Mag imageJuly 2008 E-Newsletter
In This Issue
Bishop Robinson Reflects on Tour
Magdala Celebrations Restore Hidden Women
Rural Parish Sues, Asks Donations
Archdiocese videoed interdicted nun
Petition Supports Sr. Louise
Just Treatment for Church Ministers
Women and the Word E-Appeal
International Postcards
UK Petitions For Married, Women Priests
Celibacy Survey
Former Diocesan CFO Convicted
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend speaking September 18th
Upcoming Events
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St. Mary of Magdala!


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Celebrate along with thousands of others around the world on July 22nd.

Click here to get an organizing kit and prayer services for your event.

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NEW: Advancing Women in Church Leadership Packet
A sequel to our original packet with new resources to educate and advocate including:
The Women in Paul's Ministry

Lay Preaching: A Hearing Aid
 

Catholic Women Deacons

Women Officeholders in the Early Church

Tips for Advancing Women in Church Leadership

For more info click here

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arishes Open!
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Email parishrights@futurechurch
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to become a parish contact in your area and track parish closings and encourage best practices in a time of fewer priests!


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We hope you enjoy our July 2008 e-newsletter. Please share it with friends by clicking here.

Thanks!

The staff of FutureChurch
Bishop Robinson Reflects on Tour "My overwhelming thought was that, if the church loses these people, it has lost its very soul." So said Bishop Geoffrey Robinson reflecting on his North American tour.  He also comments on the attempt by Cardinal Re in the Vatican to stop the tour. 
To order a cd of Bishop Robinson's Cleveland presentation email [email protected].

For a podcast of Bishop Robinson's presentation click here.

To read more click here.
Magdala Celebrations Restore Hidden Women  Thousands of Catholics at over 250 July celebrations of St. Mary of Magdala will be asked to send postcards to Vatican officials and Bishops. The postcards request church officials to invite women biblical scholars to next October's Synod on the Word and to restore women leaders such as Mary of Magdala and Phoebe to lectionary texts from which they have been deleted. Aside from the United States, celebrations will occur in Canada, Great Britain and Australia. To read more and send a postcard click here.
Rural Parish Sues, Asks Donations.   On June 11, parishioners from St. James Parish in Kansas, Ohio filed an appeal to the Third District Court of Appeals arguing that the Bishop of Toledo has not upheld his trustee obligations. Members filed their lawsuit seeking to keep control over the church building, assets and land, arguing the Catholic Church held the deed in trust for the parishes for the benefit of its members. With not enough priests to offer service, Bishop Leonard Blair ordered the Kansas parish closed June 30, 2005. A total of 16 parishes were closed in the restructuring.  To read more and/or donate click here.
Archdiocese videoed interdicted nun  The archdiocese of St. Louis authorized the video recording of a Catholic women's ordination ceremony then used it as evidence to punish  Sr. Louise Lears SC by placing her under interdict. Lears denied all allegations made by the archdiocese saying  "I love the Church.  I would never give scandal to the People of God." To read more
click here 
And here.
Petition Supports Sr. Louise The National Coalition of America Nuns is asking for signatures on a sign-on ad in the National Catholic Reporter. To read more click here:
Just Treatment for Church Ministers Thanks to a small grant from a community of women religious, FutureChurch is proud to announce a new dedicated portion of our website: Just Treatment for Church Ministers. Please visit and tell us what you think here.
Women and the Word E-Appeal:
THANKS for helping us raise over $7000 online to cover organizing and travel costs for our Women and the Word campaign. Even though we fell short of our goal of $10,000, we are delighted by the response to first attempt to raise money online.  Its not to late to donate...click here.
International  Postcards An international Women and the Word electronic postcard invites has been added to the FutureChurch website. PLEASE SEND POSTCARD LINK TO YOUR INTERNATIONAL FRIENDS BY CLICKING HERE.
UK Petitions For Married, Women Priests "We believe that the Holy Spirit may be telling us that we are not sufficiently open to the emergence of new forms of relevant ministries" says a new petition supported by Lord Patton and other prominent members of the nobility in the UK. Thousands of Brits have signed the statement asking for married priests and discussion of women priests. They join over 18,000 Brazilian priests and 16,000 Australians who have also asked for changes in the celibacy rule. To read more
click here.
And here.
Celibacy Survey If you haven't already please complete our online survey about next steps in FutureChurch's work for optional celibacy click here.
Former Diocesan CFO Convicted   On July 3, a Federal jury convicted the former top accountant at the Cleveland Catholic Diocese of tax charges and acquitted him of more serious charges related to alleged kickbacks.  To read more click here.
FutureChurch Presents
An Evening With
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Thursday, September, 18, 2008
At Landerhaven in Cleveland, Ohio
6pm Silent Auction and Cocktails
7pm Dinner and Presentation

Kathleen will speak on her new book:
Failing America's Faithful:
How Today's Churches are Mixing God
with Politics and Losing Their Way


Tickets
$150    Meet 'n' Greet Reception and Dinner
$  75    Dinner and Presentation

For Tickets, Underwriting and Advertising opportunities for the event please visit www.futurechurch.org and click on Coming Events, or email [email protected].

Can't join us for that evening?  Consider purchasing a $100 virtual ticket - which includes a copy of Townsend's book, an audio CD of her presentation and recognition in the event program.  Visit our website to order.

To order tickets online click here.

For more information on Kathleen Kennedy Townsend or her book, click here.
Upcoming Events Click Here.
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please click here:

We now have a monthly giving option, which provides an easy way to manage your donation and saves on administrative costs for FutureChurch. You can participate in the monthly giving program using your credit card or checking account
(if using your checking account must send an endorsed and voided check to
FutureChurch at 17307 Madison Avenue, Lakewood Ohio 44107)

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Phone: 216.228.0869 | Fax: 216.228.4872
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