Fr. Leo Hetzler Conference Pass
$20 suggested donation
A full day with nationally known Chesterton speakers: four talks, open Q&A, the book table and fellowship over lunch.
Learn moreThe Rochester NY Chesterton Society Presents
The 18th annual Fr. Leo Hetzler Conference
Faith of Our Fathers
England and the Church
Joseph Pearce, Author • Dale Ahlquist, Society of GK Chesterton • Ted Janiszewski, St. Irenaeus Ministries • Fr. Peter Mottola
Funded by the Basilian Fathers of St. John Fisher College.
With support from members of the Rochester NY Chesterton Society and from St. Irenaeus Ministries.
For questions, email [email protected]
Hear recordings of the talks by:
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1874year of our first conference
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Next monthly meeting
Third Thursday of the month
Third Thursday
We meet September–December and March–June to read and talk about an essay, story or chapter by G. K. Chesterton. Write to us for the current meeting place, time and reading.
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In his own words
About the Society
Why Chesterton, and why Rochester?
Gilbert Keith Chesterton (1874–1936) wrote essays, novels, poetry, biography, history and the Father Brown detective stories. He was a journalist who debated George Bernard Shaw, a convert whose Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man still bring readers to faith, and a writer whose wit has never gone out of print.
The Rochester NY Chesterton Society gathers people who enjoy him — and people who are only beginning to. Since 2004 we have also hosted the Fr. Leo Hetzler Conference, bringing speakers such as Joseph Pearce and Dale Ahlquist to Rochester every year.
- Lively discussion
- Good fellowship
- A deeper appreciation of the work of GKC
Programs
Annual highlight
Ways to take part
From a single conference day to a monthly reading circle, there is a place at the table for every kind of reader.
Society Membership
Annual donation of your choosing
Join the friends who keep the Society going. Members receive meeting reminders and help shape the next conference.
Learn moreMonthly Discussion Circle
Free · third Thursday
Lively discussion and good fellowship, September–December and March–June. Bring a book, a question or a friend.
Learn moreSpeaker Visits for Parishes & Schools
By arrangement
Members of the Society can introduce Chesterton to your parish group, classroom or book club in a talk tailored to you.
Learn moreStudy Guides & Reading Plans
Free download on request
Printable guides for individual readers and groups: discussion questions, background notes and suggested reading orders.
Learn moreConference Recordings Archive
Free to watch
Every talk from our conferences since 2007, freely available. We can also help you plan a viewing evening for your group.
Learn more
Recordings of our past conferences are also available
The conference archive
Each title opens the full programme with speakers, venue and every talk ready to play.
- Conversion of Heart: St. Paul, St. Augustine, John Henry Newman, GK Chesterton2007
- Paradox and the Pursuit of Truth2008
- Re-awakening Wonder2009
- What Ought To Be: Themes from Chesterton’s What’s Wrong with the World2010
- Transforming The Culture2011
- History Matters2012
- Points of Light: Literary Voices Against the Darkness2013
- Tremendous Trifles2014
- More than Magic2015
- -ISMs2016
- On the Shoulders of GIANTS2017
- Writing Straight with Crooked Lines2018
- Whodunnit?: GK Chesterton and the origins of detective fiction2019
- Poetry: Fruit of Christian joy2021
Articles
Reading Chesterton
Long-form essays from the Society on Chesterton’s life, books and ideas — written for newcomers and old friends alike.
Who Was G. K. Chesterton? A Beginner’s Guide to the Prince of Paradox
Journalist, novelist, poet, debater and convert: an introduction to the life and work of the man Shaw called “a man of colossal genius”.
Read the articleFaith of Our Fathers: Chesterton, England and the Church
Abbeys and pilgrimages, the great pillage of the Reformation, Newman’s Second Spring and the writers who found their way home.
Read the articleFather Brown and the Birth of the Clerical Detective
A shabby little priest with an umbrella became one of fiction’s great detectives. Here is how — and where to start reading.
Read the articleThe Ethics of Elfland: Why Fairy Tales Tell the Truth
Pumpkins, midnight and daisies: the chapter of Orthodoxy many readers call Chesterton’s finest, explained step by step.
Read the articleChesterton and Dickens: In Defence of the Common Man
“Dickens did not write what the people wanted. Dickens wanted what the people wanted.” How Chesterton rescued a great novelist.
Read the articleWhere to Start Reading Chesterton: A Twelve-Month Plan
Essays first, then Father Brown, then Orthodoxy: a practical month-by-month path into Chesterton’s eighty books.
Read the article
Gallery
England and the Church in pictures
Watercolours of Westminster Abbey by John Fulleylove (1904) and views of Oxford’s old libraries — the world of our 2022 theme.
Questions
Frequently asked
The Rochester NY Chesterton Society meets the third Thursday of the month, September–December and March–June. Write to [email protected] and we will send you the current meeting place, time and reading.
Not at all. Many of our members met Chesterton through a single Father Brown story or a quotation. Among our goals are lively discussion, good fellowship, and a deeper appreciation of the work of GKC — curiosity is the only requirement.
Our annual one-day conference, held in Rochester since 2004 and named in honour of Fr. Leo Hetzler of St. John Fisher College. Each year four or five speakers — among them Joseph Pearce and Dale Ahlquist — explore a theme from Chesterton’s life and work.
The most recent conference asked a donation of $20. It has always been free to students, and lunch is available at nominal cost. The conference is funded by the Basilian Fathers of St. John Fisher College with support from our members and St. Irenaeus Ministries.
Yes. Recordings of the talks from 2007 onwards are free to watch on our Recordings page, searchable by speaker and year.
Gladly. See Speaker Visits and send us a note through the contact form with your group, date and preferred topic.
“The world will never starve for want of wonders…”
Come to a meeting, bring a friend, or simply write to us. Newcomers are always welcome at the Rochester NY Chesterton Society.