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This week, FutureChurch would like to lift up the Marianist Social Justice Collaborative as our Profile in Holy Courage! On March 31st, to honor the Transgender Day of Visibility, MSJC issued a statement expressing solidarity with the transgender community and adding a Marianist call to action "to be more welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQ+ persons by fostering dialogue, education, and understanding." The Marianist Social Justice Collaborative began in 1998 as a means to promote education and action for social justice within the Marianist family, and their LGBTQ+ Initiative is just one of many justice teams that work to uplift Catholic Social Teaching and promote specific areas of social justice. Thank you, Marianist Social Justice Collaborative, for your holy courage!
Do you know of an individual or community who has displayed holy courage in recent times? Tell us about them! Email Martha at martha@futurechurch.org.
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April 6, 2025 | Fifth Sunday of Lent
Today Hannah Peterson invites us to explore the desert of Lent with the help of Ivone Gebara’s relatedness, God in all things; engage the wisdom of our bodies as we organize together; and embody interconnectedness with a Liturgy from Below, and the example of The People’s Lobby.
"In many traditions, water is a force of connection – water is necessary for all life on this planet. I am reminded of this power of water when I read the works of Ivone Gebara, ecofeminist theologian and Sister in the Augustinian Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady. Gebara named relatedness in her book Longing for Running Water: Ecofeminism and Liberation, which 'points to the vital power of the interconnectedness among all things' (84). Relatedness means recognizing God in everything, and in the relationships between, amid, and around all these. God is relationship."
Hannah Peterson (she/they) is a queer, disabled, leftist Army veteran. They are a Lutheran pastor’s kid (and grandkid) and grew up in small towns of the Pacific Northwest and Montana. Now based in Chicago, they are a board member of The People’s Lobby where they work to make healthcare a legally-recognized human right in Illinois. Hannah is a seminary student at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, working toward ordination in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. They learn a lot from their chihuahua, Violet, about rest and softness; they are grateful for their communities.
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April 6, 2025
Preaching for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, Dr. Nicole Symmonds offers a reflection on remembering and living our inherent dignity and value as God's beloved:
"Today’s lectionary readings show us what remembrance looks like and how to re-member ourselves as the body of Christ. In this re-remembrance, we bring ourselves, our own best things, to our work in faith for God's church and the world, bringing about justice and peace."
Dr. Nicole Symmonds is the Assistant Professor of Christian Ethics at Columbia Theological Seminary. Her work sits at the intersection of Christian ethics and women, gender, and sexuality studies. She explores Black women’s embodiment, particularly the practices of liberative embodiment they craft as a method of resistance to domination and as a simulation of freedom.
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Lent 2025: "What Is Mine To Do?" Session 4: Praying with and for the Environment
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As so many in our midst are becoming increasingly marginalized and vulnerable you may be asking, “what can I do?” Led by the Spirit and rooted in our Gospel values, FutureChurch is pleased to offer this 2025 Lenten Series – “What Is Mine To Do?”
Inspired by the Anointing Woman of Mark’s Gospel (14:3-9), who – in Jesus’ words – “did what she could,” FutureChurch is offering several opportunities designed to help each of us prayerfully discern how we are being called to stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and marginalized and to uphold and defend the dignity of all people.
Our series continued on Wednesday evening as we prayed with and for the environment, seeking forgiveness for our role in environmental degradation, listening to the word of God, and discerning “what is mine to do.”
This prayer service was developed by Ariell Watson Simon and led by Molly Sutter. Readers are Ann Farah and Daryl Grigsby.
The series will continue to unfold over this sacred season as we pray with and for vulnerable populations and see where our gifts and joys might meet their needs. Learn more at https://futurechurch.org/lent-....
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| April 9, 2025 | 7:00pm ET |
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Lent 2025: "What Is Mine To Do?" Praying with and for Women
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The next program in our "What Is Mine To Do" series will take place on Wednesday, April 9th at 7:00pm ET.
This Lent, led by the Spirit and rooted in our Gospel values, FutureChurch stands in solidarity with the vulnerable and marginalized in our midst.
Join us for our liturgy of the "What is Mine to Do?" series, as we uplift the voices of women through a Eucharistic liturgy led by Roman Catholic Women Priest, Angela Meyer.
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| April 12, 2025 | 11:00am ET |
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2025 Lenten Retreat with Nancy Sylvester, IHM
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This Lent, Stop…Take Time…Drop deeply into Divine Presence…Respond to what is going on in our world from your contemplative heart.
