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Steadfast hope in precarious times.
This was the theme of this year’s Ignatian Family Teach-In for Justice, the annual conference held by the Ignatian Solidarity Network. Speakers such as Fr. Bryan Massingale, Ruben Garcia, and Sr. Peggy O’Neill, S.C. were met with standing ovations and roaring applause from the 1,800 students gathered in D.C. last weekend to ignite their faith that does justice. Clad in my bright orange FutureChurch t-shirt, I was cheering along with the rest of them as Sr. Peggy wow-ed me with her wisdom, her humor, and her insights. One line in particular stuck out to me, and I’ve been thinking about it since we left D.C. :
“If we’re paying attention to the Holy Spirit, we can– and must– evolve.”
There are some ways of being that are, as it says in one of my favorite poems, the Desiderata, “as perennial as the grass.” We will always be called to love. We will always be called to make the world we live in more peaceful, more just, and more in-line with the kindom that Jesus inspired. And there were elements of the Teach-In that I’m sure were just as present when it began under a tent in Fort Benning, Georgia in 1989. The D.C. hotel conference rooms were filled with energized students, dedicated chaperones, and other passionate adults all gathered under what is now the metaphorical tent of Ignatian values. Together, 75+ exhibitors and 50+ breakout session leaders worked to both inspire and learn from the younger people gathered for the weekend. FutureChurch was honored to be one of those partners. There was a feeling of companionship, energy, and hopefulness in the room as connections were made and resources were acquired. I would venture to say that the hopefulness one feels when surrounded by almost 2,000 teens and young adults is, too, as perennial as the grass.
And yet, there was a bit of an…uncharted…feeling in the air that I couldn’t deny. With the uncertainty of the U.S. election, the continually decreasing number of traditionally practicing Catholics, and the disappointment felt by many at the end of a Synod experience that resulted in less change than was perhaps expected, more folks than ever seem to be turning to the creative power of the Holy Spirit to see us into a new season of what it means to be church. When asking others what the future of the church would look like, we received responses such as “uncertain” and “imaginative,” “dynamic” and “beyond institution.” There is a feeling in the air that the church of the future could–and should– look different from the church of the past, and it is the youth who will see it through.
85-years-young Sister Peggy was very clear in saying that she does not fear this change, but rather encourages it. She told the room full of students and anyone else listening that we are all being called to “upgrade” our concept of God, realizing that all creation is incarnation and Christ is “in the depth of here.” When we recognize that Christ is beyond the catechism, beyond the church walls, and even beyond the tabernacle, we can follow the Holy Spirit as She leads us to all of the places where Christ is to be found. And that journey is only just beginning. So in the uncharted waters that push up to and beyond all the ways we have been church in the past, we have students guiding the way, and the winds of the Spirit seeing us forward. I’m choosing to have steadfast hope that we are in good hands.
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November 1, 2024: Solemnity of All Saints
Today Moses H.m. invites us to explore who makes up the communion of saints in our world; engage leadership in our church and communities with the help of the model of the Freedom Church of the Poor; and embody the saints and leadership in our world with the help of The Church of the Common Ground.
"In a world where leadership is often defined by popularity, charisma, money, or power, we learn from the Beatitudes and our deep spiritual traditions that leadership is something entirely different. Leadership is committing ourselves to caring for those around us and their spiritual and material well being. It is also understanding what issues our communities are facing and developing ourselves and those around us to solve these problems together. In our tradition, our saints are not just saints because of their individual characteristics or holiness. They are saints because they help us continue to commit to our tradition of peace, love, community, and justice."
Moses H.M. (he/they) is an organizer, cultural worker, teacher, third generation almost-pastor, and second semester seminary dropout based in Atlanta, GA. He is an organizer with the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, the National Union of the Homeless, and the Freedom Church of the Poor, and serves in ministry with the unhoused at Church of the Common Ground. His creative work has been developed with Theater Emory’s Brave New Works and the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice. As an educator, Moses has co-developed and co-taught classes on theater, storytelling, culture, and social movements for Emory University, the Sam & Devorah Foundation for Transgender Youth, and Lifejacket Theater Company. Moses is a part of Highlander Research and Education Center’s Southern Memory Workers’ Institute of 2024.
