Previous Events
German Synodal Way Event
There is something very hopeful happening in the German Catholic Church fueled by the disastrous handling of the sexual abuse crisis.
The National Conference of Catholic German Bishops have joined with the National German Lay organization to co-lead a Synodal Way looking at the following areas in groups co-led by a lay person and bishop:
Power and Separation of Power in the Church
Relationships and Sexuality
Priestly Ministry
Women in Ministries and Offices in the Church
You may find a recording of this event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMBIrCGA1J8
Black Wall Street – Tulsa Oklahoma Race Massacre
In case you missed our June 13, 2021 webinar on the Tulsa Massacre please use the link below to take the amazing tour of the history with the local Tulsa leader, Lincoln Cochran. Just use this link to the CTA Metro NY youTube channel.
On June 13th Lincoln Cochran, Director of Creativity and Inclusion Development for bwsaokla.org explored the history of one of Americas most affluent Black enclaves Greenwood, Black Wall Street Tulsa Oklahoma America. Though immersive exhibits, historical record, and compelling artistic works the educational conversation consisted of a live zoom segment from our community exhibits including the opportunity for deeper discussion with curator Lincoln Cochran.
The exploration included the following:
1). Marvin Blades Sr. Faces of Greenwood Timeline, (a one thousand square foot hallway in historic Greenwood West of photos, ephemera, and memorabilia from 1890-2020 chronicling black excellence in America with the legacy of Greenwood).
2) The University of Tulsa McFarlin Special Collection in Historic Greenwood West (120 photographs of the reconstruction of Greenwood after one of the word acts of domestic terrorism in the United States, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921).
3) The Black Wall Street Alliance Art Hall featuring the work of Patrick McNicholas creator of Time Travel Tulsa. (Lenticular prints of the past and present combined to afford viewers further perspective into the scale and weight of historically significant photographs.
4) The Living Arts of Tulsa pop-up / walk-up galleries also in Historic Greenwood West. (Excerpts from the Oklahoma collection of photographic prints of Black Oklahoma).
About the Presenter:
Lincoln Cochran is Director of Creativity and Inclusion Development for Black Wall Street Alliance, Oklahoma (bwsaokla.org). Mr. Cochran is also the Director Creativity & Inclusion Development for myinfotechfame.org, your Information Technology Fine Arts & Media Education. An inclusive Pre-K-12th Grade, English Language Development, IB World Theatre SL & HL, Google Education, WIDA, SIOP, SRI, Speech, Drama, and Debate certified career educator in the great state of Oklahoma.
With over fifteen years of classroom experience; Dallas Community College, Tulsa School of Arts & Sciences, and a decade at the pinnacle of public high school Theatre Arts education; Booker T. Washington High School (his alma mater) to now at front line in the fight against the cycle of poverty in public education for the Tulsa Public Schools Office of Language & Cultural Services as an English Language Development Facilitator at Marian Anderson Elementary School; TPS.
Interview with Gregor Marie Hoff, Spiritual Advisor to the German Synodal Way
The German Catholic church is in crisis. Sexual abuse by clergy as well as the inadequate response by the hierarchy are identified as a major cause of this contretemps. In 2018 a church-commissioned report detailed the abuse of more than 3600 children in Germany since the 1960’s. As a result, the church as an institution lacks moral credibility, and, not surprisingly, weekly church attendance has dropped in many dioceses to single figures.
The Bishops’ Conference in conjunction with the powerful, lay-led Central Committee of German Catholics are involved in a two-year consultation which began last December. This process is named the Synodal Way which is best seen as a serious reform consultation within the church. There are four main topics on the agenda: the exercise of power in the church, sexuality and partnership, priestly life and celibacy, and women’s roles in the church.
The organizers claim that their report will look to the future development of the church, especially in Germany, but without setting aside any of the core traditional values of the Roman church.
The interview which is conducted by members of the executive board of Call to Action is with Professor Gregor Marie Hoff who acts as a spiritual advisor to the Synodal Way.
#German Church in Crisis
#German Church Lacks Credibility
#Women’s Roles in the Church
#The Synodal Way and the Exercise of Power in the Church
Here is the LINK for the 43 minute Zoom interview:
Interview with leaders of NYS effort to pass HALT bill for NYS prisons
The H.A.L.T. ( Humane Alternatives to Long Term) Solitary Confinement
(A 2500/S. 1623) bill, would limit the time an inmate can spend in solitary confinement.
Listen to a discussion with Rev Victor Pate and Jerome Wright, two formally incarcerated men currently working on prison reform and the passage of the HALT Bill in NYS.
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/26r8OcgNKBBOS6du9w2VJPSwwZ74q-tc5hn1i99S6JFA8SxJmAr_wqZWUeLIB6kN.iuWEdbXpwj8TXmBE?startTime=1597423786000