Author: gws

Discerning the future of Bridgefolk: 
an invitation to join the conversation

Bridgefolk, the grassroots movement of sacramentally-minded Mennonites and peace-minded Catholics, celebrated its 20th anniversary of summer conferences in 2022. That gathering, entitled “Standing At The Crossroads,” offered an opportunity to look both back in gratitude and forward, as we began to discern the future path for Mennonite-Catholic dialogue and peacemaking. We now wish to invite Bridgefolk participants to resume this discernment.

Since 2022, the Bridgefolk board has taken some new initiatives. We have explored partnerships such as the co-sponsorship of the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) Rooted & Grounded conference in 2023 and a partner relationship with AMBS in 2025. We have also made greater use of on-line opportunities to connect Bridgefolk participants through webinars and evening prayer.

At the same time, we have witnessed the Spirit at work in Mennonite-Catholic reconciliation beyond the bounds of Bridgefolk. In 2025, conversations between Catholics and plain Mennonites began in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. At the celebration of 500 years of Anabaptism in Zurich, Switzerland in May 2025, Cardinal Koch of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity read a letter from the newly elected Pope Leo XIV during the worship service that celebrated reconciliation with Lutheran, Reformed and Catholic believers.

While we have much to celebrate, much has changed in the broader society and ecclesial world in the past 25 years. A younger generation no longer has the strong institutional commitments of prior generations and is more open to exploring other religious expressions and to marry persons of other faith traditions. Meanwhile, some of the founders and early participants in Bridgefolk have become less active due to the limitations of health and aging, and some have departed from us. Saint John’s Abbey, which offered hospitality and leadership to Bridgefolk since its founding, and the Saint Benedict’s Monastery community, are both in a time of discernment as their communities age and are diminishing in size. Current board members have raised concerns about the efficacy of in-person conferences given the financial expense, as well as the environmental considerations of travel.

As Joetta and Gerald Schlabach – current executive director and webmaster, respectively – anticipate concluding these responsibilities in mid-2027, the board is asking the hard questions:

  • Is there sufficient interest and energy/capacity to continue Bridgefolk in its current structure into the future?
  • How does an organization know when its mission is accomplished?
  • If Bridgefolk continues, what shape might it take? Do we have a critical mass of people to give leadership, time, and energy to a next expression of Bridgefolk?

The board would like to expand the circle of this conversation to include persons for whom Bridgefolk has been a home during these past 25 years. To that end, we are scheduling several regional, in-person conversations as well as on-line opportunities. If you would like to join the conversation …

click here to register

Local dialogue continues in Lancaster PA

Roughly 50 people met once again at St. Mary’s Parish in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, April 25th, for the second annual Anabaptist-Catholic dialogue. Fr. James Lease, ecumenical officer of the Diocese of Harrisburg gave welcoming remarks on behalf of the Catholic Bishop, Timothy Senior. As in the past, the Anabaptists present included both plain and progressive congregations, Mennonites, Brethren, Bruderhof, and Old-Order Amish. There were also a few Anglicans in attendance. All age groups were present. The dialogue coincided with a Plough Magazine readers meetup and a pizza lunch, hosted by the Bruderhof, earlier in the day.


Sean Domencic, co-organizer of the dialogue, presided at the the event. In his opening remarks, Domencic emphasized that the objective of this dialogue was neither to be promote a “feel good” ecumenism which fails to acknowledge doctrinal divisions nor to be a “debate club” which seeks to proselytize one another. Rather, the event was rooted in the prayer of Jesus that “all might be one” (Jn 17:21), which demands we understand the grace of God in other traditions and urgently seek to reconcile our divisions. The concept of the “Anabaptist Ordinariate” (by which Anabaptists might retain their traditions while entering into sacramental communion with Catholics) was reiterated, along with a call for those interested in expanding the scope of the Lancaster dialogues to volunteer.

