Join St. Ambrose Academy for one of our Spring 2026 Spotlight Faculty lectures!
Each of these evening events is a new way to engage with our phenomenal educators who make a difference in the classroom each day. Their deep educational backgrounds and passion for their subject matter make for interesting discussions and through this series, you’ll get to know some of the men and women who help make St. Ambrose Academy a place where students can explore, grow, be challenged, and build a foundation for a successful and happy life.
Leo XIV: What’s in a Name? with Dr. Constance Nielsen
Last May, the new Pope stepped out onto the Logia. As the announcement was made in Latin, across the world, everyone collectively thought, “Did he just say the United States of America?!” followed quickly by, “Did he just say Leo??” Who is Leo XIII and why did the new pope choose that name? The Pope himself has said that AI presents the same challenges to work as the industrial revolution. What could a 19th century prelate have to say about AI? This talk will explore the life, papacy, and teaching of Leo XIII to better understand the vision of Leo XIV, with a particular emphasis on the Church’s teaching on the dignity of work and how AI can be a help or a hindrance.
When: Tuesday, January 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Location: St. Ambrose Academy (702 S. High Point Rd Suite 209, Madison)
RSVP: By Monday, January 12, 2026. All ages welcome.
Wine and the Catholic Imagination with Mr. Michael Kwas
Join Michael Kwas for an evening of wine tasting and contemplation in the spirit of faith seeking understanding. Drawing of the thought of Saint Thomas Aquinas and Pope Saint John Paul II, this unique tasting is designed to reveal how tasting wine can help us to understand two complementary ways of knowing the world.
In one approach, drawn from St. Thomas Aquinas, we taste wine by paying close attention to what it is made of and how it is ordered: grape, place, craft, balance, and form. In the other, inspired by the phenomenological tradition embraced by John Paul II, we taste wine less as an object to analyze and more as a gift to be received, allowing it to disclose itself slowly and then we respond with attention, gratitude, and joy.
These two approaches inform your presenter’s approach to drinking wine, teaching history, and understanding creation. As such, the evening will pair guided tastings with diversions into beauty, the past, and joy as we exercise our Catholic imaginations.
When: Tuesday, March 10, 2026 at 7:00 PM
Location: St. Ambrose Academy (702 S. High Point Rd Suite 209, Madison)
RSVP: By Monday, March 9, 2026. Space is limited to 30 and guests must be aged 21 or older.