Call To Action
50th Anniversary Conference

Call To Action is excited to present the featured speakers for our 2026 50th Anniversary Conference.

For five decades, CTA has brought together people committed to justice, inclusion, and meaningful change within the Catholic Church and beyond. This year, we honor that legacy while looking toward the work still ahead.

Join us to hear from Sister Simone Campbell and Dr. Craig Ford as they reflect on the movements, communities, and courageous voices that have shaped CTA’s past, speak to the urgent questions of the present, and help us imagine a more just and inclusive future.

Sister Simone Campbell, a Roman Catholic Sister of Social Service, is a religious leader, attorney, author, and 2022 Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. An Emerson Elder with the Emerson Collective, she brings deep public policy experience grounded in the lives of people at the economic margins. She led NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice and Nuns on the Bus for 17 years, and her healthcare advocacy helped pass the Affordable Care Act. A former state advocate, founder and lead attorney of the Oakland Community Law Center, and leader of the Sisters of Social Service from 1995 to 2000, she has received numerous honors, including the Defender of Democracy Award. She is the author of A Nun on the Bus (2014) and Hunger for Hope (2020).

Craig A. Ford, Jr. (Ph.D., Boston College) is Assistant Professor of Ethics in the Candler School of Theology at Emory University (Atlanta, GA). He is also on the faculty at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana (New Orleans, LA), the United States’s only Catholic Historically Black College or University (HBCU). Dr. Ford writes on topics at the intersection of moral theology, queer theology/queer theory, and Black studies. In addition to publishing numerous articles in popular outlets like Commonweal, the National Catholic Reporter, and the New Ways Ministry blog, Dr. Ford is the author of a number of widely-cited academic essays, including "Transgender Bodies, Catholic Schools, and a Queer Natural Law Theology of Exploration" (Journal of Moral Theology, 2018), and "Our New Galileo Affair" (Horizons, 2023), which received the 2022 Catherine Mowry LaCugna Award for Best Essay by a young scholar from the Catholic Theological Society of America. His current book project, Works of Art: Gender and Sexuality in Liberative Natural Law Perspective is being published by Fortress Press.

Pre-Conference

Deepen your conference experience by joining one of Call To Action's pre-conference gatherings centered on Anti-Racism, Catholic Social Teaching, or Immigration. These interactive sessions combine reflection, learning, and action, offering participants an opportunity to connect with others committed to building a better world. Lunch is included with your pre-conference registration.

Thursday November 5th

3:00 pm Registration opens 

4:00 pm to 7:00 pm Welcome Party

Friday November 6th

9:00 am Morning Praise

10:00 am Pre-Conference Session 1

11:30 am Lunch

1:00 pm Pre-Conference Session 2

Conference

As Call To Action celebrates its 50th Anniversary, the 2026 Conference will honor the movement's history while engaging today's most pressing questions and imagining the future of justice-centered Catholicism. Throughout the weekend, participants will experience inspiring worship, thought-provoking keynote presentations, interactive workshops, and opportunities to build community with Catholics from across the country.

Friday November 6th

3:00 pm Registration opens

7:00 pm Evening Praise featuring Dr. Craig Ford

Saturday November 7th

9:00 am Morning Praise

10:00 am Workshop Session A

11:30 am Lunch

1:00 pm Workshop Session B

3:00 pm Keynote Speaker Sister Simone Campbell

7:00 pm Communion screening & Q&A with Matthew LaBanca

Sunday November 8th

9:30 am Closing Liturgy

11:30 am Lunch

Can't join us in person? Experience the 2026 Call To Action 50th Anniversary Conference from wherever you are. Our virtual conference includes livestream access to featured programming, allowing you to participate in inspiring worship, keynote presentations, and selected workshops from the comfort of your home.