The dialogue began with prayer, in the form of a hymn, praying Psalm 133, reading a homily of Pope Leo XIV on Gospel non-violence, intercessions, and a short Scripture reading. The meeting focused on the stories of martyrs in the Anabaptist and Catholic traditions. The first reading was the ancient martyrdom account of Saint Polycarp, read in sections by a Mennonite and a Catholic. The second reading was the Martyr’s Mirror account of the martyrdom of Dirk Willems, read by a Catholic. The third reading was the martyrdom of Bishop John Fisher, read by a Mennonite.

In the discussions that followed, Anabaptists were surprised by the early Church emphasis on venerating the relics of the martyrs. Catholics acknowledged grief at the persecution of Willems and the dangers of the Church entangling herself with political power. Several participants expressed hope that these martyrs are, through the mercy of God, reconciled in Heaven and of one mind about Christian doctrine, despite being on opposite sides of the Reformation. The latter half of the discussion surprisingly turned towards church discipline in our respective traditions, and the success and failure of applying it.

The gathering closed with a Catholic reading the martyrdom of Michael and Joseph Hofer (Hutterites killed by the U.S. government for refusing the draft) and an Amishman reading the martyrdom of Franz Jaggerstatter (a Catholic killed by the Nazi government for refusing the draft). A closing prayer was followed by singing the Doxology. Around a dozen people stayed for another hour of free-form discussion.

Weldon Nisly on faith and peacebuilding

In a recent episode of the podcast Liturgical Rebels, Bridgefolk co-founder Weldon Nisly shares his extensive journey in ministry and peacemaking, highlighting the importance of liturgy in shaping community identity. He discusses his recent experiences in Iraq and Kurdistan with Community Peacemaker Teams, emphasizing the need for non-violence training and the significance of personal connections in peacemaking efforts. Nisly shares his experiences and insights from working in conflict zones, particularly in Kurdish regions and Palestine. He discusses the ongoing quest for peace, the importance of community engagement, and the challenges faced by those living under oppression. The conversation also touches on the emotional toll of witnessing violence and the need for spiritual resilience. Additionally, the discussion highlights the complexities of immigration and the impact of war on displaced populations.

Click here to listen

When Mennonites inherit a Catholic church

The sound of a cappella harmony in a Catholic sanctuary

by Nate Showalter
Substack, 16 May 2026
reprinted with permission

Five centuries after Anabaptists were denounced by both Catholics and Protestants as dangerous radicals, a Mennonite congregation in Baltimore has purchased a former Catholic church and school complex. A recent article in Anabaptist World described the moment as “a minor Reformation.”

The former St. Thomas Aquinas Church — built in 1871 with vaulted ceilings, stained glass, a bell tower, kneelers, and a pipe organ — will now become the home of Hampden Mennonite Church.

History sometimes moves strangely.

The Catholic parish declined.
The Mennonite congregation grew.

And now descendants of people who once distrusted cathedrals, organs, and religious ornament will gather beneath soaring Gothic arches to sing a cappella hymns.

Not everything in the story is ironic.
Some of it is quietly moving.

Especially the sound.

Continue reading “When Mennonites inherit a Catholic church” →

Helmut Harder (1934-2026)

We mark with grief the death of Helmut Harder, Canadian Mennonite church leader, theology professor, ecumenical leader and friend of Bridgefolk, on May 7.

Harder served as the Mennonite co-chair of the International Dialogue between the Catholic Church and Mennonite World Conference from 1998 to 2003. In that role he played a leading role in drafting Called Together to be Peacemakers, the final report and breakthrough document that has been a key reference point for Bridgefolk and its grassroots contributions to ecumenical dialogue between Mennonites and Catholics.

Harder first attended Bridgefolk in 2003 in order to report on the international dialogue, and occasionally thereafter. He also reported on the dialogue at a 2007 academic conference at the University of Notre Dame, organized by Bridgefolk in order to follow up on Called Together to be Peacemakers. Papers from that conference were later published in the book Sharing Peace: Mennonites and Catholics in Dialogue.

In 2012 Harder spoke at Bridgefolk’s annual conference on the topic, “The place of Scripture in the Catholic and Mennonite traditions.” He also helped lead a long-running local dialogue in the Winnipeg, Manitoba, area.

To read Harder’s obituary, click here.

