Caitlin Merritt

Education

B.A. Philosophy, concentration Peace & Conflict Studies - College of the Holy Cross, 

M.A. Philosophy - Boston College, 

Biography

Caitlin is a first-year MTS student with a concentration in modern/contemporary theology. Her interests include theologies of self/personhood and hospitality, as well as critically engaging the anthropocentric lens many forms of theology take. Caitlin’s work at Boston College focused on metaphysics. She previously held a position at the Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport in charge of academic affairs for minor seminarians at St. John Fisher Seminary. This position led to her work in higher education instruction at institutions including Sacred Heart University and Fairfield University. Through her education at Holy Cross and Boston College, and her teaching at Fairfield University, Caitlin has been able to cultivate her interest in Ignatian spirituality.

Her engagement with the narratives surrounding the relationship of the person and the natural world has led her to engage in the fields of landscape design and ethnobotany. Caitlin teaches the History of Landscape Design at New York Botanical Garden and was also one of the three founding content developers for NYBG’s Plant Studio initiative “Landscape Design History for Beginners”. Caitlin enjoys spending time outdoors, visiting gardens, and eating good food. She is an avid tennis player and ballroom dancer.

Caitlin’s projects include the following.

Presentations

  • “A Church that Will & Will Not Change” College of the Holy Cross
  • “Women Deacons? A Historical Perspective” Sacred Heart University
  • “Saints & Social Media” Sacred Heart University
  • “The Sex Abuse Crisis in the Church” Sacred Heart University
  • “Inclusive Pedagogy in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition” Sacred Heart University
  • “Personal Relationships in the Digital Age: A Better Kind of Friendship” Fairfield University
  • “LGBTQ Couples and the Church: A Conversation” Sacred Heart University 
  • “A Synod on Synodality: What does it mean for you and the future of the Church?” Fairfield University
  • “The Catholic University and the Corporatization of Higher Education: A Just Wage?” Fairfield University 
  • “Does the Overturning of Roe v. Wade create more problems for Catholics than it solves?” Fairfield University
  • “Rethinking the Front Lawn: Monoculture and the American Dream” New Jersey Native Plant Society
  • “Painterly Techniques in the English Flower Garden” Gallery 25, New Milford, CT