Friday November 6th

7:00 pm Evening Praise featuring Dr. Craig Ford

Saturday November 7th

10:00 am Workshop Session A: Forged by Nonviolence: The Catholic Peace Movement as a Model for Youth Leadership

1:00 pm Workshop Session B: The Consistent Life Ethic: Putting Catholic Social Teaching Into Action

3:00 pm Keynote Speaker Sister Simone Campbell

Sunday November 8th

9:30 am Closing Liturgy

Showcase your organization, ministry, business, or resources by reserving an exhibit table at the 2026 Call To Action 50th Anniversary Conference. Exhibitor tables are located in a high-traffic area just outside the main auditorium, providing opportunities to connect with conference attendees throughout the weekend.

The exhibitor table fee is $150 and must be purchased in addition to at least one conference registration. Each exhibitor reservation includes one table, one tablecloth, and two chairs.

Exhibitors may set up on Thursday, November 5, and break down  their exhibits on Sunday, November 8. Materials can be shipped to the Maritime Conference Center a week prior to the event. Questions? Please contact cta50@cta-usa.org.

While Call To Action is not offering a traditional conference sponsorship program this year, we welcome financial contributions that help make the 2026 50th Anniversary Conference possible. Gifts of any size support the conference and its mission to build a more just and inclusive Church.

If you are interested in making a contribution or discussing other ways to support the conference, please contact Executive Director BlackMoses Rankins directly at blackmoses@cta-usa.org.

Rates

Standard Rates

$500 Conference

$650 Pre-conference + Conference

$150 Virtual Conference

Early Bird Rates (valid until July 31, 2026)

$425 Conference

$550 Pre-conference + Conference

$150 Virtual Conference

Discounts

Discounted registration is available for Re/Gen alumni, students, partner organizations, and military personnel. To request a discount code, please contact cta50@cta-usa.org.

Scholarships
We believe cost should not be a barrier to participation. A limited number of registration scholarships are available for individuals who would otherwise be unable to attend the conference. A scholarship application will be available soon. Please check back for updates.

Registration fees are fully refundable through September 30, 2026. Refund requests received on or before this date will be issued a full refund. Refund requests received after September 30, 2026 cannot be guaranteed.

Air Transport

The closest airport to the Maritime Conference Center is Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI).  BWI also has an Amtrak station stop.

Meals

Pre-Conference + Conference and Conference registrations include:

• Lunch each conference day

• Morning and afternoon coffee breaks

Guests staying at the Maritime Conference Center receive all meals as part of their lodging package, including:

• Breakfast

• Lunch

• Dinner

• Morning and afternoon coffee breaks

Lodging

The Maritime Conference Center offers comfortable guest rooms just minutes from BWI Airport.

Room Rates

Single Queen: $175 per night

Double Queen: $220 per night

Guest Room Amenities

• Complimentary Wi-Fi

• Work desk with ergonomic chair

• Coffeemaker

• Mini refrigerator

• Flat-screen TV with satellite channels

• Hairdryer

• Iron and ironing board

• Complimentary local calls with voicemail

Your Stay Includes

• Dinner and breakfast for each night of lodging*

• Complimentary parking

• 24-hour shuttle service to and from BWI Airport and the BWI Amtrak Station

• Access to the indoor pool, fitness center, and game room

• Property-wide Wi-Fi

*No rebate is available for missed meals.

Additional Information

Check-in: 3:00 p.m.

Check-out: 11:00 a.m.

Early check-in and late check-out are available for an additional $50 (plus applicable taxes).

Room rates are subject to 6% Maryland State Sales Tax and 8% County Occupancy Tax.

Hotel Reservations

Reservation Deadline: Friday, October 16, 2026

To receive the conference rate, call 410-859-5700, press 7, and identify yourself as attending the Call To Action USA conference.

Airport & Amtrak Shuttle

The Maritime Conference Center offers complimentary shuttle service between the hotel, BWI Airport, and the BWI Amtrak Station.

At BWI Airport, proceed to Ground Transportation Stop 48. To request shuttle pickup and receive arrival instructions, call 1-866-802-0597.