This two hour retreat invites you to experience contemplation and how it awakens you to a new way of seeing, a new way of being. There will be silence, reflection, and opportunities for small and large group sharing. You may want to bring a candle, pencil and paper. An excellent companion to the retreat both before and after is Journey-Faith in an Entangled World by Nancy Sylvester, IHM available here.
About our Retreat Leader:
Nancy Sylvester, IHM, founded the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue in 2002. Prior to that she served in elected leadership positions both within her religious congregation, the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) of Monroe, MI., and in the Presidency of the national Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). She served on the staff of Network, a D.C. based Catholic Social Justice Lobby, for fifteen years, ten years as Executive Director. Nancy also taught at Marian high school in Bloomfield Hills and Immaculata in Detroit, MI. She is a well-known speaker, writer and process facilitator. She has recently written the book, Journey-Faith in an Entangled World. She has an undergraduate degree in philosophy and political science from St. Louis University and a master’s in human development from St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN.
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| Mary Magdalene: Her Easter Proclamation and Why It Matters |
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| Tell the Whole Story of Mary Magdalene on Easter Sunday |
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The full story of Mary Magdalene’s Easter proclamation of the Risen Christ is NEVER heard on Easter Sunday (John 20: 1 – 18). Thus, Catholics are deprived of learning about the gifts, grace, courage, and ministry of women such as Mary Magdalene whose memorial was raised to a feast day in 2016 and is officially known as the “Apostle of the Apostles.” This Easter, encourage your local parish to proclaim the FULL story of what happened on that first Easter morning. Click the "READ" link below for resources on Mary Magdalene and the Lectionary, and the "VIEW" link to re-visit FutureChurch's 2024 presentation on why Mary Magdalene's Easter proclamation matters.
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| Pentecost Project |
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ALTernative LITurgies: Abounding Grace in Chicagoland Living Rooms
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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 Alt-Lit.
“I’ve never been in a space where both my talents can be lauded, and my brokenness cared for in such an affirming way. I think that comes from that consistent dedication to community that all of us have.” - Claire Erlenborn, Alt-Lit Participant
Read More about Alt-Lit...
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| April 5 | 1:15pm-4:00pm ET | Mercy by the Sea Retreat and Conference Center; Madison, CT |
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| "Mary Magdalene in the Ministry of Jesus: Seeking and Proclaiming Resurrection" Art Exhibit |
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Painted by Laura James and commissioned by Rita L. Houlihan, this art exhibit began with an urgent mission to bring the Mary Magdalene of scripture to the public’s attention. To make this vision real, Rita turned to Laura James and her rich talent for creating compelling images of quiet, joyful, and sometimes, loud spiritual experiences.
This exhibit will be available for viewing from March 14 - May 11, 2025. Please join Rita and Laura on April 5th for an introduction and Q&A from 1:15pm-2:15pm ET, followed by a "meet and greet" reception from 2:30pm-4:00pm ET.
Click here for more information about the exhibit.
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| April 7 | 7:00pm ET | via Zoom |
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| “Integral Ecology, the Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo: New Dimensions in the Implementation of Laudato Si” |
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All are invited to register to hear Christiana Zenner, PhD speak on “Integral Ecology, the Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo: New Dimensions in the Implementation of Laudato Si”, Care of Creation on Monday, April 7, 2025 at 7 PM via Zoom. She teaches theology, Science and Ethics at Fordham University and has authored two books, Just Water: Theology, Ethics, and Fresh Water Crises and Beyond Laudato Si. The event is sponsored by the Association of Pittsburgh Priests.
Register here.
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| September 5-7 | West Hartford, Connecticut | New Ways Ministry |
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| The Path of Desire: Adventures in Spirituality; A Retreat for LGBTQ+ People, Family, Friends, Pastoral Ministers, and All |
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New Ways Ministry is sponsoring a retreat for EVERYBODY — LGBTQ+ people, family, friends, and pastoral ministers, and all interested people. Entitled The Path of Desire: Adventures in Spirituality, the retreat will be held Friday to Sunday, September 5-7, 2025, at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road, West Hartford, Connecticut. The retreat will be facilitated by Lisa Fullam, D.V.M., Th.D., professor emerita of moral theology at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University. This retreat will explore spiritualities of desire—spiritualities that seek God in the longings of our hearts and the yearnings of our imaginations. The weekend will combine talks, small group discussions, silent meditation, communal prayer, and socializing.
Register and learn more 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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