This week we had the absolute joy of hosting our 33rd Annual Fall Event – Synodality: Where have we been? Where are we going?. Over the course of two nights – Tuesday and Thursday – we had the blessing of gathering with so many of you to celebrate the good work we’ve done together and to energize and inspire our shared journey along the synodal path. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the event and to everyone who supported it. We couldn’t do any of it without you!

On Tuesday night, we welcomed Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns, one of the 54 women who participated as full voting members at the October 2023 Synod Assembly. Through her presentation and the following Q&A, Dr. Bailey Manns offered us an “inside look” at how the assembly proceeded, shared about what her experience at the assembly was like, and offered her highlights, disappointments and hopes for us to consider. After spending an evening with Dr. Bailey Manns, I can say that it is a blessing for all of us who care about an inclusive and welcoming Church to know that she is at the table. Thank you, Cynthia!

On Thursday night, we hosted our awards ceremony – lifting up and celebrating three extraordinary, prophetic women.

Kate McElwee, executive director of the Women’s Ordination Conference, accepted our 2023 Sr. Christine Schenk Award for Young Catholic leaders for her uncompromising advocacy on behalf of women in the Church and her leadership in the very successful “Votes for Catholic Women” campaign. It was a joy to see Sr. Chris Schenk and Kate interact and express their mutual admiration for each other and their work. Kate took us on a trip down “memory lane,” telling us the story of the “Votes for Catholic Women” campaign from its beginnings to the day the Synod announced that women would be full members with voting rights. Throughout her acceptance, Kate’s passion, energy, and creativity shines! We are all lucky to have her as a friend and ally in this work! Congratulations, Kate, and thank you for all you do for women in the Church!

Sr. Nathalie Becquart, Undersecretary to the Synod of Bishops, joined us by recorded video to accept one of our 2023 Fr. Louis Trivison Awards. The FutureChurch board recognized and celebrated Sr. Nathalie not only for her historic role as the first woman to serve as Undersecretary for the General Secretariat of the Synod but also in profound gratitude and admiration for her work to include women and all lay people every step of the synodal way. In her video, Sr. Nathalie accepts the award in a true spirit of synodality, saying she shares the award with her Xaviere sisters and with all the women who participated in the Synod at every level – from the grassroots organizers and those who attended listening sessions to those who voted in October. Sr. Nathalie truly lives and ministers from a place of synodality. It is in her bones – and she is leading the Church toward synodality by example. Congratulations, Sr. Nathalie, and thank you for modeling and leading the way in synodality!

Phyllis Zagano, Ph.D., accepted our 2023 Fr. Louis Trivison award in recognition of and immense gratitude for her ground-breaking work researching the history of, promoting discussion and discernment about, and advancing the cause for women in the diaconate. In her acceptance, Dr. Zagano shared some personal anecdotes about our work together and offered

her insights and frank analysis on where the question of women deacons stands going into the next year before the 2024 Synod Assembly. There is simply no overstating her importance in this movement and FutureChurch has been blessed to have Dr. Zagano as a tireless friend, advisor, and partner over our many years advocating for the restoration of women deacons. Congratulations, Phyllis, and thank you for laying the groundwork for this movement!

It was a delight to be in the company of these amazing women in the Church over these two nights! And thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and partners, we are able to share recordings of their presentations for the good of all! This week, I invite you to sit with these women. May you, like me, be blessed by their work, their witness, and their wisdom!

Visit https://futurechurch.org/2023-... to view all of the media from our Fall Event.

FutureChurch is the new home of the Inclusive Lectionary! Originally developed by Priests for Equality, a project of the Quixote Center, the Inclusive Lectionary is an excellent resource for worshipping communities of all kinds who are looking to include all of their members and exclude patriarchal language.

This B Cycle lectionary is available as a digital download and comes complete with the Sunday readings and Responsorial Psalms, conveniently bookmarked by season for easy navigation.

Mary, the Mother of Jesus: An Online Course

November 22-December 12, 2023

Boston College School of Theology and Ministry Online Crossroads Course

This course explores three key events in Luke’s portrayal of Mary as the mother of Jesus: the Annunciation, the Visitation, and, the proclamation of the Canticle of Mary. Explore these and other images of the Blessed Mother through the centuries and what they tell us about the call to trust God’s plan, the active dimension of receiving God’s work, and the value of human encounters for deepening our understanding of the divine work in our lives. 

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Women and Diakonia: The Ministry of Women and the Question of Diaconal Ordination in the Catholic Church

November 24-November 25, 2023

Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology

Synod synthesis documents make it clear that there is a strong call across the Catholic Church for the recognition and development of women’s ministry in the Catholic Church. The inclusion of women in the diaconate, attested in the New Testament, is proposed by the Synod’s Instrumentum Laboris as a means to enable this.

Scholars including Prof Phyllis Zagano and Prof Bernard Pottier SJ, former members of the first Papal Commission on Women and Diaconate, will examine the historical diaconate of women and what it could offer for the whole Church now, as well as considering how to promote the wider forms of women’s diakonia (ministry) in the Church.

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DignityUSA Advent Reflection Series

Dates: November 29, December 6, December 13, December 20; 8pm-9pm ET

DignityUSA invites you to participate in their Advent Reflection Series for 2023. They are celebrating Pope Francis' welcome to all and his prophetic words given at a World Youth Day address: "Todos! Todos! Todos!" Todos means "all." All are welcome to join for an advent-themed reflection on the week's readings, followed by group discussions. Our friends at Call to Action will join us to kick off this series on November 29! This reflection series takes place each Wednesday, November 29 through December 20, from 8pm - 9pm ET/5pm - 6pm PT. The reflection series is free, but registration is required.

Registration

Sexuality and the Sacred: A Five-Part Webinar Series

Dates Remaining: December 13, 2023

"What is the connection between spirituality and sexuality?" This and other questions concerning human sexuality will be the focus of this five-part webinar series. Join
Spirit Alive: The CSJ Institute for Faith Inquiry and Education for this opportunity to consider how the Church understands sex, sexuality, gender, and human love in light of contemporary questions.

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