Washington, D.C. – The 2018 Catholic Social Ministry Gathering will take place February 3-6, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC.
The Gathering, organized by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and 16 collaborating organizations, attracts more than 500 participants from around the country and seeks to equip Catholic leaders and emerging leaders to bring the voice of faith to the public square.
The theme for this year’s Gathering is “Building Community: A Call to the Common Good.” “The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering seeks to help Catholics respond to Pope Francis’ call to be missionary disciples who work together to promote the common good and protect the life and dignity of God’s children at home and around the world,” said Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Justice, Peace and Human Development.
Joining the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development in organizing the Gathering are numerous other USCCB departments and national Catholic organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Rural Life, the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities, and others.
Bishop Dewane will celebrate a Welcome Mass on Saturday, February 3, and USCCB’s president, Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo of Galveston-Houston, will celebrate the Sending Mass on Tuesday, February 6. Bishop Eusebio Elizondo, Auxiliary Bishop of Seattle, will deliver the Keynote Presentation on “Where is your brother?”.
Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown, Ohio, Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism will address the ramifications of racism in society and the Church, and Mauricio López, Executive Secretary of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), will lead a panel presentation on the experiences of indigenous and rural communities and their connection to environmental matters in anticipation of the 2019 Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon announced recently by Pope Francis.
A Plenary and Dialogue on “Moving from a Throwaway Culture to a Culture of Encounter” will include Sr. Patricia Chappell, Kim Daniels, Dr. Maryann Cusimano-Love, Dr. R.R. Reno, and Fr. Matt Malone.
Workshops include: Best Practices in Responding to Racial Unrest: Lessons Learned from Ferguson; Restorative Justice in Parish Life; the V Encuentro; a Catholic Response to Migration Policy; Nuclear Threats to the Common Good: Disarmament, North Korea and Iran; a Catholic Response to the Opioid Abuse Crisis; Common Ground on Climate Policy; Developing Affordable Housing for the Vulnerable; and others.
