“To dream the impossible dream... to fight the unbeatable foe... to bear with unbearable sorrow... to run where the brave dare not go!”
We are excited to announce the launch of The Albacete Forum, an initiative born from the love and gratitude we feel for our dear friend, Lorenzo Albacete—Catholic priest, theologian, columnist, and former scientist. The Forum is our attempt to honor Monsignor's life and legacy as we "seek to keep his works in the public sphere and to promote his outlook and interests in the Church and wider world (...)." We encourage you to read our full Mission Statement.
As we approach the third anniversary of Monsignor's death, we risk losing his unique and essential contributions to Catholic thought and American culture if we do not act quickly to preserve them. An immediate priority for the Forum is to gather every scrap of Albacete material we can find—written works, audiovisual files, emails, photographs, etc.—and store them in our digital archive, where they will be regularly maintained and backed up.
This work has been underway for months, and although we have already collected hundreds of items, vast amounts of material remain undiscovered. Monsignor Albacete was a prolific writer and speaker. Who knows what treasures are still out there? The hunt is now on and we need your help. If you possess any original Albacete material or have a hunch where we might look, please contact us. There is no time to lose!
Our next concern is make these materials available to a wide audience. Through our online presence, in-person events, and the publication of Monsignor's writings, we hope to enable an encounter with the man and his thought. A collection of his essays on faith and culture is currently in preparation for expected publication in 2018. More volumes will follow, including our first ebook of Albacete material.
Over the next months, we will be constantly updating our website with excerpts from Monsignor's work, interviews with his colleagues and friends, and scholarly articles that engage his thought and outlook.
Other initiatives are also in the works—all informed by Albacete's own curiosity in front of reality, his passion for engaging with others, and his concern that everyone in the Church and our society feel welcome and valued. Check back here for more information in the days ahead.
As this adventure begins, we ask you to pray for our work and to consider making a donation. The Albacete Forum is a nonprofit organization. We can only succeed with the support of those who love and respect Monsignor Albacete and want to see his memory continue and his legacy live on!