NRVC collaborator news

Communicators for Women Religious conference

The board of the Communicators for Women Religious has hired an executive director, Mr. Nicholas Schafer, who began working at the organization's newly established Chicago office in June. Funded by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, the organization will be located in the same building that houses the National Religious Vocation Conference, Religious Formation Conference, and Giving Voice (which represents young women religious).

Additionally,  the Communicators for Women Religious will hold its annual conference in Indianapolis October 4-7. The theme will be "Advance Your Mission! Turbocharge Your Communications." Learn more at c4wr.org.

LCWR offers resouce on contemplative dialogue

In response to interest in understanding contemplative dialogue, the Leadership Conference of Women Religious recently created an online resource that demonstrates this practice and highlights its potential as an instrument of transformation.

"Contemplative Dialogue: Unleashing the Transformative Power of Communal Wisdom" is a video of eight women religious who allowed their actual contemplative dialogue session to be filmed so that others could see how this form of communal contemplation and sharing works. The one-hour film may be seen online and is available here.

The film, as well as transcript of the introduction and a document providing additional information on the practice are available on the LCWR website as downloadable files (https://lcwr.org/contemplative-dialogue). The video is also available with Spanish-language captioning of the introduction and concluding commentary.

We developed these materials to help people know how to effectively conduct a contemplative dialogue session. So maybe the pitch is for vocation directors to learn this process themselves to use within their own communities, with groups they may be working with, for people in discernment, etc. It’s a process that can be used by any groups that want to have a conversation together about matters of importance to them.

CMSWR course for Spanish-speaking sisters; leadership forum for young women

The Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious (CMSWR) will offer the summer course "Spouses of Christ, Daughters of the Church” (Esposas de Cristo, Hijas de la Iglesia) June 27-July 8 at the Pax Christi Retreat Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. Enrollment is open to any Spanish-speaking women religious serving in the United States.

For more information, see www.cmswr.org or e-mail EsposasdeCristo@cmswr.org.

In addition, CMSWR is sponsoring "GIVEN: the Catholic Young Women's Leadership Forum," June 7-12 at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

This event will bring together 300 rising leaders, selected by application, with religious and lay leaders for a full-scholarship, week-long immersion in faith formation, leadership skills training, and networking. Speakers will include: law professor Helen Alvaré, Catholic Relief Services President Dr. Carolyn Woo, and singer songwriter Audrey Assad.

Applications for a full scholarship are at www.givenforum.org. This event is supported by the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation.

Religious Brothers Conference Assembly

The Religious Brothers Conference will hold its 45th annual assembly July 23-26 at the Siena Center in Racine, Wisconsin. Brothers from all communities are welcome to attend. The theme will be "The Brother in the Year of Mercy," and the keynote speakers will be Sister Barbara Reid, O.P. and Brother Steve Bevans, S.V.D., both of whom are on the faculty of Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. For more information, see todaysbrother.com.

Catholics on Call extends application deadline for summer young adult event

The Catholics on Call Young Adult Conference will take place August 3-6 at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. Learn more about this event aimed at young adults considering a church vocation here.

The Partner Conference for Catholics on Call will take place September 15-16 and is open to religious institutes that are partners to the program. Learn about partnership and the September event here.

U.S. bishops to gather Catholic leaders next summer

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is convening a gathering of Catholic leaders next July with the intent of forming "missionary disciples."

Called, "The Joy of the Gospel in America: A National Convocation of Catholic Leaders," this event will take place in Orlando Florida July 1-4, 2017.  By invitation only, the event will bring together key leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from across the country.

The assembled Catholic leaders will engage in strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, with the goal of “forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture.”  

Other key organizational leaders from Catholic organizations, movements and apostolates, missions, religious institutes, agencies, and institutions will be identified and invited by the USCCB.

Biblical Studies Program at CTU

Catholic Theological Union in Chicago is sponsoring a Biblical Studies Program in August and October. Learn more at ctu.edu. Click on "Programs & Centers," then "Biblical Study/Travel."