Prominent American writer and speaker, Sister Joan Chittister OSB, will address a national convocation of Catholics next month via Zoom from the USA, reports The Southern Cross.

A vision for Catholicism: Renewal directions, priorities, hopes and aspirations, is the first of three convocations hosted by the Australian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR).

*Sr Joan Chittister OSB, pictured during a 2009 visit to Australia. She will be addressing an upcoming convocation on Church renewal in Australia. PHOTO: joanchittister.org/Fiona Basile.*

Sr Joan has for 50 years advocated on behalf of peace, human rights, women’s issues, and church renewal.

ACCCR Co-Convener Andrea Dean said the Chittister convocation would inspire Catholics who were insisting that the Catholic Church, through the Plenary Council process, address greater inclusion, especially for women and minority groups.

“The Plenary Council is an opportunity for much-needed change to the Catholic Church’s leadership,” she said.

“The Australian bishops must listen to the people of the Church and open their mind to the cultural and structural changes urgently needed to rescue the church from irrelevance.

“I strongly urge lay Catholics to participate in the Convocations.”

The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, will give an official greeting to the participants. He acknowledged in a recent interview that reform is needed in the Church because “the current mode of leadership is unsustainable”.

The Australasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR) is a collaboration of 19 member groups across Australia demanding Church reform.

The convocation will take place on Sunday May 2 at 9am AEST. Registration is free and open to all at acccr.com.au

This article is taken from articles published in The Southern Cross, the publication of the Archdiocese of Adelaide, and CathNews.