PCS Forum: September 27, 2022 - A Conversation with James Carroll

PCS FORUM: A Conversation with James Carroll 

author of The Truth at the Heart of the Lie: How the Catholic Church Lost Its Soul

Tuesday, September 27, 2022

7pm EDT

Free to members of ARCWP, RCWP and faith communities

https://youtu.be/Yk3TOcHT-og

James Carroll weaves together the story of his quest to understand his personal beliefs and his relationship to the Catholic Church with the history of the Church itself. From his first awakening of faith as a boy to his gradual disillusionment as a Catholic, Carroll offers a razor-sharp examination both of himself and of how the Church became an institution that places power and dominance over people through an all-male clergy. 

Carroll argues that a male-supremacist clericalism is both the root cause and the ongoing enabler of the sexual abuse crisis. The power structure of clericalism poses an existential threat to the Church and compromises the ability of even a progressive pope like Pope Francis to advance change in an institution accountable only to itself. Carroll traces this dilemma back to the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, when Scripture, Jesus Christ, and his teachings were reinterpreted as the Church became an empire. In a deeply personal re-examination of self, Carroll grapples with his own feelings of being chosen, his experiences as a priest, and the moments of doubt that made him leave the priesthood and embark on a long personal journey toward renewal - including his tenure as an op-ed columnist at The Boston Globe writing about sexual abuse in the Church. 

Ultimately, Carroll calls on the Church and all reform-minded Catholics to revive the culture from within by embracing anti-clerical, anti-misogynist resistance and staying grounded in the spirit of love that is the essential truth at the heart of Christian belief and Christian life.

Please read the book before participating in the forum. James will be focusing on his Epilogue: A Catholic Manifesto. 

Many thanks to Ann Harrington, ARCWP, for her recent letter to the editor on the same theme:

June 13, 2029 Dismantle Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church

For many years I was a faithful reader of Maryknoll magazine and in its pages, I met a dynamic Catholic priest and Navy veteran, Roy Bourgeois.  He exuded the love and compassion of Jesus. In 2013 when I learned he was coming to Raleigh, I found myself much like the woman in Jesus’ parable who only wants to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment.  

Much to my delight I was asked to be Roy’s driver and take him to Pullen Church where he was going to tell the assembled of his work as a Maryknoll missionary for 40 years, how he became a human right’s activist and how following his conscience led to his excommunication and his dismissal from the priesthood.  If you are wondering what his crime was, it was his support of women’s ordination.

Roy has recently written an excellent memoir, “Male Supremacy in the Catholic Church” that I highly recommend.  Roy paid a high price in following the teachings of Jesus.  A price he was willing to pay.  He is a rare man and I know you will be enriched by reading his story.  I agree completely with these words of his: “This crisis in the Catholic Church is not complicated.  If the patriarchy that dominates the church is not dismantled and women are not treated as equals, the church will continue to diminish and, eventually die.”

I am an ordained Roman Catholic priest and founding pastor of Free Spirit Inclusive Catholic Community in Greenville.  If you would like to be part of the reform of the Church, consider visiting us.  All are welcome to participate fully in our services.  Email me for more information, all826@suddenlink.net 

NEW: People’s Catholic Seminary – PCS 506 Ancient Christian Texts for Healing - New cohort begins Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 7pm EDT and ends on June 21, 2022.

NEW: People’s Catholic Seminary – PCS 506 Ancient Christian Texts for Healing

PCS 506 Ancient Christian Texts for Healing 

New cohort begins Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 7pm EDT and ends on June 21, 2022. 

This course is available now for independent study.

 

Seeking health and wholeness is being human, and the wisdom from antiquity regarding health offers immeasurable value and a firm basis. This course opens the pages of mostly forgotten books written by the earliest followers of Jesus. Although we discuss why these ancient texts were not included in the Bible and how they were re-discovered, our main interest for this course lies in the healing messages they contain. The more we ponder their meaning, the more we find resonance in Biblical teachings as well. 

$100

Click here for more information and to enroll in this course.

