Manassas Theology on Tap - Fr. Joseph Rampino

Name: Manassas Theology on Tap - Fr. Joseph Rampino
Start: 2026-03-09T18:30:00-04:00
Location: Old Towne Sports Pub

Schedule

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026 at 06:30 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Old Towne Sports Pub | Manassas, VA

Talk begins at 7:30 p.m.
God is in Charge: How Church History Helps us Face the Present
Description: : It can be a temptation for all of us to look at the difficulties of our own era, both in the Church and in the world, and see in them a moment of unique instability and danger--a Church and a world in crisis! In response, especially as believing Christians, there can be a temptation to a certain "golden age" mentality, looking for moments in the history of the Church when the world had better values, the Church was full of saints and at peace. Maybe if we could just rebuild a previous age, we could find a safe haven. On the other hand, we can be tempted to see in the present an age unlike any ages that have ever gone before, calling for totally new solutions, for starting from scratch, for a bold charge into the future. Neither error, diving into the past or into the future, is helpful for our spiritual lives. Learning the history of the Church helps settle us and gives us tools for meeting with courage the moment in which Christ has given us. This talk will examine a few episodes of Church history, like the thirteenth century, the Plague and Western Schism, and the Reformation and Council of Trent, in order both to debunk "golden age" thinking and remind us that our problems in the present are not so new as they might seem. In the end, we turn to the unchanging God as the one who saves us and is the only anchor of Christian hope.
Bio: Fr. Joseph Rampino is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, ordained in 2016 after studying at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary (BA in Philosophy ’12), The Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in the City (Bachelor of Sacred Theology ’15), and the Pontifical Lateran University. After seven years of pastoral work in a number of different pastoral assignments (Blessed Sacrament, Marymount University, Queen of Apostles, St. Ambrose) he studied historical theology at The Catholic University of America (Licentiate in Sacred Theology ’25) with a particular focus on the history and nature of diocesan clerical life, as well as the theology of participation in Christ. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Sacred Theology at the same Catholic University of America.
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Manassas TOT, cosponsored by the Diocese of Arlington Young Adult Ministry and All Saints Young Adults, is held on the second Monday of each month at the Old Towne Sports Pub, located at 8971 Center St. Manassas, VA 20110.
All young adults (ages 19-35) single and married of all faith backgrounds are invited.
Food and drinks are served starting at 6:30 p.m., then the talk begins at 7:30 p.m. & ends with Q&A.
Questions? Contact us at [email protected] or Rachel Clem at [email protected].