February 17 – 19, 2023

Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 W. 18th St

Who Am I That You Care for Me?

NEW YORK—Now in its 15th year, the New York Encounter, an annual three-day public cultural event featuring panel discussions, artistic performances, and exhibits, will take place February 17–19, 2023, at the Metropolitan Pavilion at 125 W. 18th St. in Manhattan. The main events will also be livestreamed via YouTube and available, free of charge, on the Encounter website.

The Encounter aims to give witness to a flourishing faith-generated life, catalyzing engagement on the grounds of inquiry, dialogue, and, ultimately, judgements that bring hope.

All events are free of charge. No registration necessary.

The 2023 edition invites us to examine the failure of the world-touted autonomous individual to stand up to the growing epidemics of lethargy, loneliness, mental illness, and gun violence. And while the specter of recession looms ever larger, the concrete problems of conflict, injustice, and estrangement have not been assuaged by the new paradigm of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

In a world of brokenness, the question “Who am I that you care for me?” taps into the universal desire for real community, affirmation, and meaning. Those who will unpack and probe this theme from various angles include scientists and CEOs, professors and poets, economists and engineers, among many others from diverse viewpoints and realms of expertise. An exhibit on Nietzsche as a prophet for our times is offered as a provocative introduction to this interchange.

Speakers will address such topics as modern evolving realities like the metaverse and cryptocurrency; the power of peace advocacy, forgiveness, and communal hospitality for the marginalized; wonders found on earth and in space; understanding today’s global inflation; and myriad musical and literary contexts in which the Encounter theme can be powerfully grasped.

Highlights:

Saturday, February 18, at 10:00 am
What’s going on here?
A conversation on influencers, cryptocurrencies, and the metaverse with Luke Burgis, entrepreneur and educator; Yogesh Dwivedi, professor of Digital Marketing and Innovation, and Sazan Hendrix, influencer.

Saturday, February 18, at 2:00 pm
“You will never succeed in convincing me to hate you”
Experiences of forgiveness and hope shared by Diane Foley, mother of journalist Jim Foley, the first to be publicly beheaded by ISIS; Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem; and Anastasia Zolotova, Ukrainian refugee.

Saturday, February 18, at 4:00 pm
Who am I?
A discussion about Luigi Giussani’s newly translated book, The Religious Sense, with Fr. Michael Carvill, US coordinator of Communion and Liberation; John Cavadini, director of McGrath Institute for Church Life, and Davide Prosperi, President of Communion and Liberation

Sunday, February 19, at 11:00 am
Why do I have this yearning?
A literary conversation with Chris Beha, writer and editor of Harper’s Magazine, and Ron Hansen, novelist.

Sunday, February 19, at 2:00 pm
Everything costs more! And now?
A conversation on inflation in the current global context with Jon Hilsenrath, senior writer for The Wall Street Journal, and Stephen Smith, senior managing director of Brandywine Global.