Catholic Organizations for Renewal
Mission Statement
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While Call To Action
does not necessarily endorse the following organizations, it does support
Catholics in their pursuit of truth in the spirit of religious freedom.
“Wherefore every man [sic] has the duty, and therefore the right,
to seek the truth in matters religious in order that he may with prudence
form for himself right and true judgments of conscience, under use of
all suitable means” (from Dignitatis Humane, Pope Paul VI, December
7, 1965). For more information about Call To Action, please see our mission
page. |
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Brief History and Description of COR
The coalition was formed when the leaders of a dozen organizations spent an afternoon in conversation just before the national conference of Call To Action in Chicago in November, 1991. Since that time, over 30 national and regional organizations in the U.S. and Canada have chosen to become part of COR. The only membership requirements are agreement with the spirit of A Call for Reform in the Catholic Church, (the statement authored by Call To Action and first published as a signature ad in the New York Times on Ash Wednesday, 1990), attendance at some meetings, and payment of $150 annual dues. The dues partially reimburse Call To Action for lending staff support and coordination to COR. Meetings typically occur three times a year: February or March in the East (typically in Baltimore), June in tandem with the CORPUS national meeting in their location, and November in conjunction with the Call To Action national conference.
The coalition is not an organization, but a forum, a table where we talk. Joint actions can be mounted, joint positions taken, but in each instance one or more member groups take the initiative, and present the proposal to all other member groups, who then choose individually whether to be associated with that initiative. This preserves the autonomy and diversity of the member organizations, which differ considerably in the range of issues they choose to address.
Examples of Public Actions Taken Under the COR "Umbrella"
Gallup Survey of U.S. Catholics - This 1992 opinion survey was initiated by Catholics Speak Out and co-sponsored by six other organizations in COR. The findings were made public at a press conference in June, 1992 at Notre Dame University during the U.S. Bishops' meeting there.
White House Meeting - Ten COR groups had leaders in the June 25, 1993 meeting with White House staff. The groups offered the Clinton administration a link with progressive Catholics, especially on issues where most U.S. Catholics differ with the hierarchy. Examples: Vatican blockage of any discussion of contraceptive family planning at the 1992 Rio earth summit, and Vatican complicity with the coup regime that ousted duly elected President Jean Bertrand Aristide from Haiti.
Alternative Events during Papal Visit to Denver - Twenty-two COR organizations supported a public forum, a news conference, and several press briefings at World Youth Day, August, 1993. The COR/Denver initiative enabled the national media not only to cover the papal events but to report responsible Catholic disagreement with the pope on many issues, including women's ordination, gay/lesbian rights, and sexual morality.
Signature ads in major newspapers - An open letter to the Pope saying he's wrong on contraception appeared in the New York Times in September, 1994, during the U.N. Population Conference in Cairo, with 2,500 signatures. Another letter to John Paul II appeared in the Baltimore Sun in October, 1995 the week of the pontiff's visit to that city. It said U.S. Catholics are hungry for Eucharist and want the priesthood open to women and married men. Both ads were coordinated by Catholics Speak Out and co-sponsored by many COR groups.
WE ARE CHURCH Catholic Referendum - This call for church reforms is similar to referenda which gathered 2.3 million signatures in Germany and Austria in 1995. Coordinated by Women's Ordination Conference and Catholics Speak Out, the drive in the U.S. for signatures is scheduled to run from Pentecost, 1996 to Pentecost, 1997. Completed referenda from many nations were brought to Rome in a joint international action in October, 1997.
Bill Thompson, staff director of publications for Call To Action, serves as internal coordinator of COR meetings and mailings from the above address. Public spokespersons for COR will vary depending on the issue or action involved. See the list of COR member groups and their leaders.Meeting with President and Staff of the National Catholic Conference of Bishops - A delegation from COR, consisting of Genevieve Chavez, WOC; Dan Daley, CTA; Christine Schenk, FutureChurch; Bob Miailovich, Dignity; Anthony Padovano, CORPUS; and Mary Louise Hartman, ARCC; met on September 11 with Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, President of NCCB and staff members in Washington. The focus of this meeting was discussion of issues of mutual interest dealing with Lay Ecclesial Ministry, married priests and creation of a welcoming atmosphere for gay and lesbian people in the Church. These discussions will continue at a future date.
