People's History is a project documenting the generational memory of the Second Vatican Council’s reforms and promises. Through conversation and reflection, we are co-creating a recorded and embodied archive. Our vision is to root the lived experience of Vatican II in Call To Action’s current and future work.

Record Your Memory

If you would like to share your memory of Vatican II or help record and process the wisdom of our community, we would love to partner with you! This is the cornerstone of our current efforts. Please explore our work through the articles below and propose a piece (video, written reflection, art, audio recording…) of your own!

In Community

If your parish, your local social justice group, your Thursday night dinner party, or your friends and family (you get the idea) would like to participate in the People's History project, this facilitation guide can support you. Contact abby@cta-usa.org with People’s History inquiries or to share your People’s History creation on our website.

People’s History of Vatican II

News
Honoring closing chapters
Honoring closing chapters

CTA is grateful for the many chapters that have come and gone over the years. A chapter closure is not a failure — we honor the past and allow new things to emerge.

NCR: Excommunicated or not, Call to Action leader served his church, community
NCR: Excommunicated or not, Call to Action leader served his church, community

Besides working to better the lives of people who are disadvantaged or discriminated against, in 1996 John Krejci was a founder of Call to Action Nebraska, a local chapter of the national church reform group. [...] John died at home on Aug. 11, 2021. He was 84 years old.

Hans Küng and Call To Action
Hans Küng and Call To Action

Call To Action is grateful for the role that Hans Küng played in our organization’s history.

People’s History: Facilitation Guide
People’s History: Facilitation Guide

In this facilitation guide, we provide a template for how you might hold a People's History of Vatican II conversation or gathering.

Founder Daley: “I couldn’t hope for a better continuation of CTA.”
Founder Daley: “I couldn’t hope for a better continuation of CTA.”

CTA is once more growing, and growing stronger from our core. As we close 2020, I thank you for your commitment. Together, we can make 2021 transformative.

2020 Year-end Report and Appeal
2020 Year-end Report and Appeal

Forty-four years after bishops convened the first CTA conference in 1976, what has endured and indeed flourished? The following reports on CTA now through this lens.

People’s History of Vatican II Series Begins
People’s History of Vatican II Series Begins

How did Vatican II shape individuals, Call To Action, and our Church as a whole? In a second phase of this project, we are publicly documenting memories of Vatican II through a series of posts on our website.

Special appeal: Celebrating the spirit of Vatican II
Special appeal: Celebrating the spirit of Vatican II

The People’s History of Vatican II helps us strengthen our roots, passes on wisdom to future generations of Catholic reformers, and builds our long-term capacity as a Catholic social justice organization.

Questions for sharing about Vatican II
Questions for sharing about Vatican II

How would you have imagined the "future of the Church" in the 1960's? In the 1970's? How do you imagine that future today?

CTA Featured in National Catholic Reporter Series
CTA Featured in National Catholic Reporter Series

Heidi Schlumpf looks at Call To Action’s past, present, and future and has a thoughtful take on the challenges and opportunities facing our organization.

Perspectives
Giving Away // Giving Back
Giving Away // Giving Back

During the Advent season, we contemplate the actions we can take to bring a little more light and justice into this world. In the following piece, Craig Simpson of Massachusetts Catholics for Indigenous Rights shares how he placed land justice principles into action.

As Catholic bishops punish dissent, Rosemary Radford Ruether’s life and legacy show the way forward
As Catholic bishops punish dissent, Rosemary Radford Ruether’s life and legacy show the way forward

Lauren Barbato in Religion Dispatches: “At a time when Roe will likely fall, and Catholics have substantial representation in the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, the choice to remain silent carries almost as high stakes as the choice to dissent.”

Intergenerational and cross-class organizing
Intergenerational and cross-class organizing

The average person from the "baby boomer" generation has over ten times the wealth of the average millennial.

People’s History: A final reflection
People’s History: A final reflection

Through 130+ written submissions, four gatherings, many one-on-one interviews, and eight published reflections, we have connected with over 200 people across our intergenerational Call To Action community.

People’s History: ‘A Community of Communities’ (Fr. Richard Renshaw)
People’s History: ‘A Community of Communities’ (Fr. Richard Renshaw)

Whether it’s progressive or it’s reactionary, top-down doesn’t work in the Church. It’s a community.

People’s History: Fred and Nichole
People’s History: Fred and Nichole

From Vatican II to the LGBTQ+ closet: “open the windows and let in the fresh air.”

People’s History: Intergenerational Connection
People’s History: Intergenerational Connection

In our People’s History of Vatican II gathering, it was wonderful to talk about our broken but beautiful Church and, simultaneously to embody community and Christ in our coming-together across generations and regions of the country.

People’s History: Reneta Webb
People’s History: Reneta Webb

“I have great hope… It’s not even a century since Vatican II and we haven't even begun to squeeze the juice out of that.”

People’s History: Jim Sullivan
People’s History: Jim Sullivan

We can sense Jim’s story interweaving with our salvation story, this story of ongoing creation of the beloved community, of clear vision and hope—a relational story of our interconnectedness with each other and our triune God.

People’s History: Word Clouds
People’s History: Word Clouds

This week, we encourage you, our community, to reflect on the themes shared by our network of elders. In what way is the Spirit of Vatican II still speaking among us today?