| Blessing of the Week: FutureChurch "Presses On" with the Ignatian Family |
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This past weekend FutureChurch staff members Olivia and Martha represented FutureChurch at the Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, a conference organized by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. This was the 28th annual Teach-In, and it has become the largest annual Catholic social justice conference in the United States. The theme of this year's conference was "Pressing On" and featured keynote addresses from Fr. Greg Boyle, S.J., Christina Leaño, and FutureChurch board member Yunuen Trujillo.
In between the prophetic keynotes and informative breakout sessions, Olivia and Martha greeted hundreds of students, educators, and ministers at the FutureChurch exhibitor table. For those who had not yet heard of the transformative work that we do, the energy was tangible. Women were excited to nominate one another as preachers for Catholic Women Preach, there was much interest in the New Voices of Reform panel, and folks were heartened to learn that there is an organization that does the work that we do to build a more just and inclusive church. Overall, the 1,800+ person gathering was a reminder that though there is much work to do, we are stronger when we press on together.
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FutureChurch staff members Martha Ligas and Olivia Hastie (sitting, L-R) were joined by FutureChurch board members Andrew Hanson-Quintana and Joe Miller (standing- L-R) at the FutureChurch exhibitor table. Even Andrew's son and his stuffed animal got in on the fun!
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November 23, 2025 | Solemnity of Christ the King
Today Amy Shaw invites us to explore the meaning of kingship and nobility with the Quechua nobleman and Catholic chronicler Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala; engage the differences between Spanish colonizers’ interpretation of Christianity and Guaman Poma’s; and embody Jesus’s message with the artwork of Guaman Poma and the Catholic Worker artist Ade Bethune.
"One of the first ways Jesus is described is as a king. In the Gospel of Matthew, upon Jesus’s birth, the Magi come to Jerusalem asking, 'Where is he that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and come to worship him.' In this familiar story, which is unique to Matthew among the gospels and which reflects the story of Moses in Exodus, the region’s king, Herod, panics upon hearing of this apparent threat to his own rule and orders the slaughter of all boys under the age of two. Escaping with Mary and Joseph to Egypt and only returning after Herod’s death, Jesus grows up in Galilee and ultimately establishes a very different example of kingship."
Amy Shaw is a Catholic Worker in New York. She is currently unemployed.
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November 23, 2025
Preaching for the Solemnity of Christ the King, Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy offers a reflection on the character of God's Reign we are called to co-create:
"In this final hour on Calvary, we see a radically different kind of kingship than the world elevates. God’s reign is not self-serving, or seeking retribution. Nor does it portend a death-dealing system intent on punishment. No. Instead, Jesus offers a paradise of mercy that extends even to those whom we may not think deserve it."
Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy serves as the executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN), the national organization working to end the death penalty, advance justice, and begin healing through the practices of restorative justice. She has a Masters in Theology degree from Boston College (formerly Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts).
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| The Spirit Still Speaks: New Voices for Reform |
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On Wednesday of this week FutureChurch hosted a powerful conversation with a panel of young thinkers and activists. Moderated by Shannon K. Evans, Katie Gordon, Maxwell Kuzma, Medene Presley, and Yunuen Trujillo shared their experiences, insights, and hopes for a more just, inclusive, and Spirit-led Church.
Key points:
- Speaking from his perspective as a convert to Catholicism from the Afro-Pentecost tradition, Medene J.R. Presley comments on how the Church can reach out to communities it has hurt and alienated, noting that simply issuing documents isn’t enough.
- As someone who occupies many Catholic spaces, Yunuen Trujillo addresses the need for progressive Catholics to open their minds and spaces to true intersectionality and inclusivity as one way to confront the pervasiveness of white Christian nationalism.
- Reflecting on his journey as a transgender Catholic, Maxwell Kuzma discusses the role of personal discernment and intergenerational solidarity so that we can show up unapologetically in Catholic spaces as our true, authentic selves.
- Katie Gordon reflects on her work with Nuns and Nones and her relationships with different communities of women religious to share insights about how faith communities grow, evolve, and change.
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| Upcoming FutureChurch Programs |
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| Advent 2025: Entering into the Mystery of the Cosmic Christ |
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Sundays, November 23 & 30, and December 7, 14, and 21 at 7pm ET Via Zoom
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Join FutureChurch beginning on the Solemnity of Christ the King and all through Advent on Sunday nights for our Online Liturgy and Faith Sharing as we explore the mystery of the Cosmic/Universal Christ. Drawing on the rich theologies and spiritualities of writers like Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Ilia Delio, and Richard Rohr, we’ll reflect on how the Christ who has been present since the beginning of creation continues to be revealed in our evolving universe and in each of us today. Each week a member of our virtual community will lead us in prayer and share how the Cosmic Christ informs their spirituality. Come prepare your heart for the Incarnation in a way that expands our wonder, deepens our connections, and renews our hope for all creation.
