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FREE PHONE CONFERENCE
Ideas and Inspiration for your St Mary of Magdala Celebration this Year
May 24, 2011 2pm EDT and 9pm EDT
Click here to register..
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Claim Your Catholic Rights! (and Responsibilities)
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American Catholic Council
Pentecost Weekend
June 10-12, 2011
Detroit Convention Center
Read Rights and Responsibilities
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FutureChurch Preconference before
American Catholic Council
June 10, 2011
(early bird deadline
May 20)
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Inspirational Videos on Vatican II by Fr. John O'Malley SJ
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Women Leaders in Early Christianity CD and Presenter's Guide
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| Includes 43 images of catacomb frescos and sarcophagi friezes of early women leaders and an extensively researched 16 page presenter's guide. Click here to order
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So All Can Be at the Table
Optional Celibacy
and Women Deacons
To send an electronic postcard asking to restore women deacons,
click here
To send an electronic postcard asking to restore optional celibacy
click here
More info...
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 | | A Million Voices: Gospel Nonviolence for the Life of the Church |
Educates about Gospel nonviolence when a Catholic's right and responsibility to speak on a "matter concerning the good of the Church" (Canon 212.2) is violated. ($5.00)
Info and download here
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Organize to keep
Parishes Open! 
Download Free Canonical Appeal Resources here
Order the Save Our Parish Community packet here! | | |
Free Sample! Women and the Word for Educators:
Eessays, prayer services and student work sheets about notable women such as Prisca, Phoebe, Dorothy Day and St. Mary of Magdala.
email: info@futurechurch.org
To Purchase A celebrating Women Women Witnesses packet click here
Spanish Resources here |
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SAVE THE DATE!
FutureChurch Annual Benefit: An Evening with Jason Berry
Thursday, October 13, Cleveland Museum of Natural History
Jason Berry achieved prominence for reporting on the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis in Lead Us Not Into Temptation (1992).
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Berry's book Render Unto Rome: The Secret Life of Money in the Catholic Church will be published in June, 2011.
Check out:
Jason Berry's website
NPR interview on Vows of Silence
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Dear Friends: We hope you enjoy our May
E-Newsletter. Share it with others by |
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During the month of May....
Honor Mary of Nazareth for all she is!
Rediscover the Magnificat woman of Nazareth who though the marginalized mother of a political prisoner, proclaimed God's power to "cast the mighty from their thrones and to raise up the lowly."
Instantly download an essay and prayer service celebrating Mary of Nazareth for only $1 from the Magdala Market.
Order the Celebrating Women Witnesses &
More! Celebrating Women Witnessesresource
packets here.
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Your Holiness, it is time for women deacons
(by Phyllis Zagano)
Your Holiness: Forgive my presumption in addressing you directly, but the matter I bring is both urgent and pressing. Women are no longer walking away from the church. They are running away. They are running toward churches that make it clear women are made in the image and likeness of God. Read more..
Note: Phyllis Zagano's new book Women & Catholicism will be launched at a public forum Friday, May 20, 7:30 p.m. at the University of Dayton's Ecclesiology and Exclusion Conference in 1700 South Patterson Building, Dayton, Ohio. The event is free and open to the public. Women & Catholicism sheds light on the hierarchically-imposed laws and sanctions that keep women at a distance from the holy.... For further information, click here
International campaign to restore the tradition of women deacons.
Order or send a postcard for women deacons
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Czech woman priest accepts award for Communist-era underground Church. Throughout the 41 years of Communist rule in the former Eastern bloc country, an underground network of groups and individuals kept the Catholic faith alive, even to the point of ordaining married men and women. In early April their achievement was belatedly honoured in Vienna. Bishop Dusen Spiner and Ludmila Javorová, who was ordained to the priesthood 40 years ago, came to Vienna to receive the Herbert-Haag-Foundation Award. Read more...
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Aussie "Catholics For Ministry" organize around married priests Catholics for Ministry is agroup of Australian Catholics hopeful about the future of the Church. Nearly 17,000 Mass-going Catholics signed a petition to the Catholic Bishops of Australia asking them to acknowledge the "major crisis in ministry" within the Australian Church, discuss ordaining married men, women's ministerial and decision making roles, and invite priests who left the active ministry to return. Read more...
A blessed married catholic priest? Imagine a married Catholic priest in the 20th century, honored for his saintly life by John Paul II. Such is the case of Emilian Kowcz of the Ukraine, beatified by the Polish Pope in 2001. Read more..
Related Stories
Australian Parishes Facing Disaster? (by Paul Collins)
Survey finds discontent among Australian Catholic priests
(Christian Century)
FutureChurch TV interview on Optional Celibacy
Take Action!
Send New E-Postcards asking to open discussion of mandatory celibacy and women deacons.
Download a free So All Can Be at the Table education-advocacy resource.
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Outrage at removal of Aussie bishop over married priests, women's roles. The forced retirement of Bishop William Morris, of the Diocese of Toowoomba in Australia, has led to widespread outrage with supporters like the Australian National Council of Priests rallying around him. Read more...
