Fr. Tony Flannery off to a great start on the East Coast

The Catholic Tipping Point Tour featuring conversations with Fr. Tony Flannery is off to a great start! The Irish priest is the founder of the Association of Catholic Priests in Ireland. A popular retreat leader and speaker in Ireland, he was reprimanded by the Vatican but has refused to be silenced. His presentation and answers to questions during the tour have covered a wide range of issues facing our Church. Like he did in his book, Tony has shared his story, the importance of conscience and his worries about the centralized institutional Church and its lack of transparency or accountability.

The 18 city tour kicked off in DC at the National Press Club, followed by a public event with a crowd of about 150, where Maureen reported that he and his host were "grinning ear to ear". In NYC, organizers said the crowd so far outreached their expectations that they had to bring more chairs to the room four times! In Rhode Island, the gathering was followed by a wonderful dinner with Fr. Tony and in Boston, the event's Q & A concluded on a high note as the audience erupted into applause after one audience member observed that "Your being silenced may have been a cause of pain for many, but it has also been a blessing for many, like us here tonight, to hear your wisdom and inspiration."

In the coming week, Tony will head toward the Midwest and then join us in Memphis before heading South and finishing up on the West Coast. To find out if he's coming to your city, check out the full schedule!