KALAMAZOO — Christopher West is coming to town and he’s going to be busy.
West, the 41-year-old Catholic author and speaker best known for his work on Pope John Paul II’s series of audience addresses entitled “The Theology of the Body,” will be the featured speaker at the ninth annual diocesan conference on evangelization, catechesis and initiation on Saturday, Nov. 6, at St. Augustine Cathedral’s Crowley Center, 542 W. Michigan Ave. “An Introduction to the Theology of the Body” begins with Mass at 8:45 a.m. and concludes at 3:30 p.m.
West also will speak at “The Gift: Your Call to Greatness,” an evening for couples — engaged, newly married and those celebrating years of marriage — from 6:30–9:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at the Crowley Center. The cost includes dessert and beverages. To register, or for more information, call (269) 903-0185.
West also will talk at “God, Sex and the Meaning of Life,” an evening for young adults in their 20s and 30s offered from 7– 9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the Crowley Center. Light refreshments will be served. All are welcome. There is no registration fee, but a free will donation will be accepted. To RSVP, or for more information, call (269) 903-0185.
West earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 1992 from the University of Maryland. In 1996 he was certified as an instructor of marriage preparation by the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. In 1997, he obtained a master’s degree in theological studies from the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family at the Catholic University of America and became a certified catechist by the Archdiocese of Denver Catechetical School.
He has been delivering lectures since 1997, mostly on topics such as Christian anthropology, the Creed, morality, sacraments, marriage, sexuality, and family life. He also has spoken on national radio and on television. He is one of the main educators in the Theology of the Body Institute, which offers graduate-level courses and other training programs on the Theology of the Body.
He and his wife, Wendy, reside in Lancaster County, Pa,, and have five children.
To sign up for the Nov. 6 conference, which includes lunch, call (269) 903-0185 or e-mail D.J. Florian at dflorian@dioceseofkalamazoo. org. The one-day workshop meets the requirements of five hours of catechist certification in theological content.