Catch the spirit ...

with lay people, religious, and clergy
committed to Vatican II and the U.S. Bishops' 1976 Call To Action in Detroit,
committed to rebuilding the Church for the next generation.

Our 2002 conference theme, Who Is My Neighbor? The Gifts and Challenges of Diversity, emerged from a Call To Action board discussion following the tragic events of September 11, 2001. We talked about the chasms that divide Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and other religious groups. We also were conscious of how much we, as Christians, have learned about spirituality from other great religious traditions. We recognized that it was not simply differences of religious belief that spark such terrible hostility, but differences of race, economic advantage and political power.

The recent scandal in our church exposed the terrible devastation that can be wrought by the abuse of power. Bishops have covered up the sexual abuse of children and in the process allowed more children to be victimized. This scandal has revealed to many the urgent need for reform in the governance structures of our church.

The question, "Who is my neighbor?" occurs in the gospel where Jesus has been asked, "What must I do to receive eternal life?" The answer is "Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself." Our neighbors are in the remotest villages in the world and they are in our own families and in our own church. Connecting life to love of our neighbor urgently demands our deep reflection. It demands that we learn to recognize and embrace one another's gifts as individuals, as cultures, as religious traditions, as different peoples with unique experiences to contribute to the life of the whole community. We offer this conference as another opportunity to learn from one another and perhaps find new ways to work at transforming ourselves, our church and our world.

The CTA conference is a national assembly of thousands of individuals, faith communities and organizations working to renew our church. CTA has 40 regional chapters and links to similar renewal movements in many other countries.

As in past years, the conference agenda is packed with abundance and variety. Opportunities for caucuses and networking abound. You choose the level at which you want to participate. If cost is a problem, apply for limited income registration. If not, consider making an extra donation to support those who need such assistance.
If you can't come, be part of the movement. If you haven't joined CTA, join now. Send a donation and stay in touch!

Dan Daley
Sheila S. Daley

Co-Directors, Call to Action