16th Annual Benefit Dinner Spotlights Laity’s Role in the Church

Over 300 FutureChurch supporters gathered in Cleveland on October 5th to celebrate 16 years of education and advocacy in the progressive Catholic movement.  Dr. Paul Lakeland, the Aloysius O. Kelly, S.J. Professor of Catholic Studies at Fairfield University, served as the keynote speaker for the event.  A highly respected theologian, writer, and lecturer, Dr. Lakeland challenged the audience to revisit their “baptismal priesthood.”  He stated that “one of the endemic problems of the Catholic Church is its tendency towards the infantilization of its members. The layperson may have a complex and demanding life, but in the church, he or she is an infant.”  He encouraged the laity to embrace their adult role as leaders as the Church continues its transformation into a new and enlightened state.