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“The antidote to closed-mindedness is having coffee with lots of different people.”
–Dr. Craig Ford
As I listened to Dr. Ford’s presentation earlier this week on “Co-Creating Beauty: Queer Bodies and Queer Love Beyond the Anathemas,” I was taken by a lot of Dr. Ford’s language. Theologically, the most resounding statement for me was his expansion of the term “co-creation.” Echoing Margaret Farley, Dr. Ford explained that if we are able to look beyond the idea that co-creation with God is reserved for heteronormative procreation, there are so many unique and imaginative ways that we are called to co-create a better world for future generations. And one of these ways, says Dr. Ford, is to “co-create in the context of gender identity by responding to a call” (Ford). Throughout his presentation, Dr. Ford suggests that folks in the transgender and gender non-binary communities are called to live into their gender identities as a means of co-creating, or building a world with a more virtuous relationship with gender identity. This language is affirming and celebratory of the continued becoming of ALL identities, and paints a far different picture of LGBTQ+ acceptance than the dominant narrative in Catholic thought.
Even more than this enlightened vision of our calls to co-create, I was taken by one simple sentence that Dr. Ford said near the end of the presentation. He stated, very simply, that “the antidote to close-mindedness is having coffee with lots of different people.” I loved this simple description of what it means to answer our Christian call to discipleship – to embrace without exclusion – by taking the time to hear the stories of others, especially those that are far different from our own. It is in the “getting to know” that we come to love one another, and when we love one another we can begin to advocate for ways that the world can better love one another, too.
And, like Dr. Ford, I love a good cup of coffee.
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The Just Word
Today, Grace Aheron invites us to explore Paul as an organizer against empire; engage Catholic Social Teaching through base communities and liberation theology; and embody anti-empire organizing with the help of the Black Panthers, Fred Hampton, and the poetry of adrienne maree brown.
"The messianic political structure described across Paul’s letters stands in stark contrast to the political order of the day. He called for the crossing of boundaries – gender, economic, cultural – and the upending of hierarchical societal structures. They shared resources within the house churches and across the Mediterranean region, a radical redistribution of solidarity. To live into this vision required praxis: real and tangible action undergirded by robust belief. And so throughout the epistles we see Paul giving practical steps as well as heartfelt encouragement. It’s problem-solving and vision-casting. To live in a radically different way, you must believe it is possible."
Grace Aheron is a queer Asian American raised in an Episcopal Church her grandparents helped found in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains. She is the Communications Director at Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ), working to bring white communities into movements for change.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for the Second Sunday of Lent, Salena Ibrahim offers a reflection on responding in freedom to God's invitations:
"In this process of letting go of our attachments, knowing the cost of discipleship, and still choosing to be faithful, we can better hear God speak to us of our belovedness, of our common belonging in God. This Lenten season, let us examine our interior attachments so that we can freely respond with Abraham, “Here I am,” and allow God to transform our lives."
Salena Ibrahim is earning her Masters of Divinity at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry where her work focuses on theologies of migration and liberation, and preferences a feminist lens. Most recently, she worked as a Graduate Minister in Residential Ministry at Boston College, accompanying residential students and facilitating Jesuit tradition programming. Prior to this, Salena served as a Jesuit Volunteer (’20-21) and Associate University Minister at the University of Detroit Mercy.
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| Join Us TODAY for Our 2024 Lenten Retreat! |
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| February 24; 1:00 pm-4:00 pm EST |
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| From Unfathomable Grief to Unsurpassed Joy – Women of Lent and Easter |
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Join FutureChurch on Saturday, February 24th from 1:00 pm- 4:00 pm EST as we welcome author, storyteller, and Episcopal priest, Rev. Lindsay Hardin Freeman, who will guide us on a beautiful journey with Mary and Martha of Bethany, Mary Magdalene, and Mary, Jesus’ mother. Accompany them as they each offer gifts: sheltering Jesus, standing with him at the Cross, and witnessing the greatest miracle of all — the Resurrection.
This afternoon of reflection at the beginning of Lent will offer presentations from Rev. Hardin Freeman, time for optional small group conversation, and prompts for personal reflection. All are welcome!
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Dr. Craig Ford’s presentation this past week, “Co-Creating Beauty: Queer Bodies and Queer Loves Beyond the Anathemas” explored how our roles as co-creators with God allow for new ways to understand the truth revealed by sexuality and gender identity beyond the boundaries of heteronormativity. Such redeployment of this theological status as co-creator, Ford argues, may provide a pathway beyond the impasse currently experienced at the level of official church teaching with respect to these topics.
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FutureChurch Executive Director, Russ Petrus, attended the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress last week to promote Catholic Women Preach along with Preacher Coordinator, Betty Anne Donnelly. There, they caught up with a number of FutureChurch board members, women preachers, and advisors to CWP.
In the photos below (left to right): 1. Russ Petrus and Dr. Kim Harris; 2. Ann Garrido, Betty Anne Donnelly, Sr. Teresa Maya, CCVI, and Russ Petrus; 3. Betty Anne Donnelly, Natalia Imperatori Lee, and Russ Petrus; 4. Yunuen Trujillo and Rose Lue; 5. Russ Petrus, Betty Anne Donnelly, and Fr. James Martin, S.J.
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| Upcoming FutureChurch Events |
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February 29 at 7pm ET
Lenten Fasting and Body Hatred: A Feminist Critique with Jessica Coblentz, Ph.D.
