Annual Bede Lecture

The Bede Lecture is focused the mission of continuing the scholastic tradition of Benedictine Monasticism on the campus of Mount Marty University, by investigating the rich and varied history of this ancient way of life has had on the Church and the world.

2024 Bede Lecture

Nicholas Black Elk and the Power of the Eucharist
Damian Costello, Ph.D.

About the speaker:

Damian Costello received his PhD in theological studies from the University of Dayton and specializes in the intersection of Catholic theology, Indigenous spiritual traditions, and colonial history. He is an international expert on the life and legacy of Nicholas Black Elk and the author of Black Elk: Colonialism and Lakota Catholicism. Costello's work is informed by five years of ethnographic work on the Navajo Nation. He serves is the Director of Postgraduate Studies at NAIITS: An Indigenous Learning Community, an Indigenous-run ATS accredited theological graduate school, and is a member of the Diocese of Rapid City's Working Group for Black Elk's Cause for Canonization. Costello is an award-winning contributor to U.S. Catholic, America Magazine, and National Catholic Reporter.