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Mahoning Vally G.K. Chesterton Society adopts new meeting spot
New meeting venue is chosen by
By Bruce Walton
CANFIELD
A group of avid readers gathered in a conference room to discuss and appreciate a somewhat forgotten English writer, Gilbert Keith Chesterton.
The latest meeting of the Mahoning Valley G.K. Chesterton Society took place Sunday afternoon at Canfield Library, 43 W. Main Street, the group’s new meeting spot.
The society, previously called the Warren G.K. Chesterton Society, changed its name in the hope of attracting new members from the larger Mahoning Valley area.
Since it began in 2004, membership always came from all over the Valley, said
Chairwoman Ellen Finan, who founded the group. But in the past few years, she said, membership was falling dangerously low, so after discussion with other local societies, the location was moved to better accommodate members from Youngstown.
The society is part of the American G.K. Chesterton Society, with nearly 70 local societies scattered across the U.S. This year, its meetings will be from 2 to 4 p.m. the third Sunday of the month (except October) through May.
Finan welcomed new and returning members to Sunday’s first meeting of the season with the theme “Meet G.K. Chesterton” to discuss who he was and what he did. After the introduction, most of the time was spent viewing the recently released documentary series, “Catholicism: The Pivotal Players” in which Chesterton had his own segment.
Chesterton was known as a writer, poet, philosopher, journalist and lecturer, as well as a literary and art critic at the turn of the 20th Century. He lived from 1874 to 1936 and wrote volumes of literary works that inspired generations of readers. Finan said Chesterton’s style often is described as witty and paradoxical, covering topics as diverse as religion, economics and social issues and challenging philosophies such as determinism and nihilism.
His view on religion made him a prominent figure in the Catholic Church after converting later in his life. His mysteries involving a crime-solving priest are the basis for the PBS “Father Brown” series.
Priest John Ettinger, associate pastor at St. Christine Church in Youngstown, first learned about Chesterton while reading his mysteries. Among his favorites, he said, are those about that priest who uses his knowledge of human nature after listening to years of confessions to solve the crimes.
Pat Lally, 64, of Youngs-town, is a new member who was invited to come by friends in the society and plans to return next month, partly because of the new location’s convenience. To Lally, the most intriguing thing about Chesterton was his way of challenging his readers.
“He liked paradoxes; he said things that you had to stop and think about what he meant,” Lally said.
After the meeting, Finan said she was happy to see new members and hopes the society continues to inspire people to read and discover Chesterton’s literature.
The next meeting is set for Oct. 9 at the library where the discussion will center on the first half of Chesterton’s book “The Way of Wonder.” No dues or fees are required.