Blessing of the Week |
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This week, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Martha Ligas who has recently joined the FutureChurch staff as Communications Coordinator. I first met Martha several years ago when she was still a student at Loyola Chicago and stopped into the FutureChurch office during a break. It was a joy to reconnect with her several weeks ago when she applied for the position of communications coordinator. Over the coming weeks, Martha will take on an increasing role in promoting the FutureChurch vision and mission and we couldn't be more lucky to have this smart, talented, and passionate advocate and minister be a part of our team. Below is an introductory message from Martha:
Hello, FutureChurch community!
My name is Martha Ligas and I am thrilled to be the newest addition to the FutureChurch team. My road to FutureChurch has traversed the Jesuit landscape– from BAs in Psychology and Sociology from Loyola Chicago in 2013, to an MA in Theology and Ministry from Boston College in 2016, to a Certification in Spiritual Direction from the Ignatian Spirituality Institute of John Carroll University in 2021. In addition to my work at FutureChurch, currently I split my time between serving the Community of St. Peter as their Pastoral Minister, teaching Theology at Notre Dame College, and pursuing a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fordham University. When I’m not learning, preaching, or teaching, you can find me bopping around my hometown of Cleveland, OH, probably landing in a bookshop or record store.
I was drawn to FutureChurch because it is a community that celebrates the diversity of the kindom of God. As not only a female, but a queer female, and not only a queer female, but a queer female steeped in a catholic identity with a call to serve, it’s easy to be drawn to spaces that affirm all of the pieces of who I am. FutureChurch is a beacon of hope for all those who find themselves striving to find the balance between religion and faith, tradition and revelation, justice and joy. I’m grateful to have the opportunity to play just a small part in carving out space for us all, and join a community bursting with theological imagination.
As your Communications Coordinator, I will be supporting mailings, social media, and email correspondence, and all the lovely and unexpected surprises that will surely arise along the way. I’m grateful for this new path in my journey, and am looking forward to connecting with you!
Welcome to this awesome team and this inspiring community, Martha! If you would like to send Martha a welcome note, her email address is martha@futurechurch.org.
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Russ Petrus & Martha Ligas |
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The Just Word
Writing for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Leia Tijou invites us to explore the experiences of the prophets through Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel’s examination of Jeremiah; engage Catholic Social Teaching’s fraught relationship with self-care; and embody the struggles of Jeremiah and the self with the help of Heschel and a practice of true self care.
"Here, Jeremiah expresses the feeling of profound guilt for those times he has tried to contain the will of the divine – or, perhaps, for trying to rest or walk away from it – and the resulting compulsion to carry on despite public rejection and personal misery....Jeremiah’s lamentation lets us know that we are not alone in our fight."
Leia Tijou is a writer, biblical scholar and human rights activist living in New York. She graduated with her Masters degree in Social Ethics and Biblical Studies in 2021 from Union Theological Seminary, and is currently working for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for the Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time, Phyllis Zagano offers a reflection - inspired by Saints Phoebe and Gregory - on our Christian journey:
"When called, they went, and when they got where they were going, they knew (somehow) just what they had to do and to say. As days turned into weeks, then months, they understood more deeply what it was all about. It is the same with each of us. At some point we brush away the doubts and fears and understand that where we are is most probably where we ought to be. Then we can rest. We can rest from our labors in the shadow of the Cross."
Dr. Phyllis Zagano is an internationally acclaimed Catholic scholar who has lectured throughout the United States, and in Canada, Europe, and Australia. Her groundbreaking work on women in the diaconate led to her appointment to the Pontifical Commission for the Study of the Diaconate of Women in 2016. She has taught at Fordham, Boston, and Yale Universities, and currently holds a research appointment at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York. Her most recent book is Just Church: Catholic Social Teaching, Synodality, and Women (Paulist Press, 2023).
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SIGN OUR PETITION |
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Tell the Whole Story About Mary Magdalene on Easter Sunday
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For centuries, Mary Magdalene has been misrepresented as a repentant prostitute who, after encountering Jesus, repented and spent the rest of her life in private prayer and penitence, thus damaging and diminishing her true role as an early and important leader in the Church.
Telling her true story can not only vindicate her memory, but also help reclaim the rightful role for women in the Church.
Join us in calling on the global church to tell the full story of Mary Magdalene’s apostolic witness to the Resurrection every Easter Sunday so that all Catholics can be inspired by the Good News of her faith, courage, and ministry.
