FC logo
                                        Celebrating 20 Years!
                                                      September 2011 E-Newsletter  (Newsletter Archive)
Donate or Become a Member

Find us on Facebook

 

Help us Celebrate 20 years. Join the 2010 Club  

In This Issue
Honor your parish priest-and pray to open ordination
Magdala celebrations abound
Priests speak up, organize
During National Hispanic Heritage Month--Honor Penny Lernoux
Jason Berry keeps the faith
Roman Missal sexist
Fr. Tom Doyle Defends Fr. Bourgeois
Phoenix diocese to ban cup?
Parish closing and appeals news
Other Church News
Donate

 FutureChurch 21st Annual Benefit: An Evening with Jason Berry 

Jason Berry 

 Thursday, October 13, Cleveland Museum of Natural History    

 

    Info and Tickets Here 

 

Jason Berry achieved prominence for reporting on the Catholic Church sex abuse crisis in Lead Us Not Into Temptation (1992).

 

FutureChurch statement on financial accountability 

 

Sr. Joan Chittister had this to say about Berry's newest book:  " A captivating read, Render unto Rome is an astounding revelation of the church's financial system and required reading for those who donate to the church or are interested in the ongoing effort to restore the credibility of the church and its heirarchy" 

Order Render Unto Rome here

 

Check out:  

Jason Berry's website 

NPR interview on Vows of Silence 


Upcoming  Events 

      

November 4-6, 2011. Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  Living the Gospel of Love: Call To Action National Conference. With Edwina Gateley, Anthony Ruff, Jamie Manson, Marcus Borg, Chris Schenk, Roy Bourgeois, Raul Al-Qaraz Ochoa, Barbara Fiand and MANY others. Register at www.cta-usa.org  

 

November 5, 2011 Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Silencing of Catholic Women: Then and Now. Sr. Chris Schenkand Celebrating the Prophetic Witness of Women Religious Today prayer service with Emily Holtel-Hoag. Register at www.cta-usa.org

So All Can Be at the Table
women deacon
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

To sign Open Letter to US Bishops

click here

 

 
More info... 


 Women Leaders in Early Christianity CD and Presenter's Guide
WOEC
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

Organize to keep
P
arishes Open! SOPC image

Download Free Canonical Appeal Resources here

Order the Save Our Parish Community packet
here!
 
mag market header
Magdala Market Online Store

 

View inspirational
Vatican II video by Fr. John O'Malley SJ
here
Video Pic

A Million Voices
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 

 
 

New!

Women and the Word education/advocacy kit
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...

 

Free Sample!  Women and the Word for Educators:  
Essays, prayer services and student work sheets about notable women such as Prisca, Phoebe, Dorothy Day and St. Mary of Magdala.

dinner dove 


email:  [email protected]


To  Purchase A celebrating Women Women Witnesses packet
click here

Spanish Resources here


Dear Friends: You can share our SEPTEMBER
E-Newsletter
with others by
  
 

Honor Your Parish Priest

(and pray to open ordination)

Priesthood Sunday, October 30


Every October Catholics honor our priests who often must work double duty in this time of priest shortage.

 

This free prayer service affims priest who embrace the celibate charism and at the same time, prays that the Latin rite will soon welcome married priestly calls. Great for parishes, prayer and book groups or other gatherings.

 

Read about last year's celebrations

 

Download free prayer service and organizing kit

 

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.

 

Magdala Celebrations Abound As of today, we know of at least 342 St. Mary of Magdala celebrations held over the Summer. Thirty-six were held outside the United States (Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, England, Finland, India, Ireland, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Phillipines and Zambia).

                        crowd at MM celebration 2011

         Suzanne O' Connor preaches at Albany celebration 

 

A woman organizer from Zambia used FutureChurch resources for evening prayer and a radio broadcast of morning prayer and input about St Mary Magdala. The message is being spread around the world!

