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Russ, Martha, and I are back on the road heading to the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice (IFTJ) this weekend in Washington, DC. Being a team that primarily works from home, any chance to be together in person is always such a treat for us. And beyond our team, it is such a treasure to reconnect with old and new friends in this work for justice.
I’m especially looking forward to the breakout session Martha and I are hosting called Catholic Students Preach. Based on the power and momentum of our resource Catholic Women Preach, we hope this session will empower high school and college students to use their voices in the Church and beyond. We also hope that educators will join us to hear how they can incorporate preaching into their classrooms.
We’ll also be stationed at an exhibitor table representing Catholic Women Preach. If you’ll be at the Teach-In stop by and check it out. We’ll have FutureChurch and Catholic Women Preach swag, plus you can buy all three Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church books, or enter to win a set in our raffle.
IFTJ was the first place I encountered ways of being Church that feel authentic to who I am. I was a first year in college! Getting to return years later as an exhibitor/presenter is such an honor. We hope you’ll follow along the weekend with us on social media!
If you’re in DC, reach out to us, we’d love to see you!
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October 27, 2024
Today Martín Aguilera Valdés and Francis Boccuzzi invite us to explore a decolonial theology with the help of liberation philosopher Enrique Dussel; engage a recentering of theology to ‘the side of the road;’ and embody decoloniality with the help of the artwork of Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.
"Liberation theology, especially in the work of Jon Sobrino, has invited us for some time now to see Jesus’s miracle narratives as 'signs' of the coming of the kingdom. As meaningful moments and actions that are interpreted by the evangelists, Jesus’s miracles give us a hint towards the ‘real deal’: the world is changing! This ‘change,’ this sign of the underlying process of transformation of history, of the meaning of life, has been called by liberation theologians (Ignacio Ellacuría, Jon Sobrino, Gustavo Gutiérrez, Ernesto Che Guevara, Leonardo and Clodovis Boff, and Ivone Gebara amongst others) as the ‘option for the poor’; God’s option for the poor! A promise for those 'at the side of the road.'"
Martín Aguilera Valdés is a Philosophy PhD Student at Uconn Philosophy Department, working on decolonial philosophy, with a transdisciplinary focus on his natal Chile. He holds a Master’s in Theological Studies from Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and a Bachelor’s in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Catholic School of Chile. He was born in Santiago in 1998 and grew up in the South of Chile, in Puerto Varas, his hometown. Martín has been working with communities doing Liberation Theology since high school but recently decided to turn towards philosophies of liberation and decoloniality.
Francis Boccuzzi studies systematic and fundamental theology, focusing on how decolonial thought should inform both political and comparative theology. He graduated from John Carroll University (JCU) in 2018, majoring in theology and political science, before pursuing a Master of Arts at JCU in 2019. Upon completion, Francis served for two years with City Year in Cleveland before returning to graduate studies at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry where he received an M.T.S. Francis and his wife, Maria, recently welcomed their first child, Adelina; they live in Worcester with their two dogs.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Courtney Esteves offers a reflection on the freedom of choice that God gifts to us:
"I invite us, on this Thirtieth Sunday of Ordinary Time, to receive this 'What do you want?' question in two ways: First, let’s put ourselves in the place of Bartimaeus and respond through honest prayer – what do we want God to do for us? And secondly, let’s follow Jesus’s example by asking those around us, 'What do you want me to do for you?' What response might we receive if we ask this question in earnest?"
Courtney Esteves (she/her) is a third-year Master of Divinity student at Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School (ANS at YDS). Courtney is formed by two decades of Catholic education, as well as many years spent within lay-led Catholic ministries such as her spiritual home, Benincasa Community. A proud alumna of Saint Gabriel School (Bronx, NY), Marymount School (New York, NY), and the College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA), she is grateful for a faith infused with the charisms of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary and the Jesuits.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching on the healing of the "Daughter of Abraham" (Luke 13:10-17), Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ offers a reflection on the abundant love and vision of our healing God:
"Jesus decries the rigidity of the rule keepers—a perennial affliction of religious leaders of every denomination even to our own day— 'Don’t you understand? Freeing this woman, this daughter of Abraham is more important than freeing the ox and ass as your religious rules allow?' The phrase 'Daughter of Abraham' occurs nowhere else in either the Hebrew or Christian scriptures. Jesus is saying 'This woman is a fully equal member of God’s own people, and her dignity and well-being must be the priority here.'"
