Voices of Faith: An Inauguration Week Conversation with America Media

Gonzaga's Mission Integration office hosted a spirited panel discussion centered around "Voices of Faith" during inauguration week, a conversation that was at times emotional, at others hilarious, and illuminating throughout.

Father Sam Sawyer, S.J., editor-in-chief of long-running Catholic publication (and website) America Media, joked about learning to pronounce Gonzaga "the West Coast way" as he introduced his fellow panelists. Peggy Haun-McEwen, director of community engagement for Gonzaga Family Haven for Catholic Charities of Eastern Washington, and Nate Tinner-Williams, co-founder and editor of digital publication Black Catholic Messenger, joined Sawyer in addressing questions about their work, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and the complexities of holding onto their faith during divisive times.

That's exactly the conversation that unfolded over the following hour. Each person on stage repeatedly referenced their faith as a source of inspiration in pursuing hard work, whether creating a much-needed supportive community for homeless families in Haun-McEwen's case, or starting a new much-needed publication for readers interested in issues important to Black Catholics as Tinner-Williams did.

The spirit of the conversation was captured by Fr. Sawyer when he reminded the audience of Matthew 18:20: "When two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them."

"The words of Jesus link us together and really give us confidence that when we function as a Catholic community, when we meet each other in faith and have conversations that are rooted in faith, we're also encountering the Lord," Fr. Sawyer said. "We're encountering the God who inspires us, we're encountering the God who became human with us, and in that sense we're not just witnessing our faith. We're continuing to have the experience of faith by which God leads us into the kingdom of God."

Tinner-Williams shared that he joined the Catholic Church in 2019 and started the Black Catholic Messenger in 2020, a pandemic project inspired by his newfound faith and learning just how few Black writers and editors there were in Catholic media. The response to his work has been vocal, and somewhat of a surprise.

"Certainly, Black Catholics are overwhelmingly appreciative of this outlet existing, that the Black Catholic Messenger covers these stories that other outlets don't even know about," Tinner-Williams said. "There are a lot of American Catholics who don't think a Black Catholic newspaper should exist, who don't think these stories are important. The fact that we continue to cover them is in itself an act of resistance, and that has come to color a lot of our coverage. That was not necessarily something I was expecting when I co-founded the publication."

While Tinner-Williams is a recent convert to Catholicism, Haun-McEwen had worked for decades at Gonzaga Prep High School before the opportunity to help create Gonzaga Family Haven came her way. While the work can be daunting helping families transition from homelessness into the Haven community, Haun-McEwen said, "I've never been involved with something that is so mission-driven as the work I'm doing at Gonzaga Family Haven, because it's every day. I see it, I breathe it, I live it with the families that are there."

All three panelists expressed surprise when they first heard Pope Leo XIV had been elected as the first American pope, and both Fr. Sawyer and Tinner-Williams were in Rome during the conclave. Sawyer was set to go on the air with CNN to talk about the black smoke (indicating no pope had been elected yet) when instead white smoke appeared. Tinner-Williams was on hand exploring the possibilities of either an African or African-American pope being selected, and ended up writing about Pope Leo's ethnic roots for National Geographic magazine.

Fr. Sawyer noted that American Catholicism is often identified with the culture wars and arguments so prevalent in American politics, and he joked that America Media specializes in discussing exactly the topics most people are taught to avoid in pleasant conversation - religion and politics. And it's been doing so right from its founding in 1909, designed as a vehicle to explain Catholicism to Americans, and "also to help explain the American experience to the Catholic Church."

But there's more to American Catholicism than the noisy disagreements, the panelists agreed. Each noted that continuing dialogue, even on difficult issues, is vital to the future. And they expressed hope that the new pope - a multi-ethnic man born in America, but who's also lived in South America and Europe - will be a unifying force noted for his generosity, missionary work and willingness to enter and embrace different cultures.

In thanking the audience and panelists for participating in the discussion, President Katia Passerini hailed the "authenticity" and "transparency" of the speakers. She noted that challenging discussions of ideas are part of what a Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic education is all about, helping form students into well-rounded citizens. And she recalled Pope Francis's declaration of this year as the Jubilee of Hope as inspiration for one of this year's Gonzaga presidential inauguration themes, sharing his words.

"He said hope is a gift from God and a task that must be cultivated by all of us," Passerini said. "What we heard tonight, and what we do day in and out, is cultivate that gift. We give it to our students in the classroom. That keeps us moving forward. I have hope for the future."