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| Praying with the Shepherd Within: Embracing the Incarnational Principle to bring about Fullness of Life |
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December 9, 2025 at 8:00pm ET via Zoom
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FutureChurch welcomes Father Anne to lead an Advent evening of reflection.
Join Father Anne for an evening of reflection on the Incarnation to celebrate the ongoing mystery of Advent. Together we will explore some of the principles in her new book, The Shepherd Within, and carve out quiet time during this busy season to invite God to minister to us and teach us about God's essential drive to incarnate into our lives to bring about goodness. (The book is not required to attend.)
*This evening of reflection will alternate between presentation by Father Anne and moments for quiet personal reflection/journaling during the first hour (8-9pm ET). Following the first hour, attendees are invited to stay online for an optional time of faith sharing and discussion (9 – 9:30pm ET).
Father Anne was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 2021 through a reform movement called the Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests. Because the Roman Catholic Church prevents the full participation of women in Church life, Father Anne was forced to choose between obedience to God and obedience to Church law. Choosing God, she was excommunicated, ending her career in the Church she loves. She now devotes her life to gender justice in one of the most powerful institutions in the world. Father Anne has a Master of Divinity from Jesuit School of Theology and a Master of Arts in Rhetoric and Writing Studies from San Diego State University. Her deepest desire is to serve as a parish priest in the Roman Catholic Church. She works for the day this dream comes true.
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| Pentecost Project |
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| Dorothea Project Brings Catholic Social Teaching to Life |
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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 continue highlighting communities that have been emboldened to live the Gospel in new and creative ways. Today we introduce you to Dorothea Project.
Article Excerpt:
Heartbroken by the treatment of migrants and immigrants in the United States and compelled by her Catholic faith, in Spring of this year social worker, activist, and mom Katie Holler knew she couldn’t stay silent. Though not certain how her efforts would unfold, Katie knew that she was being called to speak out on behalf of the marginalized. “I felt that I couldn’t not do something,” said Katie, and “I didn’t want the Catholic Church to be complicit or to be silent in the way that immigrants, migrants, refugees are being treated.”
Continue Reading...
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| Georgetown University| December 4th at 7:00pm ET | In-Person and via livestream |
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| “Making Life Unbearable” The Impacts of Immigration Enforcement on Families and Communities |
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Georgetown University's Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life will be hosting a gathering on the impact of immigration enforcement on families and communities.
This Latino Leader Gathering will focus on the way deportations have affected the lives of families and their communities. Schools, businesses, and churches lose essential members; children grow up without their parents or siblings; and people live with a fear of walking to the store, visiting their friends and relatives, going to work, and engaging in normal social life.
This conversation will focus on the effects of fear-inducing immigration enforcement tactics, the separation of families, and racial prejudice resulting from the violent rhetoric and policing that have accompanied the immigration policies of the last year. It will explore the impacts these dynamics are having now in Latino communities across the nation, as well as the lasting damage they will continue to do in the future.
This gathering will have three parts:
6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Welcoming Happy Hour
7:00 - 8:00 p.m. | Latino Leader Gathering on “‘Making Life Unbearable’: The Impacts of Immigration Enforcement on Families and Communities” with four leaders. The leaders include: Yolanda Chávez, Paula Fitzgerald, Rosa Reyes, and Roxana Rueda Moreno.
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Reception
More information on this gathering can be found here.
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| Adrian Dominican Sisters | December 10th, 6:00pm ET | In-Person and via livestream |
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| "What’s Happening with Immigration" |
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The Adrian Dominican Sisters invite members of the public to join them for a presentation on What’s Happening with Immigration. The presentation will be led by Sister Attracta Kelly, OP, JD, immigration attorney and founder of the Adrian Dominican Office of Immigration Assistance.
The presentation will take place at the Adrian Dominican Sisters' Motherhouse campus on Wednesday, December 10, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Weber Retreat and Conference Center, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, Michigan.
The event is open to the public, free of charge, and available by livestream at adriandominicans.org/Live-Stream.
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| New Resource! | Julie Henkener | Available Now! |
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| Women Give Voice to Wisdom: Praying Lectio-Visio Divina |
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Inspired by Mary Magdalene, Women Give Voice to Wisdom pairs spiritual words of wisdom from women across the ages with original artwork that can be used for prayer/meditation. Simply sitting with the artwork and quotes helps us slow down and develop a meditative approach to our journey toward wholeness. Instructions are also given for a prayer method that combines the ancient practice of lectio divina with a visual element: visio divina. Standing at the intersection of wisdom, feminism, and contemplative Christian spirituality, this book calls you to hear the voice of Sophia Holy Wisdom and to respond to Her in your heart.
Julie Henkener is a writer and artist who leads workshops on praying with images. With BS and MS degrees in engineering, Julie retired after working for over 30 years at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston. She now lives in Denver with her husband Andy Hong and their dog Ellie. You can connect with her and find her blog at www.juliehenkener.com.
Purchase 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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