Jan. 30, 2025

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MILWAUKEE — Marquette University will host award-winning author Colum McCann for a keynote address on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m. in Varsity Theatre, 1326 W. Wisconsin Ave, to highlight Mission Week 2025 programming.

McCann is an internationally bestselling author and co-founder of Narrative 4, a global network of educators, students, and artists who use art and storytelling to build empathy between students while equipping them to improve their communities and the world. In his address, he will share his powerful insights on hope and storytelling, themes that transcend borders and build empathy across communities. He is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the National Book Award, and will soon deliver remarks at the Vatican for Pope Francis’s Jubilee Year 2025.

McCann’s latest book, “American Mother,” tells the story of Diane Foley. Her son James Foley, a Marquette alumnus and freelance journalist working in Syria and Marquette, was held captive and murdered by ISIS militants in 2014. In this book, McCann channels her voice into searing reality in “a journey of strength, resilience and radical empathy.”

The first 50 students registered for this event will receive a free copy of his 2020 novel “Apeirogon,” which was listed for several international literary awards and received France’s Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger.

Mission Week 2025 runs Feb. 2-7; its theme is “Act with Care.” Other events include:

• Human Hope in a Pro-Automation Society on Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 9:30 a.m. This thought-provoking conversation will be on the impact of technology and automation on human life, featuring Luis G. Vera and Mariele Courtois, theologians who contributed to the Vatican’s Encountering Artificial Intelligence
• Amar y Servír a Todos on Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. In celebration of Mission Week, students are invited to this interactive event that will help them think more introspectively about our own stereotypes and implicit bias about people with social identities different than our own. Students will listen to stories from a diverse group of community members who have agreed to share their experiences. In the process, there will be a reflection on our own self-awareness, empathy, and commitment to inclusion and equity.

A complete list of scheduled events is available online.

Media interested in attending any of these events, or for more information, should contact Kevin Conway at kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.

About Marquette University

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located near the heart of downtown Milwaukee that offers a comprehensive range of majors in 11 nationally and internationally recognized colleges and schools. Through the formation of hearts and minds, Marquette prepares our 11,100 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and professional students to lead, excel and serve as agents of positive change. And, we deliver results. Ranked in the top 20% of national universities, Marquette is recognized for its undergraduate teaching, innovation and career preparation as the sixth-best university in the country for job placement. Our focus on student success and immersive, personalized learning experiences encourages students to think critically and engage with the world around them. When students graduate with a Marquette degree, they are truly prepared and called to Be The Difference.

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About Kevin Conway

Kevin is the associate director for university communication in the Office of Marketing and Communication. Contact Kevin at (414) 288-4745 or kevin.m.conway@marquette.edu.