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November 3, 2024
Today Alex Zambito invites us to explore the question of who is our neighbor in the United States, with the help of Dorothy Day and Paulo Freire; engage the Christian call for dismantling empire with the example of the Haitian Revolution and European and American empire; and embody revolutionary struggle with the help of Black Panther Huey Newton and the artwork of José Ignacio Fletes Cruz.
"Christ’s definition of neighbor knows no conditions. The exact same two commands to love God and neighbor are repeated in the Gospel of Luke and, appropriately, followed immediately by the parable of the Good Samaritan. This is how Jesus defines neighbor for us. That it is a Samaritan, the traditional enemy of the ancient Israelites, that stops to help the injured man, shows that everyone is our neighbor – even those from rival groups or those we find unpleasant. In the United States where nativist sentiment has reigned for generations, Christian commitment to loving our neighbor is being put to the test, and we are failing."
Alex Zambito is a Catholic educator in New York City. He currently teaches middle school and resides at the Catholic Worker on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Alex is originally from Savannah, Georgia and graduated from the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in History. He is mainly interested in the connection between Christianity and revolutionary struggles.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Eilis McCulloh, HM offers a reflection on loving God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves:
"Before we can love our God with our whole being, we must practice active and holy listening. We must open ourselves to the movements of the Spirit–to the little fires of God around us. This is the only way we can authentically be in relationship with those around us…how we are to Hear the invitation from God–to truly love our God with our whole heart, our whole mind, and our whole body."
Sr. Eilis McCulloh is a member of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary (Villa Maria, PA) and currently serves on the Grassroots Mobilization Team at NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice. She is a frequent contributor to Global Sisters Report and is also a co-host of the Just Politics podcast. Prior to joining the staff at NETWORK, she spent more than 10 years ministering in refugee resettlement and immigration services in St. Cloud, MN, Akron, OH, and Cleveland, OH.
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| Pentecost Project- New Highlight! |
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Following the Spirit on a WHIMM: The Story of the Washington Home Inclusive Monthly Mass
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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 be highlighting communities that have been emboldened to live the Gospel in new and creative ways. Today we introduce you to WHIMM-Washington Home Inclusive Monthly Mass.
Excerpt:
" 'Mary and I heard about a Mass organized with the Roman Catholic Women Priest Movement that was taking place in Maryland,' shared Jane. 'This was the first time there was one in the DC area that we had heard about. So we went to this Mass at somebody’s house, and it was so… electric.' After experiencing this type of liturgical celebration, Jane and Mary felt as though more people needed access to an inclusive and intimate Liturgy in a home setting led by a woman priest. So they decided to try their hand at some organizing."
READ MORE...
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| Thursday, November 7th & Tuesday, November 12th at 7:00pm ET (via Zoom). |
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| Courage in the Spirit: Translating Synodal Talk into Action |
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Night One: Thursday, November 7 at 7pm ET
Bishop John Stowe, O.F.M. Conv.
Keynote Presenter
FutureChurch is honored to welcome Bishop John Stowe, OFM Conv., the Bishop of Lexington and the Bishop President of Pax Christi USA as our keynote presenter. Bishop Stowe has been a courageous and consistent ally to those marginalized and excluded by both Church and society, including women and the LGBTQ+ community.
Night Two: Tuesday, November 12 at 7:00pm ET
Deborah Rose
Louis J. Trivison Award
FutureChurch will present the 2024 Louis J. Trivison Award to Deborah Rose in gratitude for her decade of joyful and prophetic leadership at FutureChurch and in celebration of her innumerable contributions to the cause of Church reform and renewal.
Kayla August
CHRISTINE SCHENK AWARD
FutureChurch will present the 2024 Christine Schenk award to Kayla August in celebration and recognition of her powerful living witness to the importance of women’s preaching and for her efforts to uplift the voice of the laity and marginalized in every area of Church life, leadership, and ministry.
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| November 20, 2024 | 7:00pm ET |
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Cleveland In-person Catholic Women Preach Book Launch
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Join FutureChurch, series co-editor Russ Petrus, five Catholic Women Preach preachers, and Sr. Christine Schenk, CSJ as we celebrate the release of the third and final volume of the ground-breaking and award-winning book series, Catholic Women Preach: Raising Voices, Renewing the Church (Orbis Books).
