Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, NYC

Come & Get Closer to The Frick Collection: Behind the Scenes at the New Frick
2025-10-14 13:00 - 14:30 (America/New_York) | Wallace Hall, 980 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10028, United States
Location: Wallace Hall (enter through the Parish House at 980 Park Avenue)
PRESENTER
Dr. Marie-Laure Buku Pongo, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts
The Frick Collection is back!
Join Dr. Marie-Laure Buku Pongo, Associate Curator of Decorative Arts, for an illuminating lecture exploring the reopening of The Frick Collection’s historic Fifth Avenue home following the most significant renovation and enhancement in the museum’s history.
This lecture will discuss the importance of The Frick’s art collection and delve into the multi-year renovation that preserves the elegance and legacy of this elegant Gilded Age mansion while introducing state-of-the-art infrastructure, expanded galleries, and new visitor amenities. Plus, get a sneak peek at upcoming special exhibitions.
Registration is required at silcircleoffriends@gmail.com. Although there is no cost for this program, free will offerings are encouraged.

The Heavens Are Telling… and What Do People Ask the Pope’s Astronomer?
2025-09-09 13:00 - 14:30
Wallace Hall (enter through the Parish House at 980 Park Avenue)
Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J., President of the Vatican Observatory, doctor of Planetary Science, and most recently, author of A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty & Science.
You may be surprised to know that the Vatican has an Observatory dedicated to exploring the heavens for scientific research. Brother Guy Consolmagno, S.J., the Director of the Vatican Observatory, receives more “interesting” questions in his inbox than anyone else at the Vatican (except perhaps, the Holy Father Himself). Some questions are amusing, some are profound, but all of them raise questions about our human existence, our Catholic faith, and our relationship with the heavenly stars and planets. Come join us & Brother Guy as he talks about the work of the Vatican Observatory astronomers & the questions he gets asked as the “Pope’s Astronomer.”
Brother Guy Consolmagno’s latest book, A Jesuit’s Guide to the Stars, published in February 2025, will be available for purchase on Sundays in August, prior to the September 9th program, in the Narthex of the Church following the 9:30 AM & 11 AM Solemn Masses and on the day of the program. Cost is $20.00. Brother Guy will gladly sign copies of his new book.
Registration is required at silcircleoffriends@gmail.com. Although there is no cost for this program, free will offerings are encouraged.

Destination City: A Gallery of New York's Most Surprising Visitors
2025-06-17 13:00 - 14:30
Tuesday, June 17th
1 PM
Wallace Hall (enter through the Parish House at 980 Park Avenue)
Presenter: Robert Pigott, Esq., Author
Destination City presents surprising stories surrounding historical figures, not usually associated with New York City, but who spent key portions of their lives here. Vignettes recount incidents in the lives of hundreds of notable people, including writers, artists, actors, activists, politicians, revolutionaries, scientists, and more. Some of them received ticker-tape parades while others arrived penniless. But all of them were marked by their time in New York City.
Join us and listen to the stories of some of New York City’s most surprising visitors.
Copies of Destination City may be purchased directly from Columbia University Press online at CUP.columbia.edu for a 20% discount. Use Code CUP20. Mr. Pigott will gladly sign all copies of his book on June 17.
Registration is required at silcircleoffriends@gmail.com. There is no charge for this program, but free offerings will be gratefully accepted.

Clothing Michelangelo’s David: Sculpture as Political Power
2025-05-13 13:00 - 14:30
PRESENTER
John Paoletti, Emeritus Professor of Art History, Wesleyan University
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was in his early twenties when he was commissioned to create a statue representing the Biblical hero, David. He was offered a colossal block of marble which had previously been worked by two other artists and abandoned. Michelangelo accepted the challenge and created one of the greatest masterpieces in the history of Western art. But Michelangelo’s David is unlike other depictions of this Biblical hero. What is different about Michelangelo’s depiction of David?
Since the statue of David was first installed in the Piazza della Signoria outside the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall), the statue has not been without controversy. Over the centuries, the reputation of the artist as the “Divine Michelangelo” has clouded the true meaning of his work, most notably the David. So, what does this statue really mean? To whom was it addressed? Is this David really who we think he is?
Come join Circle of Friends and learn about the backstory of this brilliant and controversial masterpiece.
Registration is required. Please register at silcircleoffriends@gmail.com.

