What’s New
- ‘God loves you’: How the pope’s inclusive comments on homosexuality could change America’s Catholic schools - During a recent interview with Spanish newspaper El Pais, Juan Carlos Cruz — a Chilean sex abuse survivor — shared a groundbreaking anecdote from a ...
- The Pope’s gay-supportive words could change the church forever - Pope Francis has reportedly told a gay male survivor of clerical sexual abuse that his sexual orientation comes from God. Juan ...
- Pope Francis reportedly told a gay man “God made you like this” - Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, which advocates for equality for LGBT Catholics, said the pope’s comments were ...
- Statement on the withdrawal of Fortunate Families from the Equally Blessed Coalition - Since 2010, the founding members of the Equally Blessed Coalition have worked collectively and individually to educate, to inspire, and ...
Upcoming Events
Inspired by the Gospel of John, Jesus’ call to live in the truth (John 8:32) in order to have abundant life (John 10:10) will provide the focus for this retreat. Jesus invites us to pattern our ministry and our sexuality according to his embrace of truth. Embracing God’s truth, discovered in our deepest selves, both challenges and empowers us to live more authentically in every dimension of our lives.
For over forty years, Call To Action’s National Conference has been the place where progressive Catholics have gathered to transform our church and world.
As we prepare to meet on November 9-11 in San Antonio, it is clear that our Catholic message of inclusion, justice and love couldn’t be more needed in our church and world. This year’s theme, “Santuario, Resistencia, Sacramento (Sanctuary, Resistance, Sacrament)” finds itself in stark opposition to many of the values we see proclaimed by our leaders. When the powerful of the world preach deportation, we’re called to offer sanctuary. When the powerful preach unthinking obedience, we’re called to resistance. When the powerful preach hatred, we’re called to proclaim the sacramental power of love.
This year’s conference will have many of the things you’ve learned to love about Call To Action: inspiring worship, warm and inclusive community and a diverse and thought-provoking line-up of speakers. It will also have many new elements, including new CTA leadership, new insights brought to us by our 20/30 Young Adult Leaders, and an opportunity to more deeply engage with border and migration issues in our host location of San Antonio, Texas.
Over the years, thousands of Catholics have come to our conferences seeking sanctuary and have found homes of resistance and sacrament.
This November, we look forward to continuing that proud tradition.
We look forward to welcoming you home.
Many truths of our faith have come from the early centuries of Christianity. Our understanding of humanity and of the universe is radically different now, so we need to find new ways, new language, and new images to make sense of the Gospel message in the modern world. Our aim will be to help us have a closer relationship with the Creative Spirit, whom we call God, as someone who is not distant from us in the “Heavens,” but is with us, within us, and all around us in every aspect of creation. For those interested in LGBT issues and those concerned about church reform, the retreat will provide a sound theological and spiritual base to ground their work, even when the road ahead is stormy.
Today “sexuality” means anything and everything: identity; orientation; the way we organize love, desire, and affection; even our whole way of being in the world as embodied spirit. We are part of a Church still struggling with how to connect all these fluid, evolving meanings. We come from a religious past with a narrow vision of binary sexes created for the purpose of procreation, in which a limited degree of male sexual desire is sanctioned and women’s experiences are considered irrelevant.
Sister Jeannine Gramick, the co-founder of New Ways Ministry and an advocate for LGBT people for close to 50 years, is leading an LGBT-friendly pilgrimage to Belgium and Germany. The itinerary includes sites of spiritual, historical, and cultural significance.
This trip is Sister Jeannine’s 16th pilgrimage, and past participants have praised them for not only the amazing places they have visited, but for the spirit of community and friendship which develop on each journey. Through daily Mass and occasional group sharing of experiences and perspectives, participants have forged connection with one another that have lasted for years.
On each trip, the pilgrims have also had an opportunity to meet with local groups of LGBT Christians, and wonderful international exchanges of ideas and support have also grown.