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Last week, as our group of Mary Magdalene advocates met to learn more about women missing from the Lectionary, one of the participants boldly declared, “This is a time for lament; not surrender!” in response to Pope Francis’ “no” to ordaining women deacons.
Admittedly it has been a difficult couple of weeks to be engaged in the work of Church reform and renewal. Pope Francis’ “no” to women deacons disregards and dismisses both our history and the calls from the People of God around the globe through the Synod to ordain women deacons. And regardless of whether Pope Francis’ use of an offensive homophobic slur was a mistake or taken out of context or misrepresented by his opposition in Rome, the fact remains that he was reinforcing the Vatican’s ban on accepting gay men to the seminary and priesthood.
Indeed, this is a time for lament; but not surrender! In times like these, I turn to the witness of our beloved Saint Mary Magdalene for strength and inspiration. Despite her grief, despite the risk, Mary summoned the strength and courage to journey to Jesus’ tomb that first Easter morning. And when Peter and the other disciple left, she stayed. She didn’t know what would happen, but amid her grief - her lament - she encountered the Risen Christ and was commissioned to share the good news of Resurrection, of new life, of boundless possibility, of God’s insurmountable love.
This is a time for lament; but not surrender! The work of FutureChurch is as important as it has ever been. And we will continue to do what we’ve always done best: celebrate new, vibrant models of community and ministry; demand women’s full and equal participation at every level of Church life, ministry, and governance; advocate for a married priesthood; and defend the rights and dignity of all Catholics.
And so, in a spirit of hopeful persistence, we ask you to contribute to our Pentecost Appeal. Your gift funds the FutureChurch programming and advocacy that supports and uplifts our community and transforms the Church.
Thank you for your generous support! FutureChurch and our shared work simply would not be possible without you, your support, and your advocacy.
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| Join FutureChurch and Women's Ordination Conference for Diakonia and Determination |
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In response to Pope Francis' recent CBS interview rejecting the possibility of ordaining women as deacons, FutureChurch and Women's Ordination Conference invite you to join us for a virtual prayer of lament, hope, and witness for inclusive Holy Orders.
The prayer service will be offered via Zoom on Monday, June 3, 2024 at 8pm ET / 7pm CT/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PT.
We will gather for prayer, song, reflection, and testimonies from women called to the diaconate. This event is free and open to all, but registration is required. We look forward to gathering, praying, and witnessing with you!
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Just Word
Today Leah Coming invites us to explore community and retreat with the help of the theology of divinization; engage Catholic Social Teaching on war and peace; and embody these examples with the help of a heart meditation and the Sufi mystic Rabia of Basra.
"When the disciples ask Jesus where he would like them to prepare the Passover, they were probably thinking that it would require navigating the wishes of their hosts and cramming disciples into a family home. But instead, Jesus directs them to follow a man carrying a water jar into a house where he is known; here they will find a room 'spacious, furnished, with everything in order.' Suddenly they are headed to a retreat. After all this forward motion, all this striving to bring healing and spread the good news, suddenly they will be sharing sacred time with Jesus. This gift of a room communicates the goodness of God. It’s over the top; it’s abundant! It sets the stage for a shared intimacy – the gift of Jesus’s body and blood. He was offering for them to become one with him."
Leah Coming is a candidate with the Sisters of the Holy Cross and a poet. She was formed by the South Bend Catholic Worker.
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Catholic Women Preach
Preaching for the Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ, Sr. Julia Walsh offers a reflection on :holiness as ordinary as cups and blood":
"In our culture and time, we honor the body and blood of Jesus Christ—we become united as Christ’s body—as we honor the sacrifice of Christ upon the altar. We are nourished and strengthened, and sent to share feasts with our friends and boost one another up. We celebrate communion at restaurants, at dining room tables and at the Holy Mass. As we take the cup of salvation, we become healed, we become One. Thanks be to God."
Julia Walsh is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration who serves as a vocation minister plus hosts the Messy Jesus Business podcast. She is a widely published spiritual writer and author of FOR LOVE OF THE BROKEN BODY.
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| Pentecost Project |
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"Pax Priory Imagines its Next 50 Years in the City"
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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 Pax Priory.
Excerpt: During that first era of Pax Center, the community responded to needs that they encountered–beginning a soup kitchen in 1974 that continues as Emmaus Ministries and includes the soup kitchen, food pantry, and other services that provide a more sustainable response to the needs of the city than a doorbell ministry ever could. Pax members created movements for peace and justice that helped shape the thinking of the larger community. As the services and witness provided by Pax became more mainstream and as the community demographic shifted, so has the Pax community itself changed.
READ MORE...
