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Not since the struggle over civil rights in this country have our nation’s faith communities been so challenged to move a major social issue beyond paralysis and fear toward a just and humane resolution. Comprehensive immigration reform is about ending a nightmare for millions of undocumented people now living in the shadows of our economy and society.The Catholic church, because of its deep ties to immigrant peoples, is being called to join with other religious and humanitarian groups in promoting policy reform as morally right, socially urgent and economically good for all. The title of this conference highlights the truth that the Christian church cannot genuinely celebrate Eucharist and ignore the plight of undocumented immigrants. For Catholics, wherever Mass is celebrated, there can be no strangers, no borders and no closed doors. The conference program is directed to pastors, preachers, liturgical ministers and social activists who seek to make evident that what happens in worship is directly linked to what happens on our nation’s borders, in our communities and in our own hearts. The conference will include opportunities to go to the border areas near Tucson to pray and to witness firsthand the many ministries that now serve migrants.This conference is cohosted by Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Tucson, Arizona.Why Arizona? Despite Arizona 's anti-immigration profile and a national boycott of ordinary convention business, we have decided it is important to our goal of reaching the national church to take our efforts directly to the problem. Read more about our decision to gather in Arizona .

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Lack of women will irreversibly harm the church

Published on National Catholic Reporter 

By Joan Chittister

Created Oct 17, 2011

The story is an old one and I've told it before, but never has it felt so ominous as it does right now.

It happened this way:

About 15 or 20 years ago, I gave a series of conferences in a parish in Canada.

I like Canada a lot — its beauty, its pace, its seeming patience with conflict and its apparent calmer approach to otherwise disruptive subjects — subjects that lead to almost immediate choosing up of sides down here. Maybe it's the Brit in them. Or maybe, given their smaller population and more far-flung population centers, wildfire simply isn't as wild north the border as it is here. Whatever.

At any rate, what was already euphemistically called "The women's issue" here appeared at that time to be a great deal less of an issue to our neighbors to the north.

So I was surprised when the topic came up at lunch from the couple hosting my visit. More than that, I was surprised at what triggered it.

It wasn't the dearth of theology around the question of the ordination of women that piqued them. It wasn't the growing statistic on the coming decline in the priesthood that worried them. It wasn't the fear of merging parishes that troubled them.

On the contrary. They had a good parish, they said, a fine and loving parish priest, the kind of congregation that was family to them and the kind of faith to trust the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit among them.

What bothered them was their 4-year-old daughter. She was a quick-minded child. Precocious. Persistent. Confident. They knew, they told me, that some day, she would question the difference between what her brother could do in the church and what she could do. That would be years away, of course, but still — maybe more for themselves than for her — they were struggling, to no avail, to find a reason good enough to appease her, they said.

Then, suddenly, one Sunday morning after Mass as they sat at the family breakfast table, it happened.

"Mama," she said suddenly, "why don't we have any girl priests at our church?"

They looked at one another, dumbstruck, unprepared. Too late. There was nothing left to do now but be honest.

"Because, darling," the mother said, "our church doesn't allow girl priests."

The little girl pursed her lips and frowned. "Then why do we go there?" she demanded.

With the retreat to Vatican I in full force, this question and its answer get closer and closer. ...