Fox Cities Book Festival: Connecting writers and readers across our diverse communities.

Thomas Sweetser, SJ, originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a Jesuit priest of the Upper Midwest Province. He founded the Parish Evaluation Project in 1973, where he continues to work as a facilitator and consultant to Catholic parishes across the country. His work with the Project helps pastors, staff and lay leaders welcome people into inclusive communities, create meaningful worship experiences, foster occasions for spiritual growth and provide opportunities for outreach and service ministries. Fr. Sweetser is the author and co-author of many books, including The Parish As Covenant: A Call To Pastoral Partnership (2001) and Keeping the Covenant: Taking Parish to the Next Level (2007). His most recent book is, Can Francis Change the Church? How American Catholics Are Responding To His Leadership (Crossroad Publishing, 2019). After spending 31 years in Chicago, he now resides in Milwaukee at the Arrupe Jesuit Community adjacent to Marquette University.