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On Tuesday, May 28th, FutureChurch welcomed co-authors, Sharon Henderson Callahan and Jeanette Rodriguez, to discuss their new book, Women Called to Catholic Priesthood: From Ecclesial Challenge to Spiritual Renewal (Fortress Press, 2024).
In their compelling and carefully crafted ethnographic work, Sharon Callahan and Jeanette Rodriguez explore the contexts, calls, journeys, spirituality, and theology of women called to priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Posing the questions of how womenpriests’ stories illustrate both ecclesial challenges and spiritual renewal, the authors encourage readers to thoughtfully engage these women on their own terms.
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| Introducing FutureChurch's Pride Month Series |
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June 4, 2024 | 7:00 PM EST
Members of the LGBTQ+ community and women continue to be among the most excluded and marginalized people in the Catholic Church. How can feminist and queer theology mutually inform and strengthen each other? And how can members of these two communities work together to secure their rightful place in the life of the Church? Join FutureChurch as we welcome feminist theologian, Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D. for what promises to be an important and insightful presentation.
Mary E. Hunt, Ph.D., is a feminist theologian who is cofounder and codirector of the Women’s Alliance for Theology, Ethics, and Ritual (WATER) in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. A Catholic active in the women-church movement, she lectures and writes on theology and ethics with particular attention to social justice concerns.
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June 11, 2024 | 7:00 PM EST
Continuing our Pride Month series, FutureChurch welcomes doctoral student, Barbara Anne Kozee. Barbara's presentation will focus on spirituality and contemplative practice in Catholic theology such as that of Karl Rahner as it relates to the queer idea of “becoming” as a lifelong process of self-understanding, rather than a singular moment of “coming out.”
Barbara Anne Kozee is entering her third year as a PhD student in Theological Ethics at Boston College. Barb completed her Master of Divinity at Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University with a certificate in women’s studies in religion. Her research focuses on issues of gender, sexuality, culture, and politics with an emphasis on interdisciplinary and qualitative methods.
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June 18, 2024 | 7:00 PM EST
Throughout church history, Catholics and other Christians have turned to the saints as sources of hope, inspiration, friendship, and community. How have queer Catholics turned to a similar spirituality of saints and ancestors to sustain them in their faith and justice? How have stories of queer saints been a source of inspiration, but also a site of contestation? During this talk, we will have a chance to learn about how queer Catholics have retrieved stories of queer saints and queer ancestors, and will also together begin some practices of feminist reimagination of the saints and their presence in our lives.
Flora x. Tang is a doctoral candidate in theology and peace studies at the University of Notre Dame, where she writes and researches about post-traumatic theology, queer theology, and decolonial Asian theology. Flora has previously worked as a hospital chaplain, a campus ministry fellow, and a service-learning program coordinator for college students. Her theology and preaching draw from her complex faith journey to and within Catholicism: from becoming Catholic at age 19 after living and serving with Catholic sisters, to deconstructing her faith while living in Palestine, to discovering her own queer Catholic expressions of faith. Flora is committed to reimagining God’s love while standing on the margins of the Catholic faith.
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| Development Director, Pax Christi USA |
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Pax Christi USA is the national Catholic peace and justice movement that works for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world through prayer, study and action. The position is full-time and can be done from the home office in Washington, D.C. or remotely. The Development Director strategizes and oversees all aspects of Pax Christi USA fundraising and development in collaboration with the Executive Director.
Learn More/Apply Here.
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| Program Director, Mercy Center Burlingame |
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This role is responsible for the creation, development, and oversight of all program functions, and ensuring quality programming in the tradition of the Sisters of Mercy charism and Mercy Ministry Corporation values. The Program Director will further the mission of Mercy Center Burlingame through program design, implementation, and evaluation while collaborating with current staff to promote retreats and programs.
Learn More/Apply Here.
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| Intergenerational Faith Sharing Event | DignityUSA |
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June 3, 2024 | 8:00PM ET
With leadership from the Aging with Dignity, Women of Dignity, and Dignity Young Adults, DignityUSA is deepening connections among our members of different generations. This faith sharing is a kickoff event that will involve sharing stories of faith and identities by representatives from each caucus. Join us on June 3, 8 PM ET/5 PM PT to listen and learn! A $10 donation is recommended for this event.
Register Here.
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| Teresa of Ávila and Peacemaking in a Nuclear Age: A Contemplative Conversation |
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July 15-18, 2024 |Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, IN, 46556
Keynote Speakers Include: Mary Frohlich, RSCJ; Mary Ann Hinsdale, IHM; Maria Teresa Morgan; Margie Pfeil; and Lori Stanley. For more information about the event, contact Dan Horan at dhoran@saintmarys.edu.
Young Adult Scholarships Available!
Register 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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