Shirley Paulson, PhD – Course Instructor

Shirley Paulson, PhD is the founder and principal producer of Early Christian Texts: The Bible and Beyond. Shirley’s academic work focuses on early Christian writings, especially those relating to healing practices and theology. Her new book is Illuminating the Secret Revelation of John: Catching the Light, and she contributed to a chapter in Westar’s After Jesus Before Christianity. She currently serves on the Westar Institute’s Board of Directors. Prior to this work, Shirley served as the first Head of Ecumenical Affairs for the global headquarters of the Christian Science Church and served on the Board of the North American Academy of Ecumenists. 

Since this is an introductory course, I presume you know little or nothing about the lost and forgotten books, gospels, letters, and texts written about a hundred years after Jesus. Some of them are controversial, some inspiring, and some quite confusing to modern readers. But I will introduce you to the ones we’ll use in the course – how to find them, how to read them, and how to understand their basic messages.

Who should or shouldn’t take this course?• If you’re interested in expanding your ideas about healing… If you’re a scholar of religion without specific training in extra-canonical texts…

• If you want to alleviate suffering in the world or deal with tragedies and human sorrows…
• If you’re curious about what was going on during and after the New Testament time…
• If you like challenging yourself with big philosophical and religious ideas…
• If you are seeking deep answers to religious questions…
• If you have had some kind of uplifting, inspiring experience with a sacred text…

Then you definitely want to get going with this course! 

PCS Forum: Ancient Christian Texts for Healing – May 12, 2022 - 7pm EDT

PCS Forum: Ancient Christian Texts for Healing – May 12, 2022 -  7pm EDT

Presented by Dr. Shirley Paulson

https://youtu.be/baYH_RGmho8

In this forum, Dr. Shirley Paulson discusses the new PCS course: Ancient Christian Texts for Healing. This course begins Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 7pm EDT and ends on June 21, 2022. 

This course is available now for independent study. 

Seeking health and wholeness is being human, and the wisdom from antiquity regarding health offers immeasurable value and a firm basis. These ancient texts, that were not included in the Bible, contain healing messages. The more we ponder their meaning, the more we find resonance in Biblical teachings as well. Click here for more information and to enroll in this course.

Presenter: Shirley Paulson, PhD 

Shirley Paulson, PhD is the founder and principal producer of Early Christian Texts: The Bible and Beyond. Shirley’s academic work focuses on early Christian writings, especially those relating to healing practices and theology. Her new book is Illuminating the Secret Revelation of John: Catching the Light, and she contributed to a chapter in Westar’s After Jesus Before Christianity. She currently serves on the Westar Institute’s Board of Directors. Prior to this work, Shirley served as the first Head of Ecumenical Affairs for the global headquarters of the Christian Science Church and served on the Board of the North American Academy of Ecumenists. 

 

PCS 604 - Introduction to Pastoral Care - Cohort begins March 22, 2022

NEW PCS COURSE - REGISTER NOW: PCS 604 Introduction to Pastoral Care (Part 1) Cohort Class begins March 22, 2022

with Pacific Institute of Essential Conversations

https://pcseminary.teachable.com/p/604-pastoral-care

This 12-week course will introduce you to the basic elements of pastoral care.  You will explore and discern the use of both clinical and practical skills of a pastoral caregiver.  Topics such as deep listening, grief and loss, empathic distress, and much more will be explored.  At the end of this course, you will have an enhanced understanding of the field of pastoral care and some ideas about where, how, and with whom you can offer pastoral care.

COMING SOON: PCS 605 Introduction to Pastoral Care (Part 2)

with Pacific Institute of Essential Conversations

This 12-week course builds upon the basics learned in Intro to Pastoral Care Part 1.  In this course, we will go deeper in our exploration of the foundations of pastoral caregiving.  This course will also provide a framework by which you can begin to further develop your individual pastoral caregiving ministry.  There will be a greater emphasis on applied pastoral care skills and possibilities for a supervised practicum.

PCS Forum on Pastoral Care, Chaplaincy, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and more!

PCS Forum on Pastoral Care, Chaplaincy, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and more! 

https://youtu.be/O0qzklQUAhE

Pacific Institute of Essential Conversations invites you to engage in a panel discussion about Pastoral Care, Chaplaincy, Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE), and more.  In addition, they will introduce their upcoming course offering in People’s Catholic Seminary:  Introduction to Pastoral Care.  This course is scheduled to begin February 2022.

