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New to Conference?
We
will offer an orientation to Call To Action's history and mission,
as well as vital information on conference activities. Meet other
newcomers and get help navigating the weekend program. This Welcome
Session will be held on Friday at 2:30 PM.
CTA Needs
Ethnic Diversity
We are very much aware that the membership and leadership of
Call To Action fall short on ethnic diversity. We have made some
progress, but more is needed. Our sisters and brothers in diverse
racial and ethnic communities bring unique gifts: different perspectives,
cultures, ways of understanding the world and expressing the
faith. We need those gifts to be a truly inclusive Church, the
whole people of God. Please help us reach leaders and members
of other racial and ethnic communities. Invite them to the conference!
(As an added incentive, see below about bringing two newcomers
and getting a free registration for yourself.)
Return with
two newcomers and get a free registration!
CTA
wants to thank faithful National Conference participants who
come back. We also want to encourage outreach to newcomers, and
to ethnically diverse communities not well represented in the
past. So we are offering a free full-conference registration
to any 2002 conference participant who registers with two new
full-time attendees who have never been with us before. We'll
award a prize to the person who brings the most newcomers. All
registrations must be placed in the same envelope and mailed
together so that we will know who is to receive the complimentary
registration. Questions? Call (815) 399-2150.
Do-It-Yourself
Choir
Join the volunteer choir for Sunday Eucharist. Three hours of
rehearsal will be required during the weekend, including Saturday
lunch hour. If you can make that commitment, sign up on your
registration
form.
To receive a choir packet by mail, be sure to register by Oct.
15.
Caucuses
Interaction and networking are just as important for building
church as listening to speakers. Ample times and places are reserved
for caucuses formed by conference participants. Contact CTA at
(773) 404-0004, ext. 260 to obtain a caucus application. Caucus
applications must be received by September 15, 2003 to ensure
a listing in the conference program book, which will make it
easier for people to find and connect with you.
Regional
Networking
Local and regional groups for church reform are sprouting like
daisies all over North America. If you wish to start one, plan
to attend the 8 PM Saturday session to share stories, swap strategies,
plan more cooperative efforts, and see how CTA can help. In addition,
plan to attend a regional caucus at Saturday lunchtime, and to
network at the Friday evening plenary when you sit in your state
area.
Take Action
Table
Conference attendees often are eager to act on behalf of justice
and peace, but don't know where to begin. The Take Action table
in the Exhibit Area is a place to start. Pick up materials that
will help you take immediate action on societal justice and peace
issues. Stop by and talk to the volunteers about issues that
concern you, or bring action materials you wish to share.
SPECIAL
DOUBLE SESSION: Organizing in the Wake of Crisis
Claire Noonan of CTA staff leads this participatory discussion
on CTA's three current campaigns for local and national church
reform: 1) full disclosure regarding clerical sex abuse; 2) lay
voice in church governance; 3) promotion of the "Culture
of Conversation" in partnership with other groups of priests,
religious, laity and bishops. Claire staffs these campaigns as
well as CTA's Next Generation movement. Sat., 1 - 3:30 PM double
session (8.04)
Workshops
by 9 Sister Organizations
CTA Conference is like a circus: many wonderful acts take place
under one big tent. This year nine sister organizations in the
movements for church reform and social justice are giving their
own topical workshops Saturday between 1 PM and 3:30 PM. They
are the Association
for the Rights of Catholics in the Church, Dignity USA, Federation
of Christian Ministries, FutureChurch, NETWORK, New
Ways Ministry,
Pax
Christi USA,
Survivors
Network of Those Abused by Priests, and the Women's Ordination
Conference.
We salute them and their work.
Prayer and
Eucharist
Opportunities for prayer abound. Prayer leaders will include
Lalor Cadley and Mary Kingsley; Daniel Caron; Mary Ann Garfold;
Joan Horgan; Joseph Kilikevice; Sondra Rhodes; Jan Sheridan;
Gloria Ulterino and Judith Boyd. Taizé prayer will be
led by the St. Benedict the Moor (Milwaukee) Parish Youth Group.
Many of these prayer sessions use music, chant, dance, art, or
movement. A special quiet room will be available for individual
prayer. The conference will close with Sunday Eucharist.
Children's Program
There will be lots to keep children active and involved at conference
this year. For younger children (3 to 7 years old) there will
be stories, arts and crafts, music and games and other activities.
Children 8 to 12 years old can participate in a special program
exploring peace and justice themes. There will also be opportunities
for children's program participants to tour the exhibits, see
performing artists and take part in prayer experiences. Friday
pre-conference activities for children (3-12) enable parents
to participate in Friday Seminars or Days of Reflection. Register
children here. Children must
be preregistered: there will be no on-site registration for this
program. Program details will be mailed to parents in October.
Teen Program
Do our teens know their Church is much bigger than their parish?
Do they resist church, suggesting they won't go once they're
of age? Is your parish leaving your teens spiritually undernourished?
Are you concerned that we are losing our children from a faith
that could sustain them through life?
We invite you to bring your teens to the CTA Conference. We'll
have programs designed to challenge them and expand their view
of social justice. Issues will be presented in a way that provides
historical perspective, while showing relevance to their own
experiences. Teens will have question-and-answer sessions with
conference presenters, and opportunities to socialize with their
peers in a thought-provoking atmosphere. Register teens here. Teens must be
preregistered: there is no on-site registration for this program.
Program details will be mailed to parents in October.
Are
you 18-42?
Friday evening there will be a coffeehouse for you. Come and
enjoy good conversation and music. On Saturday night, we'll have
a more formal gathering - time for introductions and strengthening
our connections with one another. Throughout the conference,
look for the buttons that designate the CTA Next Generation Leadership.
Ask them about other opportunities for networking and future
leadership.
Special housing is available for those who want to avoid the
cost of hotel rooms. For more information, click here and check the box
marked "housing assistance" on your registration form.
Also, check out the special registration rates for students!
Award
to Kathy Kelly and Voices in the Wilderness
Kathy Kelly first visited Iraq in 1991 where she witnessed the
suffering of the Iraqi people as a result of the sanctions imposed
after the 1991 Persian Gulf war. By 1996 her concern led her
and a small group of people in Chicago to found Voices in
the Wilderness
to use nonviolent civil disobedience as a means of confronting
the powers behind the sanctions. Voices has collected and transported
medical and other humanitarian aid to Iraq in direct violation
of the sanctions. It has organized demonstrations, fasts, and
other events to raise consiousness about the situation in Iraq.
Members of Voices have been arrested many times as a result of
the protests they have led. Since 1996 Voices has sent over 40
delegations to Iraq.
During the recent war Voices kept its Iraqi Peace Team in the
heart of Baghdad in solidarity with the people. The dedicated
work of this small group of people contributed substantially
to the public awareness of the human face of Iraq during the
weeks leading up to the war. They continued to show us this human
face throughout the bombing and U.S. military action. This year's
Call To Action Leadership Award recognizes this courageous and
dedicated work. It inspires and challenges all of us to work
for justice through nonviolent means.
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