SIGN SOON! Deb will carry your signatures with her to the October Synod Assembly in Rome and deliver them to the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments
And please consider sharing with your communities and networks:
- Through email
- On social media
- In your parish/community bulletin
Simply copy and paste: https://futurechurch.org/petition
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Celebrating Phoebe and Other Women Erased from the Lectionary |
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This Sunday, September 3, the Church remembers St. Phoebe, named in St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, which she delivered, as a deacon of the Church at Cenchreae. Unfortunately, we never hear Phoebe's story read at Mass. Her memorial is outranked by that of St. Gregory and this year, both are outranked by the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.
FutureChurch has resources to help you remember and celebrate St. Phoebe and to advocate for the restoration of women deacons. See the links below for more educational resources on St. Phoebe and other women in Scripture.
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Women Erased: From the Lectionary with Michael Peppard, Ph.D. |
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Michael Peppard, PhD, associate professor of New Testament Studies at Fordham University, discusses how Biblical women are disproportionately underrepresented in the assigned Scripture readings for the Church year: some women are omitted entirely, others are only read at weekday mass, and still others are made “optional.” Providing examples from both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, Dr. Peppard covers just the tip of the iceberg in this presentation.
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Women Missing from the Lectionary: A Podcast with Regina Boisclair, Ph.D. |
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In this podcast, FutureChurch hosts a presentation by Regina Boisclair, Ph.D., titled: Biblical Women Missing from the Lectionary – Why It Matters. Dr. Boisclair is the Cardinal Newman Chair of Catholic Theology at Alaska Pacific University and author of Amnesia in the Catholic Sunday Lectionary: Women- Silenced from the Memories of Salvation History published in Women and Theology, the annual publication of the College Theology Society, 1994.
Listen to the Podcast
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Women in the Bible and the Lectionary by Ruth Fox, OSB |
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In this article, Ruth Fox, OSB, reveals Scripture passages about women that have been omitted from the lectionary, and how some of the lectionary readings may be used to reinforce gender stereotypes.
Read Article
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Women Erased: Patriarchal Constructs of Women in the Bible and Lectionary with Rev. Wil Gafney, Ph.D. |
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In this presentation, Hebrew Bible Scholar, Rev. Wil Gafney., Ph.D., argues that though the bible is an androcentric document steeped in patriarchy, a women’s lectionary should demonstrate and grapple with the gender constructs of the text rather than romanticize heroines.
View
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WATERmeditation: “Truth and Reconciliation: Religion, Racism, and the Legacy of Sister Thea Bowman” with Cheryl Nichols
September 11, 2023 at 7:30pm ET | Online
Join WATER as Cheryl Nichols offers reflections on racism in religion, especially Roman Catholicism. She will highlight Sr. Thea Bowman’s life and work engage in the ministry of dismantling racist structures, attitudes, and relationships. This will be a springboard for our shared silence followed by conversation. All are welcome. No previous experience in meditation is expected.
Details/Registration
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Sexuality and the Sacred: A Five-Part Webinar Series
Dates: September 13, October 4, October 18, November 8, 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.
Speaker Details/Registration
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A Synod of Firsts and Surprises: Looking Ahead on the Synodal Journey with Kristin Colberg, Ph.D.
September 13, 2023 at 7:00pm ET | Online via Zoom
Join the Association of Pittsburg Priests as they welcome Kristin Colberg who will consider the newness of the synod by looking at what has happened so far and what might be expected in October in Rome…and beyond.
Details/Registration
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Women of the Earliest Christian Communities: Disciples, Apostles, Prophets, and Teachers
Thursdays September 21, 28, October 5, 12, 19, and 26th at 7:00pm ET | Online via Zoom
Join the Sisters of St. Joseph of Brentwood, New Jersey for this six-week mini course conducted by New Testament scholar Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, PhD. Registration is free.
Details/Registration
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Spirit Unbounded Event: "Human Rights in the Emerging Catholic Church"
October 8 -14 | Live and Online
Join Spirit Unbounded October 8-14 for this week-long live and online event. 'Human Rights in the Emerging Catholic Church’ will tackle those human rights denied to Catholics and the underlying reasons. The hierarchical model is broken. The Spirit is unbounded. This will be an educational opportunity of a life-time and a festival of hope with activists, thinkers, poets, musicians and ordinary Christians from all around the world.
Details/Registration
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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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