Presenters: 

John Jeffery, Th.D., M.Div., BCCC, Clinical Supervisor 

Director,  Pacific Institute for Essential Conversations

For over 35 years, John Jeffery has been an Interfaith spiritual caregiver. He has worked in hospitals, trauma centers, hospices and palliative clinics and has accompanied hundreds of individuals and families through their dying journey and has served at the bedside of countless individuals in the midst of their trauma, uncertainty and despair. John began his journey as a Methodist minister and has served as a professional clinical chaplain, pastoral counselor, spiritual director and end of life care practitioner. He is a graduate of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, and is a Board Certified Clinical Chaplain & Pastoral Counselor. John is a former Director of Spiritual Care Services for Kaiser Permanente where he established the first accredited Clinical Pastoral Education programs in Kaiser Permanent. He holds a doctoral degree in Ecological Theology. 

For the past ten years John has been a clinical supervisor of chaplains, spiritual directors and pastor counselors and often provides training in end of life care for physicians, nurses, therapists and hospice staff. He is a graduate of the Metta Institute for End of Life Care, A Fellow with the Association for Death Education and Counseling and a Fellow in Palliative and Hospice Care. John has been a student of Zen for the past 25 years. John offers pastoral counseling and spiritual direction to individuals both locally and nationwide.

John is a fully credentialed CPE Supervisor with the Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation (CSCPF).

Susan Shannon, M. Div., BCC

 

Susan Shannon is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and most recently, Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently teaches about spiritual care and chaplaincy through the Pacific Institute, as well as classes on Tibetan Buddhism through Sukhasiddhi Foundation, The Chaplaincy Institute of Interfaith Studies and various other Dharma Centers. Susan is the founder of the Buddhist Prison Ministry, providing correspondence classes to prison populations across the US. She resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and cares for the sacred ground she shares with many sentient beings!  

Reverend Jacquie Robb, BCCC is an Interfaith minister, Chaplain, grief counselor and hospice volunteer.

Rev. Jacquie began her study in religious traditions and practices over 40 years ago; she began a regular meditation practice shortly thereafter. In the early 1980s, she worked at one of the first NGOs that served people with HIV/AIDS in the Bay Area. Later, she owned and ran an independent bookstore before living and working on staff at an international meditation retreat site or ashram in upstate NY.

Rev. Jacquie was ordained in 2012 by the Chaplaincy Institute and received her national Board Certification in 2016. She served as the chaplain for a northern California retirement community of 450 residents and 275 staff, leading weekly services and developing classes and workshops on a variety of spiritual practices within multiple faith traditions. 

Rev. Jacquie returned to midcoast Maine in 2020 to pursue a life in a rural, co-housing community. She currently serves at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Belfast, leads a monthly conversation on matters of death/dying, volunteers at the local hospice, and sits on several committees in the co-housing community. She began training as a chaplain supervisor in February 2022.

Rev. Lily Godsoe, MTh, SEF, BCCC 

Rev. Lily Godsoe is an Interfaith Minister, Board-Certified Chaplain, and Spiritual Director.  She is also a Supervisory Education Fellow in the field of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE).  Rev. Lily is the President of CSCPF - The Center for Spiritual Care and Pastoral Formation, an International Community of spiritual care practitioners that educates chaplains and teaches CPE.  She received the call to ministry through her encounters at the bedside as a Zen Hospice volunteer and other spiritually-based outreach work.  Rev. Lily has worked as a chaplain in a variety of clinical settings, including hospices, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and skilled nursing facilities.  Born and raised in NYC, she is a first-generation Croatian-American with deep roots in the Catholic faith.  Nowadays, she self-identifies as a ‘spiritual eclectic’ - someone who holds a highly individualized spiritual belief system composed of selected elements drawn from various traditions and doctrines.  Rev. Lily lives in Half Moon Bay, CA with her husband, James, and their dog, Tito.  

NEW PCS COURSE - REGISTER NOW: PCS 604 Introduction to Pastoral Care (Part 1) Cohort Class begins March 22, 2022

with Pacific Institute of Essential Conversations

https://pcseminary.teachable.com/p/604-pastoral-care

This 12-week course will introduce you to the basic elements of pastoral care.  You will explore and discern the use of both clinical and practical skills of a pastoral caregiver.  Topics such as deep listening, grief and loss, empathic distress, and much more will be explored.  At the end of this course, you will have an enhanced understanding of the field of pastoral care and some ideas about where, how, and with whom you can offer pastoral care.

