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Yesterday on Good Friday, Christians and people of any or no faith gathered in downtown Boston for a public worship and action in solidarity with our immigrant neighbors. Those gathered called on state elected officials to protect our communities by passing the Dignity not Deportations Act and to use their power at every level to ensure the safety and dignity of our immigrant neighbors.
We at FutureChurch are inspired by the witness and the courage of all those who used their voices and their bodies to pray and stand with and for the marginalized in our midst. Thank you 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 20, 2025 | Easter Sunday
Today David Inczauskis invites us to explore the resurrection in relation to the Reign of God as a danger to the elite; to engage by caring for the Earth with the help of Laudato si’; and to embody these ideas with a contemplative exercise on how God might be calling your community to respond to the signs of the times.
"Jesus rose from the dead, and the Reign rose with him. After Jesus rose, he encouraged his disciples to continue the work of the Reign. In giving them the Holy Spirit, he gave them power not only to keep the Reign alive but also to expand it. The resurrection leads to the birth of the church, the guardian and leaven of the Reign of God. The church, when it understands the resurrection as such, becomes a powerful force for liberation in the world, and Christianity means something significant for the poor to whom this Reign belongs, not only in Heaven, but also on Earth."
David Inczauskis is a member of the Society of Jesus. He serves as a community organizer, and he is working on a doctorate in philosophy at Loyola University Chicago.
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April 20, 2025
Preaching for Easter Sunday, Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns offers a reflection on the witness of women as we remember Mary Magdalene's Easter proclamation:
"Mary’s complete story, shared on Easter Sunday, a holy day of obligation, would ensure more Catholics hear John’s full resurrection narrative where she was an example of female leadership, an Apostle to the Apostles, commissioned by Jesus to share the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection."
Dr. Cynthia Bailey Manns is one of four lay people from the United States who were appointed by Pope Francis as the first lay women and men voting delegates to participate at the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. She is the Director of Adult Learning at Saint Joan of Arc Catholic Community in Minneapolis—a community whose vision is to be a visible, progressive Catholic Community, compassionate and welcoming to all. She holds a Doctor of Ministry in Spiritual Direction from the Graduate Theological Foundation in Florida and currently serves as Adjunct Faculty at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.
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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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| Lent 2025 Retreat: Respond from your Contemplative Heart with Nancy Sylvester, IHM |
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To conclude our series of offerings during Lent 2025, FutureChurch welcomes Nancy Sylvester, IHM for this beautiful time of contemplative reflection. This two hour retreat invites participants to experience contemplation and how it awakens us to a new way of seeing, a new way of being.
The retreat begins with a brief introductory to contemplative practices and then invites participants to remain in a contemplative space as Nancy guides us through contemplative reflections on the sacred events of Holy Week.
Please note: To facilitate at home and small group contemplation, we have retained spaces of contemplative silence within the video. There are moments of silence for the initial contemplative sit and after each reflection on the days of the Triduum.
Nancy Sylvester, IHM, founded the Institute for Communal Contemplation and Dialogue (https://iccdinstitute.org) 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 (available here). 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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| May 6, 2025 | 7:00pm ET |
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“The Catholic Church and Its Hospitals: A Marriage Made in Heaven?” with Patricia A. Gabow, MD
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Join FutureChurch as we welcome Dr. Patricia Gabow for a conversation on Catholic healthcare in the United States.
Please Note: originally scheduled for April 29th, this event has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 6th at 7:00pm ET.
In The Catholic Church and Its Hospitals: A Marriage Made in Heaven, Dr. Patricia Gabow, MD, MACP delves deep into the origins, evolution, and the present-day implications of the Catholic healthcare system in the U.S. This well-researched volume traces Catholic healthcare's lineage from its biblical foundation to the role of courageous women religious in providing care to those in need, to the modern era of bishops' control over hospitals, doctors, and their clinical practice, determining the care that will be provided to millions of Americans.
In her presentation for FutureChurch, Dr. Gabow will focus her remarks on the beginnings of Catholic healthcare in the US – particularly the role of women religious in its noble beginnings; the reach of Catholic health care and the impact of religious directives on women’s, reproductive, and LGBTQ+ healthcare, as well as the impact on the conscience of medical professionals; and finally offer suggestions for meaningful change that could make Catholic healthcare more committed to Catholic Social Teaching.
Patricia A. Gabow, MD, is a national healthcare leader who has focused on the care of vulnerable populations and the institutions that serve them. She spent 40 years at Denver Health, a highly integrated healthcare system and Colorado’s major safety net institution. The last 20 of those years was as CEO, retiring in 2012. She has authored over 130 articles, 36 book chapters, and two previous books books, The Lean Prescription: Powerful Medicine for Our Ailing Healthcare System and TIME’S NOW for Women Healthcare Leaders: A Guide for the Journey.
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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 27 | 3:00PM ET | Call to Action |
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| Call to Action Liberated Liturgies: Earth Day Service |
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Join Call to Action for an Earth Day service on Sunday April 27th at 3pm ET/12pm PT. We hope you'll join us as we heed Pope Francis' call to "Hear the Cry of the Earth and the Cry of the Poor!"
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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