPR. David O’Brien, professor of history; Loyola Professor of Roman Catholic Studies dobrien@holycross.edu 508- 829-9759 (home) (available until April 13, 2008) O’Brien specializes in Catholic social and political thought, the history of American Catholicism, and religion and politics. He can comment on questions regarding the contemporary life and work of the Church in the United States, as well as Catholic intellectual life and Catholic higher education. O’Brien frequently provides expert commentary for the media; he has been quoted in numerous publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Catholic Reporter, the Associated Press, and NPR.

Rev. Thomas Worcester, S.J., associate professor of history tworcest@holycross.edu 508-793-2784 (office) Fr. Worcester teaches a course on the papacy, and can comment on the history of papal travel to various parts of the world, especially since the 1960s. Rev. Mario Farrugia, S.J., International Visiting Jesuit Fellow Theologian, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome mfarrugi@holycross.edu 508-793-3501 (office) Fr. Farrugia, a Maltese Jesuit, teaches at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, the University of Malta, and the Pontifical Theological Faculty in Naples. Specializing in theological anthropology, he is a visiting fellow at Holy Cross this semester, and is currently teaching a course at the College titled “Catholicism in Word and Image.” William Shea, Director, Center for Religion, Ethics and Culture wshea@holycross.edu 508-793-3735 (office) Shea is an expert on the history of American religion, with a special interest in evangelical and Catholic relations. He is the author of several articles and books, including most recently Lion and the Lamb: Evangelicals and Catholics in America (Oxford University Press).