LIST OF COR MEMBERS
Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Church (ARCC)
John F. Sheehan
ARCC Office
PO Box 85
Southhampton, MA 01073
413 527-9929 FAX 413 527-5877
arccangel@charter.net
Call to Action
Sheila and Dan Daley
2135 W. Roscoe
Chicago, IL 60618
773-404-0004 FAX 773-404-1610
dan@cta-usa.org
Web: www.cta-usa.org
CTA Baltimore
Fred Ruof
1304 John St.
Baltimore, MD 21217
410-462-3297
fredruof@bapl.net
Call To Action of Northern Virginia
Sharon Danner
P.O. Box 1051
Dumfries VA 22026
(703) 680-0860
ctanva@comcast.net
Catholics For A Free Choice
Frances Kissling/ Jon O'Brien
1436 U Street, NW Suite 301
Washington DC 20009-3916
202-986-6093 FAX 202-332-7995
jobrien@catholicsforchoice.org
Web: www.catholicsforchoice.org
Catholics For A Free Choice/ Canada
Rosemary Ganley
209 Aberdeen Ave.
Peterborough ON K9H 4W7
CANADA
705-748-9756
rosemarylangley@sympatico.net
www.catholicnewtimes.org
Catholics for the Spirit of Vatican II
Thomas J. Kerwin
4980 E. Quincy Ave.
Cherry Hills Village CO 80113-5089
303-221-7622 FAX 303-639-5752
tjkerwin@aol.com
Catholics Speak Out
c/o Quixote Center
Rea Howarth
P.O. Box 5206
Hyattsville, MD 20782
301-699-0042 FAX 301-864-2182
cso@quixote.org
Web: www.quixote.org/cso
CORPUS
Anthony T. Padovano
9 Millstone Drive
Morris Plains, NJ 07950
973-539-8732 FAX 973-292-2335
tpadovano@optonline.net
Web: www.corpus.org
DignityUSA
Sam Sinnett, President
1500 Massachusetts Ave NW Suite 8
Washington, DC 20005
800 877-8797 FAX 202 429-9808
President@aol.com
Web: www.dignityusa.org
Ecumenical Catholic Communion
Bishop Peter Hickman
Allison Sansone
111 W. Town & Country Rd. St. 14
Orange, CA 92868
Allison@catholiccommunion.org
www.catholiccommunion.org
Federation of Christian Ministries
Sr. Bridget Mary Meehan, President
5856 Glen Forest Dr.
Falls Church VA 22041
703-379-2487
sofiabmm@aol.com
Fellowship of Southern Illinois Laity
Lena Woltering
9521 Fireside Ct.
Fort Wayne, IN 46804
260-432-3661
FOSILize@aol.com
FutureChurch
Christine Schenk,csj, Director
15800 Montrose Rd.,
Cleveland OH 44111-1804
216-228-0869 FAX 216-228-0947
Chris@futurechurch.org
Web: www.futurechurch.org
Good Tidings Ministry
Joe Grenier & Cait Finnegan
P.O. Box 283
Canadensis PA 18325
570-595-2705
GoodTidings@aol.com
Web: www.marriedpriests.org/GoodTidings.htm
National Coalition of American Nuns
Jeannine Gramick, SL
4012 29th St.
Mt. Rainier MD 21712
301-864-3604
gramick@verizon.net
New Ways Ministry
Frank DeBernardo
4012 - 29th St.
Mt. Rainier, MD 20712
301-277-5674 FAX 301-864-6948
newwaysm@verizon.net
Web: www.newwaysministry.org
Pathfinder Community of the Risen Christ
Ned Reidy, Kathy McCarthy
78175 Ave. 42
Bermude Dunes, CA 92201
760 346-4703
nedreidy@msn.com
www.pathfindercommunity.org
Pax Christi Maine
William Slavick
242 Ludlow St.
Portland, ME 04102
207-773-6562
william.slavick@maine.edu
Save Our Sacrament (SOS):
Reform of Annulment & Respondent Support
Janice P. Leary, Ph.D., M.Div.
Box 5119
Cochituate MA 01778
saveoursac@aol.com
Web: www.saveoursacrament.org
Southeastern Pennsylvania Women's Ordination Conference
Regina Bannon
323 S. 17th Street
Philadelphia PA 19103
215-545-9649 fax 215-204-9618
bannan@temple.edu
www.sepawoc.org
Spiritus Christi Church
Mary Ramerman
121 N. Fitzhugh St..
Rochester NY 14614
585 325-1180 FAX 585 325-1191
Mwhitram@aol.com
Women's Ordination Conference
Aisha Taylor
P.O. Box 2693
Fairfax, VA 22031
703-352-1006 FAX 703-352-5181
woc@womensordination.org
Web: www.womensordination.org
Women - Church Convergence
Ruth Fitzpatrick
3122 Savoy Dr.
Fairfax, VA 22031
ruthfitzpa@aol.com
www.women-churchconvergence.org
Call To Action
2135 W. Roscoe
Chicago, IL 60618
tel. 773-404-0004 | fax. 773-404-1610 | e-mail. cta@cta-usa.org