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Weekend Bulletin |
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February 25 & 26, 2023 |
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Blessing of the Week |
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FutureChurch is a long-time a member of Catholic Organizations for Renewal (COR) - a leadership forum of U.S. church reform organizations. COR's organization leaders work together to further reform and renewal in the Roman Catholic Church, to build an inclusive church, to bring about a world of justice and peace and to reflect the sacredness of all creation. .
Over the years, we have worked on many wonderful and worthy projects together including the Nun Justice Coalition and A Church for Our Daughters. More recently, our Bread Not Stones campaign, was one among several efforts that successfully pressured the USCCB to back away from their attempt at nationally weaponizing the Eucharist to coerce Catholic politicians into voting how the bishops wanted them to - particularly on women's and LGBTQ+ rights.
Since the Synod on Synodality was announced, like FutureChurch, a number of COR organizations have been actively involved, urging bishops to take part in the process, hosting listening sessions and developing reports, forming and equipping laity to give voice to the issues they care most about, and taking part in regional gatherings.
Earlier this month, more than a dozen COR organizations endorsed a joint letter to the US Synod team, calling for continued broad participation and input of the laity - particularly those traditionally excluded by the hierarchy - as the Synod process continues into the Continental phase and beyond. The letter was copied to USCCB officers, the Apostolic Nuncio in Washington, D.C., and the General Secretariat of the Synod in Rome.
The letter reads, in part:
In the spirit of synodality and out of our deep hope for a Church that is committed to listening and dialogue, we suggest the following practical steps to encourage all Catholics to remain engaged in and hopeful about this new way of being together:
- Appoint mutually trusted liaisons to keep open lines of communication between Synod leaders and historically marginalized Catholics including women, LGBTQ+ persons, Black and Indigenous Catholics, young Catholics, divorced and remarried Catholics, victims of clergy sexual abuse, people with disabilities, and those who have sought or received abortion care.
- Release a draft of the North American Continental Synthesis and provide a mechanism for receiving and incorporating feedback on the draft prior to the March 31st deadline.
- Create a space for Catholics to provide input on the characteristics and qualities we would like to see in our national representatives to the Synod Assembly in Rome in October 2023.
This April, members of COR will gather in Cleveland, OH to continue making plans to be present at the October 2023 Synod Assembly to highlight and advocate for the reforms our Church so desperately needs and which have been so clearly articulated by Catholics around the globe.
It is a blessing to be in community with this group of passionate, smart, and faith-filled Church reform leaders and activists - many of whom have persevered in this work for decades, keeping hope alive.
While no one person or organization can take credit for the openings and possibilities for change that the Synod on Synodality represents, I have no doubt that the decades upon decades of work that each of these groups have done individually and collectively have created the fertile ground for this new hope to emerge.
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Co-Director |
Russ Petrus |
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The Just Word
"A Kind of Love that Embraces Confrontation" with Eric Martin
Eric Martin invites us to explore how James Baldwin interprets God’s covenant with Noah; engage with the U.S. bishops’ letter on racism, and its shortcomings; and embody the difficult racial honesty that religious communities need to embrace in an age of overt inequity and violence:
"Salvation is ignorance in the imagination of so many white Christians because they seek being saved, not from their sins, but from the discomfort their sins would cause them if confronted."
Eric Martin is part of the Catholic Worker and Charlottesville Charis communities who writes shoddy poems and teaches religion classes at UCLA and Loyola Marymount.
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Catholic Women Preach
"Journeying through the Desert" with Crystal Catalan
Preaching for the First Sunday of Lent, Crystal Catalan offers a reflection on journeying through the desert times in our lives:
"I am so grateful that the Gospel passage for this Sunday does not end with Jesus suffering in the desert. Rather, the passage ends with, 'Then the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him.' For me, this is the beauty of our faith. That we absolutely cannot exist without being in relationship with others, and angels are sent to aid with our healing."
Crystal Catalan currently serves as the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Presentation High School in San Jose, CA. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Diego, an M.A. in International Development from Eastern University., M.A. in Pastoral Ministries with an emphasis in Restorative Justice and Chaplaincy at Santa Clara University, and the Certificate in Restorative Justice Leadership and Facilitation through the University of San Diego.
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Wednesday, March 8th at 7pm ET |
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Screening and discussion of “The Women Fighting to Be Priests” with guest speaker Fr. Anne Tropeano
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Join us for a screening and discussion of the BBC Documentary, The Women Fighting to Be Priests, with one of the women featured in the film, Fr. Anne Tropeano. Fr. Anne Tropeano is one of over 200 women across the world who are part of the Roman Catholic woman priest movement. Fr. Anne will comment on her own experience and together we will explore wider roles for women in the church.
Father Anne Tropeano was ordained on October 16, 2021 in Albuquerque, NM through the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. She has a deep love of the Society of Jesus and Ignatian spirituality, which blossomed over twelve years of ministry with Jesuits. She earned a Master of Divinity from Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA, and has worked in several parishes in the JesuitsWest Province.
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Wednesday, March 15 at 8pm ET
Historian Paul Collins on a Post-Benedict & Post-Pell Church
Both Pope Benedict XVI and Cardinal George Pell exerted enormous influence on the Catholic Church. Will they be remembered for their efforts for reform; their lack of zeal for Vatican II; their treatment of those who dissented; or their efforts to keep women subordinated? How will history remember them? What will be their legacies?