Email Bishop Morris your support here
Related articles:
Forced retirement is message to all bishops, Morris says (NCR)
Bishop's firing makes pope's priorities clear(NCR editorial)
An infallible teaching on women's ordination? (US Catholic)
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| COMMENTARY: Why let bishops drive us from the church we love? by Brian Cahill, former Catholic Charities head in San Francisco Well-informed U.S. Catholics are acutely aware of the arrogance, paternalism, flawed logic, inflammatory rhetoric, failure of personal accountability, and lack of pastoral sensitivity of many of our church leaders...Why even stay in a church with these kind of leaders? Well. let me tell you. Read more... |
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Parish Closing and Appeals News
Vatican panel to hear Syracuse-area appeal A panel of cardinals at the Vatican is set to review an appeal submitted by parishioners to reopen their suburban Syracuse Catholic Church. Officials at St. Mary's Church in Jamesville say the Vatican Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for Saturday, May 21. Read more...
Allentown Diocese drops appeals on six church closings. The Allentown diocese has dropped its appeal of a Vatican decree that said six churches shuttered three years ago should never have been closed. The diocese gave no indication of the fate of the buildings, which former parishioners insist should be reopened according to church law. Read more...
Camden Mass attendance declines after mergers. Since Camden Bishop Joseph Galante began merging South Jersey parishes three years ago, Mass attendance has fallen substantially, according to data provided by the diocese. Read more...
Toledo 'Roaming Catholics' still struggle with parish closings from 2005 "A lot of people haven't gone back. I haven't really gone back anywhere. I just kind of float around," said Rick Napierala, Read more...
Download Free Canonical Appeal Resources here
Order the Save Our Parish Community packet here!
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| Bishops' reach out to scholars over unjust accusation of Elizabeth Johnson On April 28, the executive director of the Bishops' doctrine committee, Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, sent a letter to the theological faculty at Fordham Univeresity. The letter said the committee never intended to tarnish Johnson's reputation or impugn her honor or dedication to the Church. Read more...
Related articles:
Bad call: Bishops take on popular theologian (US Catholic)
The Catholic Quest for the Living God - Some Reflections
Bishops ignored own guidelines in Johnson critique
After Bishops Attack Book, Gauging Bounds of Debate (New York Times)
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| New Women and the Word education/advocacy kit now available This free kit includes tools that encourage our parishes, small faith communities, schools and dioceses to make visible the rich tradition of women leaders in the Church. Sample educational programs on women in scripture and church history, articles by scholars and activists and sample postcard and background info about women deacons are also included. Download here....
Give a program in your parish! Women Leaders in Early Christianity Presenter's Guide and CD (with Powerpoint images) Info and to purchase
For info and to order FutureChurch Celebrating Women Witnesses resources click here.
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OTHER CHURCH NEWS
New Vatican edict on clergy sex abuse draws skepticism The Vatican has told the world's bishops to cooperate with police in reporting priests accused of molesting children and to develop guidelines for preventing sex abuse. But the letter from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith makes no provision to ensure bishops follow the guidelines. Victims' groups denounced the recommendations as "dangerously flawed" because they stress the exclusive authority of bishops to determine the credibility of abuse allegations. Read more...
Related articles:
New Vatican child sex abuse guidelines; Survivors Respond (SNAP)
Vatican Tells Bishops to Set Clear Strategy Against Abuse
(NewYork Times)
Vatican orders bishops to draft guidelines to handle sex abuse cases
(Catholic News Service)
Review board chair says Philadelphia church leaders lacked openness The head of the Philadelphia archdiocesan review board that helps determine whether allegations of clergy sex abuse are credible accused Cardinal Justin Rigali and other bishops in the archdiocese of failing "miserably at being open and transparent" in their dealings with board members. Read more...
Bishop Cupich promises Charter review will look at Philadelphia situation Bishop Blasé J. Cupich of Spokane WA has promised that when the U.S. bishops meet in Seattle in June, they will look at "whether there was some sort of the breakdown of the system" that prompted the abuse-related investigation of more than two dozen priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Read more...
Other Articles:
Philadelphia Scandal Shows Bishops' Child Protection Charter Lacks Teeth (VOTF)
New sex abuse allegations down slightly in 2010; costs continue to rise (CNS)
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To donate to FutureChurch or renew your membership, please click here
We now have a monthly giving option that 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 please send an endorsed and voided check to FutureChurch at 17307 Madison Avenue, Lakewood Ohio 44107) |
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Upcoming FutureChurch Events
Waterloo, Ontario: May 26-28: Canadian Forum on Theology and Education. Catholicism at the Crossroads: How the Laity Can Save the Church. Sr. Chris Schenk and Dr. Paul Lakeland at the University of Waterloo, Thursday at 7:30pm to Saturday, May 28th at 12. More info Detroit, Cobo Hall: June 10, 2011. Hanging Tough: Keeping Your Integrity and Changing the (institutional) Church. FutureChurch preconference before the American Catholic Council. Keynote Sr. Louise Akers. A panel of activists will anchor this workshop teaching principles of community organizing, gospel nonviolence, support and training in how to use FutureChurch's proven systemic change resources. Early bird (before May 20th) $40. After May 20th, $50. More info and register July 20, 2011. Cleveland Celebration of St. Mary of Magdala: Unheard Homilies: End the Silencing of Catholic Women. 7:00 pm Independence Civic Center, 6363 Selig Drive, Independence Ohio. Free will offering.
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