From Famine to Fifth Avenue: An Irish Journey of Resilience
2025-03-11 13:00 - 15:00
Put on your green and join Circle of Friends for From Famine to Fifth Avenue: An Irish Journey of Resilience.
Dr. Elizabeth Stack, the Executive Director of the American Irish Historical Society (991 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY), will discuss the broad history of the Irish in New York, from their part in the early labor struggle to their role in city politics, their service in the military, their contributions to culture and literature and the evolution of the 1st St. Patrick’s Day Parade here in New York City.
You don’t have to be Irish to appreciate this talk about the Irish contributions to America!
Advance registration required.
Please RSVP to silcircleoffriends@gmail.com.

Lived and Imagined Chinatowns: Stories in the Making of America
2025-02-11 13:00 - 15:00
Please join the Circle of Friends at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola, in coordination with the Museum of the Chinese in America to celebrate the rich history and contributions of the Chinese in America through an exploration of Chinatown, its function, and symbolism.
Advance registration is required.
To register. RSVP at silcircleoffriends@gmail.com.

Bringing People Together: The History and Pleasures of Our Thanksgiving Holiday
2024-11-19 13:00 - 15:00
Speaker: Cathy Kaufman
Adjunct Professor in the Food Studies Department at The New School, specializing in food history and culture

In his October 3, 1863 Proclamation, President Abraham Lincoln invited all Americans to observe the last Thursday of November to praise “our beneficent God” and to pray for an end to the Civil War. This Day of Thanksgiving became a national holiday to gather together to reflect on our blessings and share in the culinary traditions surrounding this special day. But there is a backstory to our Thanksgiving holiday and how it changed into the holiday we celebrate today.
Come join Circle of Friends for a “Friendsgiving” as Cathy Kaufman shares with us the history and pleasures of our Thanksgiving holiday.
A light lunch will be served.
The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is running a food drive in November to support the food pantry of the Church of the Ascension in East Harlem. We invite each of our attendees to bring food staples (canned goods, tomato sauce, dried pasta, rice, etc.) to the November 19 program to benefit our sister parish, the Church of the Ascension in East Harlem.
Pre-registration is required. To register, email silcircleoffriends@gmail.com.

Adventures in Looking at Art
2024-10-15 13:00 - 14:00
Presenter: Mara Williams, Chief Curator Emerita, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro, VT

Join us for a discussion analyzing the works of modern and contemporary art. Artists invest a considerable amount of their intellect, emotions, senses, and spirituality to give outward form to their inner voice.
One of the great joys of viewing art is tussling the meaning out of an object made by another human being. Central to this effort is the object’s physicality. Exploring how surface texture, formal relationships, gestural Nuance, palette, or patina support the content of the artwork is a rewarding endeavor.
About the Speaker
Mara Williams has been creating and curating exhibits for over 35 years. Her expertise is in modern and contemporary art. Recent solo exhibitions include Emily Mason: To Another Place and Wolf Kahn: Landscape of Light, among others. Group shows have included works of art by David Hockney, Michael Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, and Maya Lin, among other artists. Ms. Williams serves as chair of the Wolf Kahn Foundation.

The Immigrant, Radical Notorious Women of Washington Square
2024-09-24 13:00 - 15:00
Speaker: Joyce Gold, Historian, and Lecturer at The New School and New York University
For 150 years, Greenwich Village has been home to many of the political, creative, and intellectual movements in New York City’s rich history. Its amazing female population accounts for much of that vitality. It has been home to such renowned women as Mae West, Edith Wharton, Emma Goldman, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney.
To register, click here.
