For Immediate Release
April 14, 2008

Contact:
Emily Holtel-Hoag
17307 Madison Avenue
Lakewood, Ohio 44107     
216-228-0869 ext. 3
emily@futurechurch.org

 “If I could talk to the institutional church, what would I say?” FutureChurch will ask Catholics for feedback at Open Mic. Night

FutureChurch would like your feedback to the question “If I could talk to the institutional church, what would I say?  Just imagine you had the ear of a prominent Catholic leader.  Who would it be – the Pope, Cardinal George of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Bishop Richard Lennon Lennon, an inspirational Catholic leader of our past?  What would you say if you were given this opportunity for open and respectful dialogue?  What would you say is going right in the church?  What concrete suggestions do you have for the future?

Please join us for what is sure to be a lively conversation.  FutureChurch has invited a panel of people representing a variety of ages and Catholic experiences to begin the conversation.  Kathleen Thomas, a member of the FutureChurch Generation Next and Programming committees who planned the event, looks forward to participating in the conversation.  Kathleen “wants to be part of a community with other Catholics who refuse to allow themselves to be satisfied with the status quo.  I was born Catholic, I am Catholic.  Developing my spirituality through discussions like this and a reform organization like FutureChurch helps me to stay Catholic.”

The event will be held on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Sweetwater Landing overlooking the Emerald Necklace Marina and the Rocky River. Snacks, cold drinks, coffee and tea will be provided along with a cash bar of beer and wine.  There is no charge for the event, but a free will offering will be accepted.  Sweetwater Landing is located at 1500 Scenic Park Drive, Lakewood, Ohio 44107.  For directions go to sweetwaterlanding.com.

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FutureChurch, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, is a national coalition of 5,000 parish-Centered Catholics striving to educate fellow Catholics about the seriousness of the priest shortage, the centrality of the Eucharist (the Mass), and the systemic inequality of women in the Catholic Church. FutureChurch makes presentations throughout the country, distributes educational and informational packets and encourages widespread discussion of the need to open ordination to all baptized persons who are called to priestly ministry.