New series of Catholic university podcast

A popular Catholic university podcast returns for a new series starting in April, focusing on contemporary issues with speakers including Baroness Warsi.  

Beyond The Dark Clouds is a podcast hosted by Leeds Trinity University, one of four Catholic universities in England, and its new series will cover topics such as Islamophobia, the NHS, policy as mission, and more.  

The programme is as follows:  

Thursday 10 April, 7pm, online — Religions: Life, Death and the Beyond, with Dr Suzanne Owen, Associate Professor (Research) at Leeds Trinity University, and Dr Jennifer Uzzell, graduate and researcher, Durham University

Thursday 8 May, 7pm, online — Post V20 Summit: Shaping Policy as a Mission for the University, with Dr Ann Marie Mealey, Director of Catholic Mission, Leeds Trinity University

Friday 30 May, in person at Leeds Trinity’s Horsforth campus — Muslims Don’t Matter? with Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, lawyer, politician, member of the House of Lords  

Thursday 26 June, 7pm, online — Poverty, Homelessness, Health: Finding Hope, with Dr Anne Coufopoulos, Head of Health and Life Sciences, Leeds Trinity University

Thursday 25 September, 7pm, online — Developing a Catholic Curriculum, with Professor Leonard Franchi, University of Glasgow

Tuesday 30 September, 7pm, online — NHS Treatment and Abuse of Position, Lord Javed Akhtar, Chair of the Leeds NHS Primary Care Safeguarding and Violence against Women and Girls group.

Pope Francis in his 2020 encyclical Fratelli Tutti (on fraternity and social friendship) refers to ‘dark clouds over a closed world’, which inspired the podcast’s title.  

Beyond The Dark Clouds, which is listened to all over the world, is hosted and produced by Dr Ann Marie Mealey, with help from Leeds Trinity’s Senior Lecturer in Journalism, Darren Harper. Listen on on Spotify and other platforms.

For more information and to book your place, please contact a.mealey@leedstrinity.ac.uk