New CTA chapters multiply
This has been a particularly fertile time for the growth of new Call To Action chapters. In May 2006, Catholic Action Network (CAN) of St. Louis became our 53rd active affiliate organization. Following is a description of this group and highlights of several others.
Catholic Action Network (CAN) is a network of progressive Catholics seeking justice both in the Catholic Church and in the world. It is an independent and inclusive organization of both lay and religious that strives to put faith into action. It organizes grassroots actions raising a Catholic voice for social justice in the St. Louis area. Some issues are:
• Justice for Women in the Catholic Church. This committee, prayerful yet bold, advocates full participation of women in all Catholic Church ministries.
• CAN’s Fair Trade & Labor Committee supports Catholic schoolteachers in their struggle to gain union recognition from the St. Louis archdiocese, and promotes Fair Trade products in St. Louis.
• CAN’s commitment to education as part of social transformation has led it to promote JustFaith, a national justice-education model for faith communities.
• CAN has backed The St. Louis Instead of War Coalition since 2001.
CAN hosts a candlelight peace vigil every Sunday evening at College Church (Grand/Lindell).
Contact: can@catholicactionnetwork.org or (314) 721-2977
Call To Action Spokane is a lively group. They became a CTA chapter just last August but they have been very busy working on reconciliation and education regarding clergy sexual abuse and the declaration of bankruptcy by the diocese. CTA Spokane is presenting a panel discussion, "Healing Our Broken Church: Surviving Our Crisis Head On."
Contact: CTA_Spokane@msn.com or (509) 599-3498
CTA Southwest Florida also became official in August 2005. They have a terrific website: www.CTA-SWFLA.org. In addition to hosting Edwina Gateley’s talk in Naples last February, CTA-SWFLA has participated in immigration marches, confronted McDonald's on fair treatment for tomato growers, and sponsored Richard and Florence Nogaj to learn of their work as Harvest for Humanity. The chapter has enjoyed excellent coverage in local newspaper articles and letters to the editor.
Contact: jmcnally1@juno.com or (239) 390-0880.
Sacramento Call To Action became a chapter in September 2005. Even earlier they organized a wonderful conference last April with speakers Edwina Gateley, Anthony Padovano and Miriam Therese Winter. They have already planned an April 2007 Conference with Matthew Fox, Edwina Gateley, Bernard Cooke and Patty Hawk on “Embracing Radical Jesus in a Changing World.”
Contact: graycall@volcano.net or (209) 295-2151.
Other groups are springing up in Madison, Red Wing, Minn., Topeka, Orlando, Racine and elsewhere. Lena Woltering of the CTA Board has provided help to groups wanting to form. If you’d like to start a group or re-enliven an existing one, contact Bob Heineman, CTA’s Resources Developer: HeinemanCTA@juno.com or (773) 404-0004 x 263.