Article by Phoenix Writer Olivia Iorio ’26
Recently, Mr. Moran and Mr. Castelli have started a segment during morning announcements titled: “Theology of the Body Conversations.” During this segment, they stress the importance of Pope St. John Paul II’s encyclicals and how those lessons apply to our lives today.
“Theology of the Body” refers to a series of over 129 lectures Pope St. John Paul II gave to audiences, focused on the meaning of the human body. His goal was to try to promote the dignity of the human body. He states that no matter what, we should recognize every human person as a gift and God calls us to preach this message today.
Seniors Eva McLaughlin and Molly McHugh were sent out to interview various students to test their knowledge about “Theology of the Body.” The results showed that the majority of the students weren’t aware of what it is and what it was truly about. So, the emphasis on Mr. Castelli and Mr. Moran’s part comes from a need to make the students aware of the importance of unity among our school community, and treating each other with respect. Mr. Castelli said, “I think that Theology of the Body is so important for our community because it reminds us that in God Himself taking on a body, our own bodies become capable of revealing the mystery of His love no matter our states of life.”
Eva and Molly also shared that this assignment helped them learn more about the message of these talks. Molly said, “I learned how important our bodies are because of our souls and how God made us in his image and likeness.” Then, Eva shared, “I think it was very interesting because even though the talks were given many years ago, they are still applicable in our world today.” Look out on the announcements for more “Theology of the Body Conversations” with Mr. Castelli and Mr. Moran.