COMING SOON: PCS 605 Introduction to Pastoral Care (Part 2)

with Pacific Institute of Essential Conversations

This 12-week course builds upon the basics learned in Intro to Pastoral Care Part 1.  In this course, we will go deeper in our exploration of the foundations of pastoral caregiving.  This course will also provide a framework by which you can begin to further develop your individual pastoral caregiving ministry.  There will be a greater emphasis on applied pastoral care skills and possibilities for a supervised practicum.

Celebration of St. Brigit of Kildare - February 1, 2022 noon EST

 

WELCOME and INTRODUCTIONS:

A warm welcome to this Celebration of St. Brigit of Kildare!

I'm Bridget Mary Meehan from Sarasota, Florida. I was born in Ireland and emigrated with my family when I was 8 to the U.S. We have returned many times to visit family , and hope to return there as soon as COVID is under control. I am a priest serving the Mary Mother of Jesus Inclusive Catholic Community in Fl. and on Zoom.

With me is Mary Theresa Streck , from Albany, New York. She is co-founder of People's Catholic Seminary, and a priest serving the Upper Room Inclusive Catholic Community in New York. Mary Theresa and I have celebrated liturgies in Dublin with members of We are Church Ireland from 2015-2019. She will be taking care of the IT for us today.

(For our Zoom participants)

There are 3 parts to each section which consists of a brief introduction, short video, and 5 minute reflection time for prayer, journaling, and/or sharing on chat.

I have shared my pilgrim, notes, videos and more resources featuring some wonderful Brigit stories and legends which we will not have time to cover in 1 hour today. If you'd like to share this program and resource material with family, friends, or groups, you can do so at no cost. If you wish, you can make a donation to grow our mission at https://pcseminary.org/

Opening Prayer:

Aware of the Divine Presence within us and all around us, let us begin our time together with this Celtic Hymn to St. Brigid.

VIDEO: Gabhaim Molta Bride - Celtic Hymn for St. Brigid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy7rZ0nwMTc
(English Translation)

I pay homage to Saint Brigid
Beloved in Ireland,
Beloved in all countries,
Let us all praise her.

The bright torch of Leinster
Shining throughout the country.
The pride of Irish youth
The pride of our gentle women.

The house of winter is very dark
Cutting with its sharpness.
But on Saint Brigid's Day
Spring is near to Ireland.

INTRODUCTION- A Sacred Journey

Irish officials announced this past week that February 1 ,the feast day of St. Brigit will be celebrated as a national holiday starting in 2023. Mary Condren, an Irish theologian, who teaches at the Centre for Gender and Women’s Studies at  Trinity College Dublin, believes that this decision reflects the growing interest in Brigit and the role of women play in religion and society.

in an article entitled "Why the time is right to choose Brigid, saint or goddess, to be an icon for women" she writes, "Religious people honour St Brigid, while the disaffected turn to goddess Brigid...In a post-Covid world, we will be able to reflect further on her role, asking how the integration of nature, culture and technology can serve to heal our wounds and the vulnerable earth." https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/why-the-time-is-right-to-choose-brigid-saint-or-goddess-to-be-an-icon-for-women-1.4789132

In 1999, Sister Regina Madonna Oliver and I made a pilgrimage to Ireland on our journey in quest of the Celtic soul. We visited ancient monastic sites and holy wells associated with St. Brigit of Kildare. We interviewed three prominent experts on Brigit, Sister Mary Minehan, a Brigidine Sister in Kildare, Dolores Whelan in Faughart and artist Gail Donovan from Australia for a television program entitled GodTalk that aired in the DC metro area. In this celebration of Brigit, you will see clips of these interviews from my youtube video: "In Quest of the Celtic Soul."We also wrote a book about our on-site encounters in Ireland and Wales entitled: Praying with Celtic Holy Women .(available on Amazon and other online retailers.)

PART 1: BRIGIT: SAINT AND GODDESS- A THRESHOLD WOMAN

The myths, legends and stores about Brigit portray her as a goddess and a saint. Wrapped in the mystery of an older pagan goddess, St. Brigit lived in a time of transition between pagan and Christian beliefs. Although six lives of Brigit were written before the eighth century (and eighty during medieval times), it is difficult to separate fact from legend. Commentators believe that Brigit was born in 494 to a Christian mother and a Druidic father. 

