Despite right-wing opposition, the Catholic Common Ground Initiative shows encouraging signs of taking root in the American Church. The June newsletter of CCGI reports several examples of universities, retreat houses and parishes holding their own programs to bring polarized church views together for dialogue.

CCGI staff at the National Pastoral Life Center in New York City are brokering the development of resources and materials for local groups. A first paperback is "CCGI: Foundational Documents," including texts of Cardinal Bernardin launching the project, calling for dialogue, and answering his episcopal critics (available in September from Crossroad, $7.95). A parish resource kit is "Voices of Common Ground:" videotapes, facilitator guides and small group materials being prepared by the Vatican II Center, already known to many regional CTAs for its workshops and handbooks on "Vatican II in Plain English" (see page 3). The kit is scheduled for release in September (Vatican II Center: 1-800-611-6626).

The CCGI June newsletter is itself a useful resource, since it contains one-page summaries, with discussion questions, of the five papers given at the March CCGI conference in Chicago. "The U.S. Culture and the Challenge of Discipleship" is addressed from varying perspectives by Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College; Ernesto Cortes, Industrial Areas Foundation; J. Bryan Hehir, Harvard University; Michael Novak, American Enterprise Institute; and Robin Darling Young, Catholic University of America. There is also a 60-minute videotape of the March 10 interactive live teleconference from Chicago, with Philip Murnion, Peter Steinfels, Bishop James Malone, Cathleen Kaveny, and Robert Imbelli.

To get on the CCGI mailing list, or to order any of these materials, contact CCGI at 18 Bleecker St., New York, NY 10012-2404. 212 431-7825.