Speaker on Catholic Church Reform

Catholic Church Reform leader Debra Rose-Milavec, co-Director of FutureChurch, to speak in Binghamton on Tuesday June 4 – 7pm at St Francis of Assisi Church in Hillcrest. Rose-Milavec a leading advocate for reform of the Catholic Church – will make Syracuse the second stop on her “Throughway Tour” sponsored by Upstate New York Call To Action (CTA), the local affiliate of the National CTA Association leading the challenge to act for justice and build inclusive Catholic communities.

At a time when the Catholic Church locally, nationally and globally continues to face fall-out from the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Ms. Rose-Milavec brings a vision of hope, aiming to restore credibility to the institutional church by creating just, open and collaborative structures for Catholic worship, organization and governance; a return to the Church’s early tradition of both married and celibate priests, as well as to the Church’s earliest tradition, modeled on the inclusive practice of Jesus, of recognizing both female and male leaders of faith communities. Her presentation titled: ‘CRACKS of HOPE IN A RIGID INSTITUTION: Don’t Throw in the Towel’ is informed by her first-hand observations and experiences on the ground in Rome during the recent Vatican Synod on the Family. All are welcome.
On her visit to Upstate NY, Rose-Milavec will also speak in Rochester and Albany.

Contact: Meg Ksander at 315-395-9308 or Fr. Tim Taugher at 722-4388

Deb Rose-Milavec serves as Co-Director (along with Russ Petrus) of FutureChurch (futurechurch.org), a twenty-eight year old national organization seeking changes that will provide all Roman Catholics the opportunity to participate fully in the life, ministry, and governance of the Church. FutureChurch has five initiatives and has developed hundreds of programs, campaigns, and educational materials that focus on a) the Future of Priestly Ministry, b) Women in Church Leadership, c) Emerging Models of Parish and Community Life, d) Save our Parish Community, and e) Justice in the Church.

Deb has more than 28 years of experience working in community and Church-based organizations with a strong background in theology, Church history and Catholic social teaching. Her professional experience includes serving as Executive Director at the Domestic Violence Prevention Agency and Shelter in Shelby County, Ohio; Program Director for the American Friends Service Committee; and prior to coming on board for FutureChurch, she served as Vice President and Project Director for Catherine of Siena Virtual College, offering women’s and gender studies worldwide with a special outreach in Africa, China, India, the Philippines, Thailand and other countries in Asia. Deb holds a Master’s Degree in Theology and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies. She trained as a lay pastoral minister in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and is an Associate of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.