 

Of the 121 who reported back details of their celebration, 28 were held in Catholic parishes, 22 in small faith communities, 23 in private homes, 21 in convents or monasteries, 12 in Protestant churches, 3 in colleges/schools, 4 in retreat centers and 8 in miscellaneous locations.

 

For pictures and write ups click here...  

 

To tell us about YOUR celebration click here... 

 

Priests speak up, organize  Around the world parish priests are speaking up about mandatory celibacy, Eucharist for the divorced and remarried, lay leadership and women's ordination. 

 

In Ireland, the Association of Catholic Priests has supported calls by Bishop Edward Daly for a removal of the compulsory celibacy requirement for Catholic priests.  Read more... 

 

In Austria, some believe the Church may be close to a schism over a call by 400 priests and 12,000 laity to publicly support the ordination of married men and women and permit divorced and remarried Catholics to receive communion. Read more...   

 

In Kenya, more than 40 priests quit over celibacy rules They have joined the Ecumenical Catholic Communion, led by Bishop Geoffrey Shiundu who quit the Roman Catholic church after he married. Read more...   

 

In the US a new national organization of Catholic priests has been formed with two major goals: to reach out to and support brother priests and to create a collegial voice so priests can speak in a united way. Read more...

Join over 4000 (so far) who have signed FutureChurch  Open Letter From the People of God to U.S. Bishops  Letter will be published in various Catholic publications over the next year. 

 

Download paper copy to circulate  

 

Download free Open Letter organizing kit with ideas to inspire dialogue around optional celibacy.

 

 Send Electronic Postcards to Rome! 

About Optional Celibacy 

 

About Women Deacons 

 

During National Hispanic Heritage Month...            

Honor Penny Lernoux   

  

Penny Lernoux is an Anglo journalist who worked for 27 years in Latin America.  She understood and deeplyPenny Lernoux loved the Hispanic Latino/a culture.   She found beauty and the face of Christ in the Latin American people, especially  the poor. She knew their stories must be told, particularly to the wealthy and powerful of North America who too often helped fund their oppression.     

September 15 to October 15 is the month when people recognize and celebrate the heritage and contributions  of Hispanic Americans. 

 

Learn more about Penny by purchasing an instant dollar download of an essay and prayer service here.   

    

Click here  to order the Celebrando Mujeres Testigos Spanish edition and complete Celebrating Women Witnesses and More! Celebrating Women Witnesses packets.

 

For free Spanish language resources from FutureChurch, click here

 
Despite Catholic scandals, author Jason Berry keeps the faith    He still prays. Still finds solace in the

Berry at Dahlgren

liturgy, still finds peace in the rites

of the Catholic Mass. It's possible to love something even if you've spent much of your life exposing its darkest secrets, its deepest shames. It's possible if you have faith. "We didn't give up on democracy because of Watergate," he says, "and I won't give up on the church because of corrupt bishops." (Washington Post Read more...  

 

Read FutureChurch statement on Financial Accountability in the Catholic Church 

 

Roman Missal sexist and an 'own goal' by Church An Irish liturgist, Fr Sean McDonagh of the Association of Catholic Priests, recently said that the new Missal translation will ultimately work against the hierarchy, calling it an "own goal." This soccer term indicates a goal scored against oneself when a player inadvertently kicks the ball into the net of the opposing team. McDonagh also said that numerous women in his congregation were upset by the sexist language introduced in the new missal. Read more...    

  

View new "Misguided Missal" website

  

Compare translations

 

Download 1998 Missal (free)   

 

Related Articles:

Catholic Mass undergoing first changes in 40 years 

 (Cincinnati Enquirer) "I think people are going to find it a jarring experience," said Sister Christine Schenk, director of FutureChurch...  

