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	Local Group Attends 36th Annual Call to Action International Conference By Lee Grim Daily Journal November 13, 2009 http://www.ifallsdailyjournal.com/news/church-news/local-group-attends-36th-annual-call-action-international-conference-111 A local ecumenical group of 17 priests, a deacon and lay leaders attended the 36th annual Call to Action International Conference in Milwaukee, Wis., Nov. 6-8. The theme of the conference was "Everyone at the Table: Rejoicing as People of God." About 3,000 people, from almost all USA states, Canada and some European countries attended the conference at the Midwest Airlines Convention Center. When Pope John XXIII addressed the opening of the Second Vatican Council, he warned of "prophets of doom" who only forecast decline when the Church opens to change. But Pope John was convinced that Divine Providence was leading people into a new way of being church. Now, almost five decades after Pope John's historic speech, Call to Action continues its work in creating an inclusive and just Church. The conference's activities concentrated on the places where the Second Vatican Council's words have yet to be fully embodied, places where members of the Body of Christ are still excluded and places where members of the Church are still suffering from exclusion. Conference organizers celebrate the Council's words and are working to create new ways to breath life into the Body of Christ. Three days of activity included liturgy and prayer, children and teen programs, just church programs, SNAP: Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, focus sessions, caucuses and receptions, workshops, musical performances and films, and keynote speaker presentations. Four members of our local group were asked by conference organizers to read, provide music and serve the elements at the Eucharistic services. Dianne Bergant, Professor of Biblical Studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago presented a plenary address on Saturday: "The Outsider Becomes an Insider: The New Center is on the Margin." She discussed the fundamental tension between the Bible's ethnocentricity and its call for inclusivity. She used the religious message of the Book of Ruth to address the various forms of marginality in our society today. She also pointed out the importance of listening to those on the margin and including them into the church. Activist poet, psychoanalyst, and cantadora (keeper of the old stories), Dr. Clarrissa Pinkola Estes spoke an address on Sunday titled, "Thunderous Gifts of the Holy Spirit and the Gentle Ones: Did You Think Creator was Kidding?" She asked us, "When did we last protect and sow the seeds of the Holy Spirit? And when did we last carry in the harvest by boldly living out loud the legacy we were granted at baptism and confirmation? Did we think Creator was not serious when we were given the profound gifts of the Holy Spirit then? Have we forgotten? Or been misled?" Almost 50 exhibitors presented information centered around gospel themes associated with anti-racism, environmental responsibility, inclusion of members of the gay/lesbian community in the church, inclusion of women as priests and bishops in the church, support for exploited immigrants, support for the homeless and poor in our society. The conference was an important way for group members to improve their education and training centered on issues of social justice and community action leading to a world of inclusivity and concord. It enabled us rejoice during daily Eucharist in an ecumenical and inclusive community.
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