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Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A. Prior Provincial and the Augustinian Friars Province of St. Thomas of Villanova cordially invite you to attend a cocktail reception and panel discussion celebrating Pope Leo XIV: A Proud Son of Augustine.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2026
6:00 – 8:30 PM
MERRIMACK COLLEGE
Collegiate Church of Christ the Teacher
315 Turnpike Street, North Andover, Massachusetts
PANELISTS
Joseph T. Kelley, Ph.D.
Featured Speaker
Professor Emeritus of Religion and Theological Studies, Merrimack College
Fr. Robert P. Hagan, O.S.A.
Prior Provincial, Province of St. Thomas of Villanova
Fr. Raymond F. Dlugos, O.S.A.
Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Merrimack College
MASTER OF CEREMONIES
Kristina Rex Reporter for WBZ-TV, Boston
About the Featured Speaker
Joseph T. Kelley, Ph.D., D.Min. is professor
of religious and theological studies at Merrimack College, where for almost 50 years he has served in various administrative and teaching roles. He earned a B.A. in philosophy and languages at Villanova University, an S.T.B. and M.A. in Catholic theology at The Catholic University of America, a D. Min. at the Andover-Newton Theological School (now at Yale), and a Ph.D. in the psychology of religion at Boston University. He is a psychologist licensed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and has authored six books and many articles in theology, including two introductory texts to the thought of St. Augustine of Hippo. He is a board member of the Augustinian Heritage Institute at Villanova, Pa., which oversees English translation of the writings of St. Augustine. In his teaching and writing, Professor Kelley emphasizes the importance of presenting religion and theology in ways accessible to rising generations, and to people from different religious and cultural backgrounds. He has lectured and taught around the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia and North Africa. He and his wife Alina are lay affiliates of the Order of St. Augustine. They live in Massachusetts and enjoy their two adult children, their spouses and—so far—two grandchildren.
About the Emcee
Kristina Rex is a general assignment
reporter and fill-in anchor for WBZ-TV News. She joined the station in August 2018 from Portland, Maine, where she worked as a general assignment reporter, investigative reporter, and fill-in anchor at WCSH. She started her career in New England as well, working as a morning reporter for WLBZ in Bangor, Maine. An Andover native and a graduate of Phillips Academy and Boston College, Rex is thrilled to be home, reporting for the station she grew up watching and covering stories that matter to her community. Since working for WBZ, Rex has provided extensive coverage on the Merrimack Valley gas explosions, sexual harassment allegations against the longtime Everett superintendent, the COVID-19 pandemic, a safety crisis at Brockton High School, and the Karen Read trial. She has been nominated for eight regional Emmy awards as a reporter for WBZ. In Maine, Rex reported on a wide variety of topics, including Maine’s opioid epidemic, an electric company billing crisis, and the corrupt international business dealings of a local ski mountain. Her reporting on Portland’s Unsolved Homicides earned her a Maine Association of Broadcasters award for enterprise journalism. In 2025, Rex received her Juris Doctor from New England Law in Boston. She achieved the distinction of being named valedictorian of her class while attending part-time and working full-time at WBZ. She enjoys spending time with her family, visiting the New Hampshire lakes region, exercising, attending concerts and exploring the world and its food!