 

In South Africa, outrage gives way to acceptance of translations:  (NCR)

 

Canon Lawyer Fr. Tom Doyle Defends Fr. Roy Bourgeois An excellent recent article from NCRonline relays that Dominican Fr. Thomas Doyle has written Maryknoll leadership to say: "In spite of the apparently clear orders of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the related norms of church law, the overall situation with Roy is anything but clear-cut and simple"...  Doyle argues that the church's prohibition of female ordination is not infallible and requests that reputable theologians explore  two central issues: the church's claim that the teaching is infallible and the right of a Catholic "to act and think according to the dictates of his conscience" even if the conclusions put one in conflict with the church's highest authorities.Read more... 

 

Women's Ordination Conference to lead delegation to RomFrom October 16-20 the Women's Ordination Conference will lead a delegation to Rome. They will be joined by Fr. Roy Bourgeois and other international coalition partners seeking to witness to conscience and to women's call to orders. If you are interested in attending, call the WOC office at (202) 675-1006. Shared rooms start at $80 a night per person.

 

Sign petition supporting Fr. Roy   

 

FutureChurch statement on Fr. Roy Bourgeois

 
Phoenix diocese to ban Communion under both species?  This from the Pray, Tell blog:  "Reports from several sources that Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix Diocese is withdrawing permission for Communion under both forms; only priest and deacon may receive from the Cup, come November 27."  Read more...  
 

Parish Closing and Appeals News  

 

Parishioners to appeal Vatican decision upholding closure of Springfield, Mass. Church The Vatican has upheld a decision by the Diocese of Springfield to close Mater Dolorosa church saying it has serious debt and an unsafe steeple. But parishioners, who have occupied the church since June, said the parish's debt doesn't justify closing it, and that a structural review of the church by an engineer showed only relatively minor repairs are needed on the steeple, indicating the diocese's concerns are overblown. Read more...

 

Scituate, Mass. parish awaits ruling on appeal of church closing Despite church officials' decision to put their parish's rectory up for sale, parishioners maintaining a vigil at St. Francis X. Cabrini Church in Scituate say they believe canonical courts in Rome will block the sale of their church in a ruling that could come as soon as next month. Read more...

 

Bellville Diocese may close up to 20 parishes: 'If you can't deliver the sacrament. ... it's like Nike not being able to make shoes" Read more:  

 

After valiant fight, St. Mary Church in Buffalo diocese to close Parishioners are still at a loss as to why their church of roughly 1,200 families was targeted for closure. Unlike most other merged parishes the people of St. Mary could still boast of vibrant ministries, full Sunday Masses and balanced ledger sheets. In 2005, the diocese had 265 parishes. That number now stands at 168. The diocese is now down to about 185 active priests, and another wave of retirements is forecast that will bring that number closer to 140 within the next four years, while only a handful of seminarians are in training to be ordained. "I guess the church should look at alternate priesthood. You don't close a viable community," said parishioner Monica Pullano. "If the shortage of priests is the issue, then let's look at that issue." Read more....

Download Free Canonical Appeal Resources here 

Order the Save Our Parish Community packet
here! 

 
Other Church News

 

The Pope's Difficult Visit to Germany German Catholics were joyful when Joseph Ratzinger became pope in 2005. He was the first German pope in nearly 500 years. But now they are disillusioned. This in depth "Der Spiegel" article predicts that Benedict's visit to Germany will do little to heal the deep divide between conservatives and reformers in the German Catholic Church.   Read more...  

 

Related: 

 

Pope in Germany: amid symbolic meetings and protests (Expatica.com)

 

Archbishop Dolan urges priests to preach on poverty, job loss The president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is urging priests across the country to preach about "the terrible toll the current economic turmoil is taking on families and communities. (Catholic News Service) Read more...

 

International court won't charge Pope  According to the Christian Science Monitor, despite efforts by clerical sexual abuse victims to charge Pope Benedict XVI with crimes against humanity, the case likely falls outside the court's jurisdiction. Read more...

Related:

Abuse victims seek investigation of pope, top Vatican officials (Catholic News Service)  

 
 
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).
Mag image

17307 Madison Avenue Lakewood, Ohio 44107

Phone: 216.228.0869 

E-mail: [email protected]  

Copyright � 2001-2011   FutureChurch all rights reserved