Paul Collins: Born in Melbourne and now living in Canberra, Paul Collins is an historian, broadcaster, and writer. For many years he has worked in varying capacities in TV and radio with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He has also acted as a commentator on the BBC, PBS in the United States, NHK Japan, Danish and New Zealand TV, Sky TV News, as well as SBS and commercial TV and radio stations in Australia. He has written regularly for most of Australia’s leading newspapers and magazines, as well as for print media in the UK, the United States, Germany and Austria.
He has a Master’s degree in theology (Th.M.) from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Philosophy (Ph.D) in history from the Australian National University (ANU), and is a Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London. He has taught history and theology in Australia, US and Pacific countries and worked as a parish priest in Sydney and Hobart. He has wide experience in tertiary and adult education. Between 1986 and 1996 he was a producer-presenter in the ABC in radio and TV, and for three years he was Specialist Editor-Religion for the ABC.
In March 2001 he resigned from the active priestly ministry of the Catholic Church after thirty-three years service due to a doctrinal dispute with the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith over his book Papal Power(1997).
He is the author of fourteen books including Mixed Blessings, God’s Earth, Papal Power, Burn: The Epic Story of Bushfire in Australia, Believers: Does the Catholic Church in Australia have a Future? and Judgment Day: The struggle for life on earth. The Birth of the West will be published in 2013.
While he is well known as a commentator on Catholicism and the papacy, he also has a strong interest in environmental and population issues. Nowadays he works as a freelance writer, speaker and broadcaster on environmental issues, social ethics, theology, history and media.
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Diving Into the Mystics: A Two-Day Lenten Retreat hosted by Call To Action |
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Saturday, March 4th, 12-3pm CT and Sunday, March 5th 12-4pm CT
Over the course of two days, Rev. Jerry Maynard (a.k.a. “The People’s Priest”) will lead retreatants in exploring several Christian Mystics, including Hildegard of Bingen, Howard Thurman, Julian of Norwich, and Meister Eckhart. Retreatants will reflect on these mystics' personal and collective transformation and learn how to utilize this unique wisdom in their own Lenten journeys. Retreatants will root themselves in prayer, reflection, dialogue, and sacred practice. The retreat concludes with a virtual eucharist for the 2nd Sunday of Lent - Year A.
Space is limited to 30 retreatants. $20 donation (financial aid available)
Register
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Catholic Church Involvement in Native American Boarding Schools: Learning to Walk the Good Road Toward Healing |
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Presented by the Listening, Learning and Education (LLE) Subcommittee of Catholic Native Boarding School Accountability and Healing Project (AHP).
Monday March 6 | 2:00pm to 3:30pm ET
"Native Boarding Schools: Learning from History to Promote Healing" with Fr. Mike Carson, Assistant Director for Native American Affairs Committee on Multicultural Diversity in the Church, USCCB. Details/Register
Monday March 20 | 2:00pm to 3:30pm ET
"Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma and Resilience in First Nations Communities" with Dr. Amy Bombay, Anishinaabe from Rainy River First Nations. Details/Register
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DignityUSA Lenten Reflection Series |
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Wednesdays in Lent at 8pm ET
Join DignityUSA each Wednesday night in Lent starting on February 22, Ash Wednesday, through April 5 to discuss the scripture readings for the upcoming Sunday. Free, but registration is required. Register once to get a reminder each week, and join for a single session or the entire series!
Details/Register
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St. Phoebe Prayer for a Synodal Church | Monthly Prayer Service |
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3rd of Every Month at 7pm ET
Discerning Deacons invites everyone to join in community on the 3rd of every month as a part of their Year of St. Phoebe celebration.
Gather to pray for a synodal Church, receive the gifts of women for preaching, and challenge one another to go out to love and serve our neighbor.
Details/Register
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Lucile Murray Durkin Scholarship For Women Discerning Priestly Ordination |
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This unique scholarship awards $2,200 to women and non-binary persons on their academic and spiritual paths, discerning ordination.
Endowed by Sheila Durkin Dierks and her family, Women's Ordination Conference is honored to celebrate the pioneering legacy of Lucile Murray Durkin.
Learn more and apply at https://www.womensordination.org
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Grant Offered to Small Intentional Eucharistic Communities |
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The John and Roberta Hydar Small Faith Community Award is a financial grant offered to small intentional eucharistic communities who propose an initiative/project which celebrates the lives of John and Roberta and reflects the mission and ministry of CORPUS. Small intentional eucharistic communities have become the oasis for Catholics rooted in the Vatican II principles of justice, equality, and consensus.
Find details and full qualifications as well as an application form at https://www.corpus.org/. Please contact Linda Pinto at corpususa@gmail.com (or 570-491-7306) if you have questions or need clarification.
The deadline for electronic submission of the application is Friday, March 24, 2023
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Scholarship Opportunities for Future Latinx Theologians |
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The University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, Texas, has received a major grant through the Lilly Endowment to empower future Latinx theologians. Scholarships for Masters degrees in Pastoral Ministry are available. Learn more about UIW and this exciting grant, “Haciendo Caminos”(“creating pathways”), providing scholarships and more. For information, write Dr. Javier Clavere clavere@uiwtx.edu College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences.
The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, the founders of the University have deep roots in Mexico and in the Hispanic community in the U.S. Learn about the Sisters and see their recent exhibit INCARNATE WORD SISTERS IN THE BORDERLANDS: ACCOMPANYING OUR TEXAS MEXICAN COMMUNITIES, 1871 – PRESENT.
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We seek changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in Church life and leadership. |
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FutureChurch is a national 501(c)(3) organization and your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
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