Category: Announcements

Schlabach to share lessons from Bridgefolk in Doris H. Murphy Memorial lecture, Oct. 4th

Doris H. Murphy

Catholics and Mennonites need each other. This is the conviction that animates the ecumenical group Bridgefolk, in which Doris Murphy was an enthusiastic participant. On October 4th, Dr. Gerald W. Schlabach will share lessons from Mennonite-Catholic dialogue at the 8th Annual Doris H. Murphy Memorial Lecture at St. Bridget Catholic Church in River Falls, Wisconsin, with online streaming at https://www.youtube.com/saintbridget.* His talk, entitled “Pilgrim People of Peace: Looking for a Map,” will conclude with his vision for how Catholics can heed their call to be peacemakers by being the “pilgrim people” that the Second Vatican Council envisioned. The lecture will begin at 6:00 p.m. CDT.

This lecture series was established in 2014 in memory of Doris H. Murphy (1937-2011), a former Faith Formation Director at St. Bridget Church and a teacher, writer, lecturer, and mentor who had a passion for catechesis, social justice, scripture study, liturgy, the Eucharist, Vatican II, and Environmental Spirituality. In her own words, most of her work was “trying to put together theology and the people of God.” 2021 is the 10th anniversary of Doris’ death.

*Update: The recording is now available at https://youtu.be/vx077sfSrpA​

Postponed: 2020 Bridgefolk summer conference

Dear Friends of Bridgefolk:

Because of safety concerns and the sheer uncertainty of the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, both here in Minnesota and across the nation, the Bridgefolk board made the decision to POSTPONE the 2020 Bridgefolk summer conference (July 23-26) at Saint Benedict’s Monastery and the College of Saint Benedict.

We are proposing postponing the conference to July of 2021, close to the usual dates for the Bridgefolk conference.

In the meantime, please be safe and proceed through friendship!

Marilyn Stahl    Abbot John Klassen
Co-chairs of Bridgefolk

Coordinator Position

Follow the link to download an application for the position of Bridgefolk Coordinator.

Bridgefolk (committed to ecumenical dialogue and sharing between Mennonites and Roman Catholics) seeks a part-time Coordinator to assist the Board of Directors in guiding the mission and vision of its ecumenical work. 

The Coordinator will assist the board co-chairs in planning and preparing for board meetings; attend to requirements for maintaining non-profit status in Minnesota; oversee the finances of the organization with the support of the treasurer; assist the board with fundraising initiatives; assist in the planning of the annual conference; and coordinate with planners of the Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium regarding the timing and themes of the colloquia.

The ideal candidate will be conversant with the work of Bridgefolk, energized by issues related to a sacramental life and a commitment to social justice, and able to balance both collaborative and independent effort.  The Board welcomes applicants who can volunteer their time as well as those in need of a stipend.  Bridgefolk is willing to cover conference fees and travel expenses associated with board functions, plus a negotiable annual stipend of up to $2,000.

Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium to ask: Does Peacebuilding Need Peace Theology?

The Mennonite Catholic Theological Colloquium, a Bridgefolk project, invites participation in a one-day conference at the University of Notre Dame, 19 October 2019. Presenters will trace the sources and significance of Mennonite-Catholic collaboration in peacebuilding, as well as its future prospects: As both Mennonite and Catholics in the field become more skillful practitioners and more sophisticated social-science researchers, what do they owe to the peace theologies that led to their historic collaboration? And what should be the contribution of theology in the future? Click here for more information.

“Catholic-Mennonite Gathering Planned for Winnipeg”

Article online by Will Braun, Canadian Mennonite 23:13 (24 June 2019), 16-17. PDF of the complete issue is also available. Will is a senior writer for the magazine.

The 18th annual Bridgefolk conference will be held at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, 25-28 July 2019. The theme is “Toward a Just Peace: Indigenous-Settler Reconciliation Through Friendship.”

Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective

Joint Ecumenical Document

Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective
Document issued 21 May 2019 by Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the World Council of Churches.

The purpose of this 13-page document is to encourage churches and Christian organizations to reflect on the structural roots of what has led to the disruption of peace in the world, and on their own current practices and priorities in relation to education and peacemaking. At the same time, it is hoped that the document, issued 21 May 2019, may assist a wider conversation on education for peace involving followers of other religions, as well as social and political actors in our multi-religious world, taking into consideration specific historical and cultural contexts.

Download full document: Education for Peace in a Multi-Religious World: A Christian Perspective (pdf)