On Tuesday of next week, February 22, 2022, I will be taking part in an online event sponsored by the Cenacle Sisters and moderated by Mark Piper, their director for Ministry and Mission Advancement. I will be joined on the panel by WPI contributor Kerry Campbell, who has a wonderful podcast and apostolate called “RAISED CATHOLIC” that reaches out to Catholics who either struggle with their faith or who have been away from the Church. The other panelist, Karen Kiefer, directs the C21 Center at Boston College and is an accomplished educator and writer. (More information on the panelists is below.)

This will be an evening of prayer, testimony, and dialogue in a welcoming environment about the wounds in our Church during this time of division, hurt, and mistrust. Note that a minimum donation of $20 is required for registration.

I hope you will be able to join us!

Click here for the information page and click here to register!

An evening of dialogue among Catholics who hear, see, and stand in solidarity with those who struggle with church.

This is a two-hour panel discussion and dialogue. This live event shall be recorded. Much like the purpose of Kerry Campbell’s podcast, “Raised Catholic,’ this virtual event is a judgement-free space for all, but especially Catholics (baptized, practicing, lapsed, struggling, et cetera) and those who can be respectful of others experiences about the c/Church and the frustrations or hopes one has about claiming and living ones faith with integrity and in relationship to the church. To be exact, this is not a “church-bashing” endeavor. Rather it is an exercise in what Pope Francis calls a “listening church,” attempting to be a field hospital for those who may be wounded by the church or simply to stand in solidarity with those doing their best to live out their baptismal call in spite of the brokenness all around us. Given how personal faith is, and how fraught the current times are, it is worth reiterating that we ask that those who may not be open or charitable to the frustrations or experiences of others to perhaps discern out of this offering.

The evening will begin with an opening prayer, the panelists (Kerry Campbell, Karen Kiefer, and Mike Lewis) will each offer a short reflection on how they claim their faith in a broken church before the panel opens up to a question-and-answer segment with registered participants. Biographies of the panelists are found below; the moderator for this event is Mark Piper, director for Ministry and Mission Advancement for the Cenacle Sisters of North America (the program’s sponsor).

About the Panelists:

Kerry Campbell is a Catholic-Christian writer, podcaster, early childhood music teacher, church cantor, and mom to two wonderfully grown-up kids. She has a passion for helping Catholics find deeper meaning in our broken Church through encounter with God and an openness to Christian ecumenism. She produces the weekly podcast, RAISED CATHOLIC, as a judgement-free space for cradle Catholics both in and out of the pews who may be struggling with “church” but who are pursuing relationship with God. You can find Kerry’s writing on Instagram @kerrycampbellwrites and at her blog, My Little Epiphanies.

Karen Kiefer serves as the director of the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College. Before joining the C21 Center in 2008, she held positions in University Advancement and as an adjunct faculty member in the Communication Department also at Boston College. Karen is the founder of Spread the Bread, an award-winning, nonprofit organization and taught religious education in local parishes for 25 years. She is author of the children’s book, “The Misfit Sock” and recently authored the children’s book, “Drawing God,” sparking a world-wide movement. The mother of four daughters, Karen resides in Wayland, MA with her husband, Sam.

Mike Lewis is a writer and graphic designer from Maryland, having worked for many years in Catholic publishing. He’s a husband, father of four, and a lifelong Catholic. He’s active in his parish and community. He is the founding managing editor for Where Peter Is. Field Hospital is U.S. Catholic’s inaugural podcast, hosted by Jeannie Gaffigan, writer and executive producer of The Jim Gaffigan Show, and Mike Lewis, founder of the website Where Peter Is. Guided by Pope Francis’ vision of the church as a “field hospital” that continues to carry out the healing mission of Jesus Christ in the world, Gaffigan and Lewis speak with experts and Catholic personalities about important topics in the world today and how the church can meet hurt with healing.

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Mike Lewis

Mike Lewis is the founding managing editor of Where Peter Is. He and Jeannie Gaffigan co-host Field Hospital, a U.S. Catholic podcast.