Vatican Official to Give New Ways Ministry Lecture on Synodality & Reconciliation

New Ways Ministry is pleased to announce that Sr. Nathalie Becquart, XMCJ, Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, will be delivering the 2022 Father Robert Nugent Memorial Lecture.

Speaking to LGBTQ people and their allies, Sr. Nathalie will explore the topic of synodality as a path of reconciliation. The present Synod on Synodality from 2021-2023 aims at the synodal conversion of the Church to become a listening Church and an inclusive Church with the style of discernment. The question Sister Nathalie will offer some thoughts on: How can we put synodality into practice?

The lecture will occur Sunday, April 3, 2022 at 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. Eastern U.S. Time via Zoom. The lecture will be delivered in English.

Francis DeBernardo, executive director of New Ways Ministry, commented on the upcoming lecture:

“Sr. Nathalie’s acceptance of our invitation is a strong sign that Pope Francis truly wants all people to be involved in the synod discussions taking place in our church today. I hope that all U.S. dioceses would provide many opportunities for everybody to share their faith journeys with each other and to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. I hope that LGBTQ people and allies will be made to feel welcome and comfortable at these events, too.”

Sister Jeannine Gramick, SL, co-founder of New Ways Ministry, said:

“For decades, LGBTQ people have tried to dialogue with Catholic leaders, and have been too often rebuffed. Now, with Pope Francis’ leadership, real listening and learning can happen as we journey together through the synodal process. Sr. Nathalie’s encounter with LGBTQ people and their allies is hopefully only a beginning for rich, new dialogue taking root in the church.”

The Father Robert Nugent Memorial Lecture is a series instituted by New Ways Ministry to honor the memory of one of its co-founders Father Robert Nugent, SDS, who passed away in 2014. The purpose of the lectureship is to address topics that were dear to Fr. Bob’s mind and heart: pastoral outreach to LGBT people and their families, theological developments in the area of sexuality, homosexuality and gender, building bridges of reconciliation between the LGBT community and institutions within the Catholic Church.

The previous two speakers in the Nugent Lecutre series were Reverend Charles Curran, theologian, (2016) and Patricia Beattie Jung, theologian (2018)

We hope Bondings 2.0 readers will join us for this historic event, which brings a Vatican official into conversation with LGBTQ people and their allies as part of the synodal process. For more information or to register, please click here.

—Robert Shine (he/him), New Ways Ministry, February 28, 2022