The event will feature opening remarks by FutureChurch co-founder, Sr. Christine, and panel of Cleveland-area preachers who will reflect on their participation in Catholic Women Preach project and the importance of Catholic Women Preach in their lives of faith.
Time:
7:00 – 8:00 PM ET
Venue:
Community of St. Peter
7100 Euclid Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44103
Copies of all three volumes (Years A, B, and C) will be available for purchase at the event.
*While this event is being planned as an in-person event, a YouTube livestream will be available to all through the Community of Saint Peter YouTube Page.
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| January 8, 2025 | 6:00pm ET |
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“The Mystics Would Like a Word” with Shannon Evans
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Is there a Christian spirituality that embraces the entire reality of womanhood? In her new book, The Mystics Would Like a Word, Shannon K. Evans suggests the answer is an emphatic 'yes.'
There is a spirituality that meets us in every part of our lives, developed by the women who came before us. Six mystics—Teresa of Ávila, Margery Kempe, Hildegard of Bingen, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Thérèse of Lisieux—revealed a faith big enough to hold the female experiences of sex and desire, the yearning for bodily autonomy, the challenges of motherhood and identity, as well as life with male authority and—sometimes—violence. These women, self-determining, stubborn, and unapologetically themselves, asked questions in their time that are startlingly prescient today, and fought for women’s experiences to be heard, understood, respected, and recognized as holy.
This event will be followed by a month-long weekly book club where participants can register to participate in discussion and reflection in community with one another. More information coming soon!
Shannon K. Evans is the spirituality and culture editor at the National Catholic Reporter and the author of the books Feminist Prayers for My Daughter: Powerful Petitions for Every Stage of Her Life and Rewilding Motherhood: Your Path to an Empowered Feminine Spirituality.
With interest in ecofeminism, social change and contemplative practice, Shannon leads workshops and retreats across the country that spark curiosity and compassion. She has partnered with the Jesuits of Canada and the U.S. and is a frequent contributor to Franciscan Media.
Having previously lived in Indonesia for two years, Shannon loves to travel, but is happiest at home on the Iowa prairie with her family and beloved chickens.
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| Other Opportunities and Resources |
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| Benedictine Sisters of Erie | Erie, PA | June 2025-June 2026 |
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| Benedictine Peacemakers Monastic Immersion- Applications Open! |
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The Benedictine Sisters of Erie invite applicants to the 2025 – 2026 cohort of the Benedictine Peacemakers Monastic Immersion. As an evolution of monastic life, the Benedictine Peacemaker program is a model for approaching personal formation, spiritual community, and good work in the Benedictine spiritual and monastic tradition, with a particular focus on the practice of peacemaking. The monastic immersion year will be filled with spiritual exploration, growth in community, experiential learning, classes, and action within the Erie community. The program is open to women in their early 20s through early 30s. Housing, food, and a stipend are provided, as well as transportation and health insurance if needed. More information can be found at eriebenedictines.org/benedictine-peacemakers. contact Michelle Scully (mscully@eriebenedictines.org) with any questions.
Apply Here.
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| A New Publication from Pax Christi USA |
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| Seeking Wisdom's Light: Reflections for Advent and Christmas 2024 |
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"Seeking Wisdom's Light," this year's Pax Christi USA Advent reflection booklet, is written by Leslye Colvin, a writer, spiritual companion, and contemplative activist. Leslye's poetic and thought-provoking reflections will be a welcome part of your daily prayer life during the Advent season, and can lead to rich and meaningful sharing within your prayer community.
Order Here.
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| A New Publication from New Ways Ministry |
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| CORNERSTONES Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions |
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Cornerstones: Sacred Stories of LGBTQ+ Employees in Catholic Institutions is a new anthology of 12 stories of faith, sacrifice, joy, and pain by LGBTQ+ people who have been employed by Catholic parishes and schools.
The collection was edited by Ish Ruiz and Mark Guevarra, two gay Catholic men who themselves have been church employees, and is published by New Ways Ministry, a Catholic outreach that educates and advocates for equity, inclusion, and justice for LGBTQ+ persons.
The anthology’s stories are grouped in three categories: LGBTQ+ people fired from Catholic schools, LGBTQ+ people fired from Catholic parishes, and LGBTQ+ people who continue their employment in Catholic institutions with support from their employers.
Order 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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