Wade Chair Lecture with Rev. Matthew Motyka, S.J., April 21

Join the campus community for the Rev. Francis Wade, S.J., Public Lecture at 4 p.m. Tuesday, April 21, in the Raynor Beaumier Suites.

Rev. Matthew Motyka, S.J., the Rev. Francis C. Wade, S.J., Chair for the spring 2026 semester, will present "American Misfit: In Search of Reality." A reception will immediately follow the lecture. No registration is required.

Father Motyka completed a doctorate in Romance languages and literature. He has published articles in the field of early modern Romance literatures, as well as in applied linguistics. His research explores the intersection between spirituality and second language acquisition. This is reflected in his book published by the University Press of America/Hamilton Books in 2017, "One Word but Many Tongues."

This lecture explores themes of uprootedness, immigration and alienation. Seeking insight into the questions these realities raise, Father Motyka turns to European thinkers such as Simone Weil, Leszek Kolakowski, Tzvetan Todorov and Jean
Baudrillard.

By weaving together personal narrative and historical context, he examines how global events shape individual identity and why full belonging in an adopted homeland often remains elusive. At its heart, the lecture considers whether rootedness is still
possible in a globalized world.