Conferences and Colloquia
The Anglo-Catholic Conference is The Church of the Advent’s annual showpiece offering to the parish and the wider church, combining academic rigor, inspiring liturgies, and ample opportunity for fellowship. Clergy, seminarians, parishioners, and all interested persons of good will are warmly encouraged to attend.
The Gospel of God, the Sacramental Life, and the Soundest Learning: Anglo-Catholic responses to Scripture, Tradition, and Reason
November 5th – 6th 2026
Our 2026 conference is inspired by a quotation from Michael Ramsey’s seminal work The Gospel and the Catholic Church, in the 90th anniversary year of its publication. We will explore the many and varied ways in which Anglo-Catholics have responded to the frequent appeal to scripture, tradition, and reason as a framework for understanding Anglicanism; which Ramsey so memorably described as “The Gospel of God, the sacramental life, and the soundest learning.”
Learn more about our speakers and their presentations.
Registration opens September 1, 2026
New Life in Christ: Anglican Approaches to Confession
November 6 and 7, 2025
The 2025 Anglo-Catholic Conference welcomed speakers and guests to The Advent and Grafton House’s own “House of Piety and Learning,” conferring on the topic of New Life in Christ: Anglican Approaches to Confession. We were delighted to have in attendance The Revd Dr George Westhaver, principal of Pusey House, Oxford who preached for our congregation on Remembrance Sunday. Learn more about the conference.
Speakers included:
Sr Maria Theotokos Adams SSVM
Fr Peter Anthony
Fr Philip Corbett
Dr. Ryan Danker
Fr Ian McCormack
Dr Neil Robertson
What it Means to be Catholic?
November 6, 7, and 8, 2024
The 2024 conference explored the riches of our uniquely Anglican and Catholic vision: one that upholds the patristic orthodoxy and Augustinian vision renewed in the Reformation, while also maintaining ancient Catholic forms and customs in liturgy and ordained ministry. Watch the conference presentations.
Speakers included:
The Rt. Rev. Dr. R.
William Franklin
Dr. Torrance Kirby
The Revd. Dr. Walter Hannam
The Revd. Fr. Gavin Dunbar
Dr. Roberta Bayer
Dr. Ryan Danker
At The Church of the Advent, our colloquia provide a forum for thoughtful and engaging exploration of theological, pastoral, and contemporary questions. These gatherings bring together clergy, scholars, and lay participants in structured conversation, fostering deeper understanding and meaningful dialogue within the Anglo-Catholic tradition.
Through these offerings, we seek not only to inform but to form—equipping participants to engage the life of the Church and the challenges of the modern world with clarity, depth, and faithfulness.
Belief & Beauty: The Spiritual World of Isabella Stewart Gardner
February 7, 2026
The Church of the Advent’s day-colloquium, “Belief and Beauty: The Spiritual World of Isabella Stewart Gardner,” illuminated ISG’s relationship between Anglo-Catholicism and her aesthetic sensibilities as philanthropist and art collector as never before. Isabella was a long-time, dedicated parishioner of The Church of the Advent, Boston, to whom we owe our high altar reredos.
Our panel of experts included Clare McCallen, Natalie Dykstra, Diana Greenwald, and Br James Koester, SSJE; each has dedicated significant scholarship and expertise to the varied aspects of Isabella Stewart Gardner’s life, interests, and legacy.
Learn more about the day, see photos, and watch a video of the event.
The Camino de Santiago
March 1, 2025
This colloquium featured insightful reflections on The Camino de Santiago, with talks on the theology of pilgrimage from Nancy Mead, Fr. Victor Austin, and Dr. Rachel Teubner. The day concluded with a rich discussion on personal experiences walking the Camino, offering both spiritual and practical perspectives on this ancient journey. Listen to the presentations from this event.