Scholarly Panels
Contributions from academics drawing on the method and resources of their respective disciplines.
Panels / topics proposed to date:
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Sino-Vatican Relations in Historical Perspective
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Sociological Perspectives on Christianity
in Contemporary China -
The Sinicisation of Religion in China Today
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Environmental Issues and the Faith Communities of China
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suggestions for panels and topics
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suggestions concerning speakers (including yourself)
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submission of brief abstracts
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other suggestions or feedback
Note: Panel organizers (only) will have conference registration fees waived in appreciation for their service to the gathering.
Presentations and
workshops
Discussion forums and practical advice from people involved in the life of the Church in China and in the Chinese diaspora.
Practical workshops and presentations requested to date:
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Faith and the Current Generation
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Social Services: Making a Contribution in China Society
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The American University Context
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Relations among Christians and China
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Paths to Discipleship
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Religion in the City
Click this button for a form to enter:
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suggestions for workshops or presentations
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suggestions concerning speakers (including yourself)
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other suggestions or feedback
Note: Presenters will have their conference registration fees waived in appreciation for their service to the gathering.
Who We Are
Front office
Introducing Gerald Doyle, Interim Chief Administrative Officer
In September 2023, the USCCA Board appointed Gerald Doyle, Interim Chief Administrative Officer; Gerald was educated by the Holy Ghost Fathers and participated in their Lay Associates Program in Tanzania for three-years (1981-84) where he taught economics and mathematics at Usa River Seminary.
Among his current appointments, Gerald provides career ministry placement services for the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. With more than 35+ years of senior leadership at the University of Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, Emerson College and the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, we are pleased to have his administrative strength and capabilities.
Gerald has earned degrees at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the University of Chicago and has traveled extensively to China (Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Hong Kong) as well as Taiwan.
In Chicago, Gerald is a member of St. Thomas the Apostle Church (Hyde Park); Gerald and his wife, Professor Christina Gomez, were married at St. Thomas on June 17, 1989, and will celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary next year.
Gerald's proximity to Chinatown allows him to regularly visit Fr. Francis Li, Pastor and USCCA Board member, at St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta which consists of St. Barbara and St. Therese Chinese Catholic Churches.
In Chicago, Gerald is joined by several other USCCA Board members, including:
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Tom McGuire
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Rev. Hugh O'Donnell, CM
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Fr. Francis Li
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Mary Sluka
While we launch a national search for our next executive director, we invite you to communicate with Interim Chief Administrative Officer Gerald Doyle at director@uscatholicchina.org.
We are grateful for your spiritual and financial partnership with the USCCA mission.
STAFF
Catherine Dugan
Salesforce Consultant
Catherine Dugan is a Salesforce consultant with a background in non-profit program management and development. She holds an M.A. in Theology from Franciscan University and a S.T.L. in Marriage and Family studies from the John Paul II Institute in Washington, DC. Currently, she is researching a dissertation on Joseph Ratzinger/Pope Benedict XVI on the intersection of his personalism with salvation history through a hermeneutic of memory. For Catherine, the praxis of theological study is inseparable with the theoretical. She hopes that by supporting the CRM of the USCCA, their mission to build ties with the Catholic Church in China will lead to a strengthening in ecclesial unity, which affirms and incorporates the histories of individuals and cultures.
Benny Mattis
Digital Communications Coordinator
Benny Mattis contributes to the USCCA's digital communications through web development, email development, and writing. He holds a Certificate in Web Development from Montgomery College, a Certificate in Theology and Ministry from Boston College, and an M.A. in Philosophy from Marquette University. Benny is interested in learning more about the history and contemporary trends of Chinese philosophy and religion. He hopes that web
communications can play a part in building bridges of understanding between the US and
China.
Affiliates & Collaborators
Margaret Smetana
Mission Cooperative Program / Mission Appeals Coordinator
30th International Conference, 2026 Houston-TX, Communications Administrator
Margaret Smetana joins the USCCA as a member of the Ignatian Volunteer Corps, bringing a lifetime of experience in organizational and educational leadership to her role supporting the 2024 Conference communications. Margaret holds a BFA from the University of Hartford Art School, and professional credentials in Montessori School Management and Leadership.
Margaret believes in the power of shared experiences and as such seeks to imbue all aspects of her life and work with a spirit of community and hope!
GRIFFIN BURRIS
Advisor to the Interim Chief Administrative Officer
Griffin Burris is a Director with the Central US Team of CCS Fundraising; his work focuses on helping nonprofits identify, evaluate, and achieve their strategic goals. His passion for partnering with nonprofits has been lifelong and he greatly enjoys spending his time to help any organization imagine its future. As Griffin looks back on his childhood, he remembers receiving Chinese lessons from his friends, his first-hand introduction to the stories and life of Chinese Americans, and how these two cultures came together in dynamic ways. Griffin is humbled by the opportunity to work with people worldwide to achieve the mission of the USCCA.
Griffin is actively supporting the Interim Chief Administrator in the following areas: (1) Fundraising, stewardship, donor relations, and engagement strategies for young professionals; (2) Supporting the newly (re)launched Affiliates program; (3) Contributing research and thinking to the Mission Cooperative Program/Mission Appeals through fostering a year-round culture of encounter drawing upon the words of Pope Francis, "We should rediscover and esteem anew these values as paths for evangelization, going beyond an approach of simple pastoral care to one of missionary proclamation,” which is manifested in the “desire to make known to as many brothers and sisters as possible the joy of the encounter with Christ. "