5 May webinar “Proceeding Through Friendship in the Workplace” now available

What happens when a Catholic goes to work in a Mennonite institution or vice versa? This will be the topic of conversation among four persons who have done just that. Bridgefolk board Co-chair Phil Waite will moderate a conversation with Jeff Gingerich, president of St. Bonaventure University, located in Olean, New York; Judith Davis, Professor Emerita of French and Humanities at Goshen College, Indiana; Shuji Moriichi, Director of the Pastoral Care Department at Mercy Medical Center, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Karla Cuca Vásquez, a nonprofit leader who serves as Ambassador of SEMILLA, the Latin American Anabaptist Seminary in Guatemala. This conversation will explore how these experiences have shaped each person’s spiritual practices and deepened their understanding of both Mennonite and Catholic institutional cultures.

Click on the image below or go to our Webinars page.

Pope Leo, global church bodies, speak out against Iran war

Holy Week liturgical texts this year in Rome became occasions for Pope Leo XIV to speak out against wars around the world, and especially in Iran. Less than a year after beginning his papacy with words of peace affirming explicitly that “the peace of the risen Christ” is a “disarmed and disarming peace,” Leo has been remarkably blunt.

Vatican diplomacy requires understatement, and Leo’s Palm Sunday homily did not name world leaders by name. But the pope’s message was unmistakable. Reflecting on Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem as the King of Peace who rejected violence, and citing Isaiah 1:15, Leo pointedly declared that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.”

At a time when US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth is conducting regular prayer meetings in the Pentagon praying for military victory in Jesus name, commentators have underscored the contrast (see here and here). On Holy Thursday, Leo furthered his unmistakable message by lamenting Christians’ historical support for colonialist violence. Through the cross, he preached, “The imperialist occupation of the world is thus disrupted from within.”

Meanwhile, Mennonite World Conference has joined with numerous global church bodies in condemning US and Israeli attacks on Iran as “clearly illegal under international law.”

“Having taken this path, Israel and the United States of America must not be permitted to once again create a desolation and call it peace. … We appeal for an immediate ceasefire, for the urgent resumption of diplomatic engagement and political dialogue through established international and regional mechanisms, and for full compliance by all States with their obligations under international law, including the UN Charter.”

Videos from Bridgefolk 2025 now available

Due to various technical difficulties, it has taken us a few months to post videos from our summer conference in Winnipeg. We apologize for the delay.

Thankfully, they are now available by clicking here. You will find keynote addresses by Dr. Jennifer Otto and Fr. John Klassen OSB, along with Q&A sessions following each one. Also available is a panel discussion with stories of ecumenical dialogue.

Bridgefolk formalizes relationship with Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

When Bridgefolk formed in 2002, Saint John’s Abbey in Collegeville, MN – under the leadership of Abbot John Klassen – offered to be a home for this fledgling movement. Initial annual conferences were hosted by the Abbey. After several years, some of the Catholic participants expressed interest in visiting Mennonite settings. Conferences began to alternate between the abbey (as well as Saint Benedict’s Monastery) and various Mennonite institutional settings locations in Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ontario, Manitoba, Washington, and Indiana. Over the years, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Ind. hosted three conferences and several of its faculty members served key roles in Bridgefolk leadership and on the board.

In 2024 the Bridgefolk board initiated conversations with AMBS leadership about the possibility of establishing a formal institutional relationship, so that Bridgefolk would have both Catholic and Mennonite “homes.” This has now been formalized in a memo of understanding, signed in summer 2025.

Some of the items of mutual benefit outlined in the agreement include:

  • a designated Bridgefolk board member appointed from the AMBS teaching or administrative faculty.
  • opportunities to co-sponsor events of shared interest and to collaborate in the development of biblical and theological resources that further our shared call to peacemaking.
  • providing a safe space for Catholics and Mennonites who wish to study and worship in each other’s milieu, together with Saint John’s Abbey

The bylaws of Bridgefolk specify that one director of the board be “an official representative of a recognized body or institution within the Mennonite tradition.” This agreement formalizes AMBS as this “recognized institution body or institution,” for the sake of continuity and accountability.