The CMS Saturday Seminar: Reflections on Mater Populi Fidelis

On Saturday 21 November 2026, The Centre for Marian Studies has invited two experts in the field to offer their responses to this ‘Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation’, which has generated a good deal of commentary over the past year. We hope that you will be able to join us for a very interesting online discussion.

In November 2025, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published 'Mater Populi Fidelis', the full text of which is available on the Vatican website.

Our guest speakers

Dr Robert Fastiggi received an A.B. in Religion (summa cum laude) from Dartmouth College in 1974; a M.A. in Theology from Fordham University in 1976; and a Ph.D. in Historical Theology from Fordham in 1987. Currently he holds the Bishop Kevin M. Britt Chair of Dogmatic Theology and Christology at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, USA, where he has taught courses in Ecclesiology, Christology, Mariology, church history, sacramental theology, and moral theology.

He is a member of the Society for Catholic Liturgy, the International Marian Association, an ordinary member of the Pontifical Marian Academy International (P.A.M.I), and a past President of the Mariological Society of America.

Alongside his numerous publications, he also served as the executive editor of the 2009-2013 supplements to the New Catholic Encyclopedia and the co-editor of the English translation of the 43rd edition of the Denzinger-Hünermann compendium published by Ignatius Press in 2012. He also revised and updated the translation of Ludwig Ott’s Fundamentals of Catholic Dogma for Baronius Press in 2018.

Dr Fastiggi will give a paper entitled ‘Mater Populi Fidelis: Challenges and Opportunities’.

Dr Mary Frances McKenna is a Fellow of The Centre for Marian Studies, UK. She holds a PhD in Humanities in Theology (2012) from All Hallows College, Dublin City University, Ireland, and a MA (1996) and a BA (1994) in History from University College Dublin, Ireland. Her research interests mainly focus on Mary in Christian faith and theology, and the thought of Joseph Ratzinger. She is the author of Innovation within Tradition: Joseph Ratzinger and Reading the Women of Scripture (Fortress Press, 2015). In addition, she has published on the role of Christianity in the world, on the reasonableness of faith and Christian anthropology.

She has two articles included in Joseph Ratzinger in Dialogue with Philosophical Traditions: From Plato to Vattimo, edited by Tracey Rowland, Alejandro Sada and Rudy Albino de Assunção (Bloomsbury 2024); and two articles in The Oxford Handbook of Ratzinger edited by Tracey Rowland and Francesca Murphy (2026). For an up-to-date list of publications, please see Dr McKenna’s profile on Academia.edu

Dr McKenna will give a paper entitled ‘Title, Meaning and Interpretation: Reflections and Proposed Next Steps on the DDF’s Note and the IMA’s Response’.

Register

If you would like to attend this seminar, please send an email to Catherine O’Brien at the following address: info@marianstudies.ac.uk

You will receive the free Zoom link the day before the event.