Prophetic Communities Conference - Info Page

Welcome

Thank you for attending the Prophetic Communities: Organizing as an Expression of Catholic Social Thought Conference, being held at the University of San Francisco from February 9-11, 2023 at the McLaren Conference Complex. For questions, please contact the person listed the corresponding section below or email the Lane Center directly at lanecenter@usfca.edu. We look forward to being in community with you soon!

About 

This conference will explore how Catholic theology and social thought has given rise to community organizing and how community organizers embody and shape the Catholic social tradition. Convened at the University of San Francisco, this three-day event will bring together scholars across disciplines with community organizers of various networks to build relationships, knowledge, and capacity for theological reflection and praxis. Our hope is that bridging the church, academy, and social movements, this conference will foster the solidarity and synodality that Pope Francis has envisioned.

Registration 

General registration closed Dec 15th. To register after this date please email afox@jesuits.org.

Agenda

Conference Agenda:

Thursday, February 9th 

4:00 to 5:00pm

Reception & Registration (McLaren Lobby)

5:00 to 6:00pm

Opening Liturgy (McLaren 250)

Celebrant & Homilist Brendan Busse, Pastor, Dolores Mission; Leader LA Voice

6:00 to 7:00pm

Welcome by Fr. Paul Fitzgerald, SJ

Plenary 1: Why Organizing?

Sr. Cheryl Liske, OP, Gamaliel National Network

Nicholas Hayes-Mota, Teaching Fellow, Boston College and Organizer, GBIO

Bob Fambrini, SJ, Pastor, St. Francis Xavier Parish; Board Member FIA

Ogechi Akalegbere, Leader, Action in Montgomery

Moderated by Tere Flores, Co-Director of Movement Development, Laudato Si’ Movement

Friday, February 10th 
8:30 to 9:00am Breakfast & Registration (McLaren Lobby)

9:00 to 10:00am

Plenary 2: Organizing and Synodality (McLaren 252)

Austen Ivereigh, Co-author of Let Us Dream: the Path to a Better Future with Pope Francis

Moderated by Cecilia Flores, Sacramento ACT & Action Planning Chair, USCCB Journeying Together Initiative

10:15 to 11:30am

Breakout Conversations

11:30am to 1:30pm

Lunch

1:30 to 2:45pm

Workshops:

Organizing and Ministerial Formation (McLaren 251)
Mary Lim-Lampe, Rev. Ray Pickett, Daniel Rhodes

Teaching Organizing Through a Catholic Lens (McLaren 250)
Liz Hall, Joseph McKellar, Ana Garcia-Ashley

Labor Organizing in Catholic Tradition (Fromm, Maier Room)
Ken Homan, SJ, Clete Kiley

Laudato Si’ as an Organizing Project (Fromm, Berman Room)
Tere Flores, Jose Aguto, Diana Marin

Nonviolent Strategic Campaigns (McLaren 252)
Eli McCarthy, Maureen O'Connell

Organizing 101 (Fromm, Maraschi Room)
Will Rutt, Cecilia Flores

3:00 to 4:15pm

Breakout Conversations

4:15 to 5:00pm

Coffee Break

5:00 to 6:00pm

Liturgy

6:00 to 7:00pm

Plenary 3: Organizing and Theology

Lorena Melgarejo, Director Faith in Action Bay Area

Jeremy Cruz, Associate Professor of Theology, St. John’s College of Liberal Arts & Sciences

Timothy McManus, Senior Organizer, IAF


 
Saturday, February 11th 
8:30 to 9:00am Breakfast

9:00 to 9:45am

Concluding Panel

Mary Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

Ralph McCloud, Executive Director, Catholic Campaign for Human Development

Fr. Tony Pizzo, OSA, Provincial of the Midwest Augustinians

Joe Rubio, Co-Director, IAF

9:45 to 11:30am

Small Group Listening and Discernment

11:30am to 12:30pm

Closing Liturgy

Confirmed Speakers

Austen Ivereigh, Co-Author of Let Us Dream: the Path to a Better Future with Pope Francis

John Baumann, SJ, Founder, Faith in Action Network

Teresa Flores-Onofre, Co-Director of Movement Development, Laudato Si Movement

Ralph McCloud, Executive Director Catholic Campaign for Human Development

Sister Cheryl Liske OP, Gamaliel National Network

Mary Novak, Executive Director, NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice

Nicholas Hayes-Mota, Teaching Fellow, Boston College and Organizer, GBIO

Ogechi Akalegbere, Leader, Action in Montgomery

Cecilia Flores, Sacramento ACT & Action Planning Chair, USCCB Journeying Together Initiative

 

Included Workshops

Breakout 1- Organizing and Ministerial Formation
Breakout 2 - Teaching Organizing through a Catholic Lens        
Breakout 3 - Labor Organizing in Catholic Tradition  
Breakout 4 - Laudato Si as an Organizing Project   
Breakout 5 - Nonviolent Strategic Campaigns        
Breakout 6 - Organizing 101

Interpretation

This conference will be held in English. If you need Spanish interpretation, please contact Annie Fox at afox@jesuits.org. 

Travel and Lodging Information

With the exception of speakers / facilitators, all registered participants are responsible for their own travel, lodging, and transportation arrangements. You are welcome to use a USF discount code at the recommended hotels listed here

Meals

Breakfast and lunch will be provided on Friday and Saturday. Other meals will be on your own. Please visit our list of local restaurants here.

Covid Information 

All visitors to USF are expected to follow our community guidelines related to Covid prevention. Please review up to date guidelines before coming to campus. 

Accommodations

USF accommodates individuals with disabilities. If you need a disability-related accommodation or wheelchair access information, please contact lanecenter@usfca.edu at least 14 days prior to the event.

Event Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors for their support in making this event happen:

The Joan and Ralph Lane Center for Catholic Social Thought and the Ignatian Tradition at the University of San Francisco
Jesuits West
The Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center 
University Ministry at the University of San Francisco