Her symbol was perpetual fire representing wisdom, healing, poetry, metal-working, and the hearth. There are many delightful stories about her that are steeped in the druidic folklore of the early Celtic goddesses.

Some theorize that she may have been a priestess in service to the Goddess Brid (patroness of fire and knowledge in the Druidic pantheon) before her conversion to Christianity .

St. Brigit is a role model for spiritual seekers of all faiths interested in the healing of the planet, equality, justice and the transformation of the human heart.

In this video clip Dolores Whelan reflects on Brigit as a reflection of the feminine divine.

VIDEO:

QUESTION FOR GOING DEEPER:

Pause now for several minutes of reflection. Reflect on what surprised, encouraged or inspired you about this presentation?

What challenges do the legends and imagery of Brigit as goddess and saint raise for patriarchal religion? And/Or describe the impact of the Feminine Divine on your spiritual journey.

Feel free to share any thoughts or insights on chat if you wish.

MUSIC:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kqdt50zOaQ

PCS Forum - November 11, 2021 - Womanist Church - Presenters: Rev. Dr. Irie Lynne Session, Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp, and Rev. Dr. Jann Aldredge-Clanton

PCS Forum: WOMANIST CHURCH – November 11, 2021

1:00pm and 7:00pm EST 

Womanist Church Presentation at 1pm:

https://youtu.be/PZlLl1yEt1w

Womanist Church Presentation at 7pm:

https://youtu.be/E5Yn0f6PIOA

A womanist church has great power to transform church and society, primarily because womanist theology centers the experiences of Black women while working for the survival and wholeness of all people and all creation. Experiences of the triple oppression of racism, sexism, and classism give Black women an epistemological insight into recognizing injustice and creating solutions that benefit all. 

The Gathering is unique, the only church founded and identified as “womanist,” applying womanist theology to the full life and worship of a church. The Gathering, a womanist faith community in Dallas, Texas, welcomes all people to partner in pursuing racial equity, LGBTQ equality, and dismantling PMS (patriarchy, misogyny, and sexism), following Jesus in liberating the oppressed and lifting up the marginalized. 

The Gathering website: https://www.thegatheringexperience.com 

You are invited to experience the Gathering, a Womanist Church, on Facebook live every Saturday at 4pm Pacific Time, 5pm Mountain Time, 6pm Central Time, 7pm Eastern. Click here to join the experience:

The Gathering on Facebook.

The Gathering, A Womanist Church tells the story of the birth and ongoing development of a womanist faith community. This book includes personal narratives of people transformed in this community, womanist co-pastors’ sermons informed by their experiences and those of other Black women, and litanies for womanist worship.  The book is available on Amazon.com

Presenters: 

Rev. Dr. Irie Lynne Session is co-pastor of the Gathering, A Womanist Church, a Spiritual Entrepreneur, and Chief Illuminator of DreamBIG Courses, Coaching, Content Creation, & Connections. She holds a master of divinity with a certificate in Black Church Studies and doctor of ministry in prophetic preaching and transformative leadership.  Dr. Session is the author of Badass Women of the Bible: Inspiration from Biblical Women Who Challenged and Subverted Patriarchy and Murdered Souls, Resurrected Lives: Postmodern Womanist Thought in Ministry with Women Prostituted and Marginalized by Commercial Sexual Exploitation. For more information: https://dririe.com/dreambig-academy

Rev. Kamilah Hall Sharp is a St. Louis, Missouri native currently residing in Texas with her spouse, Nakia, and daughter, Anaya. She is a co-pastor of The Gathering, A Womanist Church in Dallas and a PhD candidate in Biblical Interpretation-Hebrew Bible at Brite Divinity School. Kamilah holds a bachelor of science in business economics, a master of divinity, and a juris doctor degree.

Rev. Dr. Jann Aldredge-Clanton, an ordained minister and author, is co-chair of Equity for Women in the Church, ministry partner of The Gathering, adjunct professor at Richland College, and co-leader of New Wineskins Community. Her books include Praying with Christ-Sophia, Changing Church, and Inclusive Songs for Resistance & Social Action.