News

Mary Rice Hasson Addresses Oakcrest Students and Faculty

Director of Catholic Women’s Forum Mary Rice Hasson visited Oakcrest on January 31 to speak about Christian anthropology, same sex attraction, and transgenderism to the 11th grade Moral Theology class. Several seniors and faculty members also attended this special lecture.
 

Mrs. Hasson is the Kate O’Beirne Fellow in Catholic Studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, D.C. She also directs the Catholic Women’s Forum, a network of Catholic professional women and scholars seeking to amplify the voice of Catholic women in support of human dignity, authentic freedom, and Catholic social teaching. She has been a keynote speaker for the Holy See during the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women for the past three years. She is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the University of Notre Dame Law School.

During her talk, Mrs. Hasson discussed the basics of Christian anthropology, the history of gender ideology, and how to approach issues of same-sex attraction and transgenderism with clarity and love. She discussed how chastity—the successful integration of sexuality within the person—leads to inner freedom and the capacity for self-gift and how sexuality affects all aspects of the human person in the unity of body and soul.  Physical, moral and spiritual differences and complementarity, she noted, are ordered toward the good of marriage and the flourishing of family life. Mrs. Hasson discussed how all persons are called to love and lives of service and self-gift and pointed to Christ as the model for how to live this love we are all called to. She encouraged the students to support persons struggling with same sex attraction and identity concerns while staying true to God’s plan for sexuality. 

“Having Mrs. Hasson speak to the junior class gave the girls a wonderful opportunity to hear the Catholic view on important issues of our day from an expert. The students enjoyed the presentation and learned some skills to help them interact with people who think differently than they think,” says Oakcrest Moral Theology teacher Holly Salls.  
Back
1619 Crowell Road, Vienna, VA 22182
703-790-5450