Beauty Will Save Us:
Wonder and Hope in the Works of Benedict XVI
Experience the legacy of Benedict XVI through world-class scholarship and sacred liturgies celebrated by His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch and His Excellency The Most Reverend Bernard Hebda. Through graceful dialogue and a Solemn Requiem Mass featuring Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626, this two-day event will illuminate the enduring power of beauty to draw us toward truth and hope.
The conference will be held Nov. 3, 2026, on our Minneapolis Campus.
“ Authentic beauty unlocks the yearning of the human heart, the profound desire to know, to love, to go towards the Other, to reach for the Beyond. ”
- Pope Benedict XVI
Keynote speaker —
His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch
Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity
Cardinal Koch was born March 15, 1950 in Emmenbrücke, Diocese of Basel (Switzerland). He was ordained a Catholic priest on June 20, 1982 and served as a parish priest until 1985. He completed his doctorate in theology in 1987 and became a professor of dogmatic theology and liturgy at the University of Lucerne in 1989 and then Rector of the theology faculty in 1995. On Dec. 6, 1995, he was appointed Bishop of Basel and from 2007-2009, he served as President of the Swiss Bishops’ Conference. On July 1, 2010, he was appointed President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity with the title of archbishop.
Kurt Cardinal Koch, a close collaborator of Pope Benedict XVI and one of the Church's foremost theological leaders, will deliver the keynote address, "Rebuilding a Culture of Hope."
Appointed by Benedict XVI to lead the annual Ratzinger Schülerkreis — a select group of Benedict scholars and students — and later elevated to the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Koch brings a unique perspective on Benedict's life, thought, and enduring legacy.
About Cardinal Koch +
At the end of August 2010, Pope Benedict XVI entrusted him with the role of Principal-Relator to the so-called Ratzinger Schülerkreis, a group of the Pope’s former students who met annually at Castel Gandolfo, and held many conferences on the correct interpretation of the Second Vatican Council and on liturgical reform. He was created a Cardinal by the Pope in the Consistory of Nov. 20, 2010.
Conference details
This global centenary conference brings together internationally renowned theologians to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pope Benedict XVI.
Nov. 3, 2026
Location: Saint Mary’s University Center
2540 Park Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55404
8 a.m. Doors open
Registration and continental breakfast
9:30 a.m. Opening remarks
Father Roberto Regoli, Ph.D.
Brother Robert Smith, FSC, Ph.D.
Father James Burns, IVD, Ph.D.
9:45 - 10:45 a.m. Keynote address
His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch
10:45 - 11 a.m. Break
Break
11 a.m. - noon
The morning panel will feature His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch, Father James Burns, IVD, Ph.D., Bishop Robert Barron, STL, STD, and Father Roberto Regoli, Ph.D.
Noon - 1 p.m. Lunch
Lunch will be provided.
1 - 2:15 p.m. Afternoon address and moderated Q&A
“The Meaning and Importance of Joseph Ratzinger’s Theology for Me and for the Church and Today’s World”
John C. Cavadini, Ph.D. is a Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame, having served as Chair from 1997-2010.
2:15 - 2:30 p.m. Break
Break
2:30 - 4:30 p.m. Interdisciplinary Symposium and table discussion
Chaired by Sister Mary Micaela Hoffman, RSM, SSL
“Space to Wonder: Interdisciplinary Engagement in the Works of Benedict XVI”
The Drama of Truth: Theology, Philosophy, and the Resourcement Renewal
Father Maurice Agbaw-Ebai, Ph.D.
Ratzinger’s Primeval Sacraments: From a Philosophy to a Theology of a Feast
Sister Mary Ignatius Heil, RSM, Ph.D.
Media Communication in a Post-Christian Age: Pope Benedict’s Vision of Evangelization
Dean Beckman, M.S.
Roundtable discussion and Q&A with presenters
4:30 - 4:40 p.m. Break
Break
4:40 - 5:15 Concluding conversation
Host: Michael Hahn, Ph.D.
Panelists: Kurt Cardinal Koch, John Cavadini, Ph.D., and Tracey Rowland, STD
5:15 - 5:30 pm. Closing prayer and blessing
Closing prayer and blessing
5:30 - 6 p.m. Closing reception
Closing reception
About the conference
Benedict XVI believed that beauty is more than something we admire — it is a path toward truth, goodness, and hope. Through sacred music, liturgy, scholarship, and community, this conference invites participants to explore how beauty continues to shape faith, education, and culture today.
As the first in an international series commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pope Benedict XVI, this conference will bring together internationally renowned theologians, Church leaders — including His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch and our own trustee, His Excellency Bishop Robert Barron — and distinguished scholars from our community and around the world. Together, they will explore a question at the heart of Benedict XVI’s intellectual and spiritual legacy: how faith, reason, and beauty can contribute to authentic human flourishing and help renew a culture of hope.
Join Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota on Nov. 3 for an international conference commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Pope Benedict XVI. Gather with scholars, educators, students, and Church leaders from around the world to explore the enduring relevance of Benedict’s thought and his vision for a culture renewed by beauty, faith, reason, and hope.
Conference panelists
Founder, Word on Fire Catholic Ministries
Trustee, Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota
Experience the conference through worship and community
The Benedict XVI Centenary Conference is more than an academic gathering. It is also an opportunity for prayer, reflection, and celebration through two special liturgical events honoring the life and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI.
These liturgical celebrations offer a rare opportunity to experience the beauty of Catholic worship that Benedict XVI championed throughout his life and ministry.
Participants are invited to the celebration of two Masses at off-campus locations.
A Solemn Requiem Mass
Featuring Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626 at the historic Church of Saint Agnes in Saint Paul, celebrated by His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch, one of the Church’s leading theologians and a close collaborator of Benedict XVI. Mass is free and open to the public.
Date: Monday, Nov. 2, 2026
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Church of Saint Agnes, 535 Thomas Ave. W, Saint Paul, MN
Mass at the Cathedral of Saint Paul
Begin the conference day in prayer at one of Minnesota’s most iconic Catholic landmarks, celebrated by His Excellency The Most Reverend Bernard Hebda. Mass is free and open to the public.
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026
Time: 7:30 a.m.
Location: Cathedral of Saint Paul, 239 Selby Ave., Saint Paul, MN
Join the celebration
This conference is the first of several events over the course of the next year marking the 100th anniversary of Benedict XVI’s birth. The global conference series is titled: Building a Culture of Hope: Education, Community, and Leadership in the 21st Century.
Saint Mary’s University is proud to partner with Tangaza University in offering the next conference in this series on Nov. 18-20 at Tangaza University in Nairobi, Kenya. The conference theme is Constellations of Hope: Africa and the Renewal of the Church in the Vision of Benedict XVI.
Register for the conference
Join Saint Mary’s in experiencing the legacy of Benedict XVI through world-class scholarship, sacred liturgies celebrated by His Eminence Kurt Cardinal Koch and His Excellency The Most Reverend Bernard Hebda, a Solemn Requiem Mass featuring Mozart’s Requiem in D minor, K. 626, and conversations that illuminate the enduring power of beauty to draw us toward truth and hope.