Hidden Sister: The Gospel of Luke is the only one that recounts Jesus’ healing of a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years (Luke 13:10-17). This passage is assigned to Monday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time. Although Jesus recognizes her as a “daughter of Abraham,” this touching story of her faith and Jesus’ willingness to break the Sabbath law in the synagogue and heal her is not proclaimed on any Sunday. Moreover, in 2024, this reading is replaced by the proper readings for the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude.
Christine Schenk, CSJ has worked as a nurse midwife to low-income families, a community organizer, an award-winning writer-researcher, and the founding director of an international church reform organization, FutureChurch. Schenk also writes a regular column for the National Catholic Reporter and is one of three nuns featured in the award-winning documentary "Radical Grace."
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The last several weeks of reporting on the Synod Assembly currently in session in Rome reveals a disturbing trend: that despite the 2023 Synthesis naming the topic of women in the Church as “urgent,” Pope Francis and other members of the Vatican Curia engage in clerical tactics – delay, deception, and obfuscation – rather than adhering to the demands of synodality – transparency, discussion, and discernment – particularly on the issue of women’s ordination.
Writing for America Magazine, Colleen Dulle traces the shroud of secrecy that continues to cover Study Group 5, which was established earlier this year – in part – to address the perennial question of ordaining women as deacons. National Catholic Reporter’s Chris White reports that the previously convened study commission on women deacons (2020) will now take up that work. And – while she doesn’t characterize it this way – reporting from Elise Ann Allen for Crux reveals that the Vatican spin machine is already at work trying to convince advocates that calls for women’s ordination are premature or misguided and that ignoring the question of ordination is actually good for Catholic women and the Church.
“By all accounts delegates seem eager to have this discussion and faithfully represent the voices of the People of God, who have consistently raised women’s ordination every step of the way,” said Russ Petrus, Executive Director of FutureChurch. “But by taking women’s ordination off the Synodal table and relegating discussion to secretive working groups or commissions and promising more information ‘when the time is right,’ Pope Francis has thwarted the promise and potential of Synodality,” he continued. “We always knew that there would be speedbumps and roadblocks on the path of Synodality. And it is profoundly heartbreaking that women who simply want to serve God’s people continue to be the ones bearing the pain caused by these obstructions.” [...]
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| Pentecost Project- New Highlight! |
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Following the Spirit on a WHIMM: The Story of the Washington Home Inclusive Monthly Mass
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With the fire of Pentecost and emboldened by the Holy Spirit, we at FutureChurch are engaging in a new project to recognize and celebrate communities that are embodying the mission of Pentecost. Over the next several months, we will be highlighting communities that have been emboldened to live the Gospel in new and creative ways. Today we introduce you to WHIMM-Washington Home Inclusive Monthly Mass.
Excerpt:
" 'Mary and I heard about a Mass organized with the Roman Catholic Women Priest Movement that was taking place in Maryland,' shared Jane. 'This was the first time there was one in the DC area that we had heard about. So we went to this Mass at somebody’s house, and it was so… electric.' After experiencing this type of liturgical celebration, Jane and Mary felt as though more people needed access to an inclusive and intimate Liturgy in a home setting led by a woman priest. So they decided to try their hand at some organizing."
READ MORE...
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| Upcoming FutureChurch Events |
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| Thursday, November 7th & Tuesday, November 12th at 7:00pm ET (via Zoom). |
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| Courage in the Spirit: Translating Synodal Talk into Action |
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Night One: Thursday, November 7 at 7pm ET
Bishop John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv.
Keynote Presenter
FutureChurch is honored to welcome Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., the Bishop of Lexington and the Bishop President of Pax Christi USA as our keynote presenter. Bishop Stowe has been a courageous and consistent ally to those marginalized and excluded by both Church and society, including women and the LGBTQ+ community.
Night Two: Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00pm ET
Deborah Rose
Louis J. Trivison Award
FutureChurch will present the 2024 Louis J. Trivison Award to Deborah Rose in gratitude for her decade of joyful and prophetic leadership at FutureChurch and in celebration of her innumerable contributions to the cause of Church reform and renewal.
Kayla August
CHRISTINE SCHENK AWARD
FutureChurch will present the 2024 Christine Schenk award to Kayla August in celebration and recognition of her powerful living witness to the importance of women’s preaching and for her efforts to uplift the voice of the laity and marginalized in every area of Church life, leadership, and ministry.