Join us as Jessica Coblentz presents on her article “Catholic Fasting Literature in a Context of Body Hatred: A Feminist Critique” in which she argues that the social conditions of misogynistic body hatred and the culture of fasting during Lent perpetuates disordered eating.
Jessica Coblentz, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies and Theology at Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana, where her research and teaching focuses on Catholic systematic theology, feminist theologies, and mental health in theological perspective. She is a graduate of Santa Clara University and Harvard Divinity School, and received her PhD from Boston College. She was previously a resident scholar at the Collegeville Institute in Collegeville, Minnesota, and has taught at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, California.
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April 2 at 7pm ET
Mary Magdalene, Her Easter Proclamation, and Why it Matters
On Easter Tuesday this year, FutureChurch Program Associate, Olivia Hastie, will moderate an intergenerational panel of women in scholarship and ministry to explore how Mary Magdalene continues to inspire today, why it is important that we reclaim and tell her true story, and what difference it would make in the lives of people of faith to hear the full story on Easter Sunday.
About our Panelists:
Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ was professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union at Chicago for 26 years, and is professor emerita from Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University. She is the author or editor of many books and articles on topics of New Testament and Early Church.
Laura Boysen-Aragón is the Development Director at the Loyola Institute for Spirituality (LIS) in Orange, CA where she brings to her work a deep commitment to Ignatian spirituality and a faith that seeks justice. Laura has felt a strong call to the priesthood for many years. She continues discerning how to live out that call.
Molly Cahill is an assistant editor at America Media, where she previously completed a one-year media fellowship after her graduation from Boston College. She is passionate about theology, activism, journalism, and the arts.
Martha Ligas is a spiritual director, lay minister, preacher, and educator. She is currently pursuing her Doctor of Ministry at Fordham University, serves as pastoral minister at the Community of St. Peter in Cleveland, OH, and is communications coordinator for FutureChurch.
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| Tuesday, March 19, 8 PM ET |
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The ongoing Synod on Synodality calls for the global church to continue deepening its understanding and practice of synodality, and to “listen more to those on the periphery.” As a response to that call, Catholic Organizations for Renewal (COR) is hosting “Sharing Our Wisdom: Speaking to the Synod as a Community of Love,” on Tuesday, March 19 at 8 p.m. ET. In a dynamic event inspired by the model of “conversation in the Spirit,” COR will feature testimonies and wisdom from theologians and advocates who are most excluded from the synodal process and documents and community discernment through sharing in a “town hall” format. We are inviting Synod Delegates and members of the USCCB Synod team to attend and listen to the testimonies and comments presented. The event will be facilitated by Dr. Annie Selak, director of Georgetown University’s Women’s Center.
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| Director, Preach all Ways Initiative, Marian University |
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As a part of a diverse community of faculty and staff who represent many faith systems and worldviews, Marian University seeks a Director of the Preach All Ways Initiative to promote their Catholic Franciscan mission and identity by engaging and empowering leaders to develop compelling preaching forms to reach youth navigating major questions of meaning, identity, and relationships. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial and have a joy-filled missionary spirit. S/he will be creative, highly organized, opportunity focused, collaborative, and a strong teacher with the ability to empower others in preaching.
See Full Description/Apply Here.
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| Program Director, Mercy Center Burlingame |
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This role is responsible for the creation, development, and oversight of all program functions, and ensuring quality programming in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy charism and Mercy Ministry Corporation values. The Program Director will further the mission of Mercy Center Burlingame through program design, implementation, and evaluation while collaborating with current staff to promote retreats and programs.
Learn More/Apply Here.
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| Executive Director, Centre for Biblical Formation in Jerusalem |
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CBF, affiliated with Notre Dame de Sion (NDS, Rome), promotes understanding of scripture and interfaith peace. It's focus is: the Bible, the People, and the Land. Responsibilities of the job include: Lead CBF, uphold its values, strategize, manage operations, ensure fundraising, and support staff/volunteers.
Learn more here.
To apply, email Sister Margaret Zdunich at director@biblical-program.com.
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| Toward a Constitutively Synodal Church |
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March 2-14, 2024
This March, Boston College is excited to offer its third Intercontinental Massive Online Course (MOOC). This time the MOOC will address the theme Toward a Constitutively Synodal Church. All videos will be facilitated virtually during the month of March 2024 and will be offered at no cost to participants worldwide. Boston College uses a fully online asynchronous format. Lectures which are pre-recorded and available in Spanish, English, Portuguese, French, Italian, Polish and German can be watched at any time throughout the month of March
Learn More and Access Recordings Here.
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| Becoming a Synodal Church: A Conversation with Massimo Faggioli and Maureen Sullivan, OP at The Center at Mariandale |
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Saturday, March 23 | 2:00-3:30PM, In-Person or via Zoom
The Roman Catholic Church is engaged in a three-year process of listening and dialogue, “The Synod on the Synodality,” which will conclude in October 2024.
This historic time for Catholicism raises important questions about the future direction of the church. Synodality implies a commitment to dialogue and an openness to voices that have been marginalized. Where is the Church now in the Synod process? What is the impact so far? Where does the Church seem to be moving in preparing for October 2024? What may be the implications for the future of the church if a model of synodality takes root in the leadership and day to day life of the church?
Please join The Center at Mariandale for a discussion with a leading church historian, Massimo Faggioli, and an expert on Vatican II, Maureen Sullivan, OP. This 90-minute session will provide opportunity to learn from key scholars, dialogue with people of the faith, and to ask questions important to you.
Fee: $20 Donation
Register 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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