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| November 20, 2024 | 7:00pm ET |
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Cleveland In-person Catholic Women Preach Book Launch
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Join FutureChurch, series co-editor Russ Petrus, five Catholic Women Preach preachers, and Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ as we celebrate the release of the third and final volume of the ground-breaking and award-winning book series, Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church (Orbis Books).
The event will feature opening remarks by FutureChurch co-founder, Sr. Christine, and panel of Cleveland-area preachers who will reflect on their participation in Catholic Women Preach project and the importance of Catholic Women Preach in their lives of faith.
Time:
7:00 – 8:00 PM ET
Venue:
Community of St. Peter
7100 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44103
Copies of all three volumes (Years A, B, and C) will be available for purchase at the event.
*While this event is being planned as an in-person event, a YouTube livestream will be available to all through the Community of Saint Peter YouTube Page.
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| January 8, 2025 | 6:00pm ET |
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“The Mystics Would Like a Word” with Shannon Evans
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Is there a Christian spirituality that embraces the entire reality of womanhood? In her new book, The Mystics Would Like a Word, Shannon K. Evans suggests the answer is an emphatic 'yes.'
There is a spirituality that meets us in every part of our lives, developed by the women who came before us. Six mystics—Teresa of Ávila, Margery Kempe, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Thérèse of Lisieux—revealed a faith big enough to hold the female experiences of sex and desire, the yearning for bodily autonomy, the challenges of motherhood and identity, as well as life with male authority and—sometimes—violence. These women, self-determining, stubborn, and unapologetically themselves, asked questions in their time that are startlingly prescient today, and fought for women’s experiences to be heard, understood, respected, and recognized as holy.
This event will be followed by a month-long weekly book club where participants can register to participate in discussion and reflection in community with one another. More information coming soon!
Shannon K. Evans is the spirituality and culture editor at the National Catholic Reporter and the author of the books Feminist Prayers for My Daughter: Powerful Petitions for Every Stage of Her Life and Rewilding Motherhood: Your Path to an Empowered Feminine Spirituality.
With interest in ecofeminism, social change and contemplative practice, Shannon leads workshops and retreats across the country that spark curiosity and compassion. She has partnered with the Jesuits of Canada and the U.S. and is a frequent contributor to Franciscan Media.
Having previously lived in Indonesia for two years, Shannon loves to travel, but is happiest at home on the Iowa prairie with her family and beloved chickens.
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| Other Opportunities and Resources |
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| Benedictine Sisters of Erie | Erie, PA | June 2025-June 2026 |
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| Benedictine Peacemakers Monastic Immersion- Applications Open! |
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The Benedictine Sisters of Erie invite applicants to the 2025 – 2026 cohort of the Benedictine Peacemakers Monastic Immersion. As an evolution of monastic life, the Benedictine Peacemaker program is a model for approaching personal formation, spiritual community, and good work in the Benedictine spiritual and monastic tradition, with a particular focus on the practice of peacemaking. The monastic immersion year will be filled with spiritual exploration, growth in community, experiential learning, classes, and action within the Erie community. The program is open to women in their early 20s through early 30s. Housing, food, and a stipend are provided, as well as transportation and health insurance if needed. More information can be found at eriebenedictines.org/benedictine-peacemakers. contact Michelle Scully (mscully@eriebenedictines.org) with any questions.
Apply Here.
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| A New Publication from Pax Christi USA |
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| Seeking Wisdom's Light: Reflections for Advent and Christmas 2024 |
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"Seeking Wisdom's Light," this year's Pax Christi USA Advent reflection booklet, is written by Leslye Colvin, a writer, spiritual companion, and contemplative activist. Leslye's poetic and thought-provoking reflections will be a welcome part of your daily prayer life during the Advent season, and can lead to rich and meaningful sharing within your prayer community.
Order Here.
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| A New Publication from New Ways Ministry |
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| CORNERSTONES Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions |
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Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions is a new anthology of 12 stories of faith, sacrifice, joy, and pain by LGBTQ+ people who have been employed by Catholic parishes and schools.
The collection was edited by Ish Ruiz and Mark Guevarra, two gay Catholic men who themselves have been church employees, and is published by New Ways Ministry, a Catholic outreach that educates and advocates for equity, inclusion, and justice for LGBTQ+ persons.
The anthology’s stories are grouped in three categories: LGBTQ+ people fired from Catholic schools, LGBTQ+ people fired from Catholic parishes, and LGBTQ+ people who continue their employment in Catholic institutions with support from their employers.
Order Here.
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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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