Appeal: Support CTA’s young Catholic leaders of color

Greetings,

My name is Jacob Gonzalez. I’m a Mexican-American from Arizona. And a seminary-trained chaplain to the sick and dying at Bellevue Public Hospital in New York City.

Today, though, I write to you as a 2020 member of Call To Action’s Re/Generation program.

In a moment, I’ll ask you to chip in—a dollar, a thousand dollars, any amount—to enable our work as Catholics bringing dozens of justice-minded young leaders together to reform the Church. But first, I want to tell you a bit more about who we “Re/Generators” are. Especially us Re/Generators of color.

As we start the program’s fourth year, we Re/Generators come from across America—from California to Vermont to Montana. We’re passionate about building one another up as leaders in the movement to make Christ’s Church the place of unconditional welcoming that our God has always called it to be. Black and Latine Catholics, queer Catholics, women called to ordained ministry—the Church hierarchy is slow to listen to us. We Re/Generators are working to change that.

Every year, Call To Action gathers an (increasingly large!) cohort of Re/Generators virtually or in-person over six months, and supports their growth as leaders. In turn, many of us Re/Generators lead projects that connect even more young, diverse Catholics to Church reform. Most recently, my fellow Re/Generators were key to Call To Action’s 2020 campaign culmination: In Advent 2020, Call To Action...

• held 12 virtual events attended by over 400 unique individuals, like a series of liturgies led by queer and trans people;

• published 35 reflection pieces and released two lobbying projects, like one creating score-cards exhibiting bishops’ statements on race;

• organized an action reaching 27 parishes, calling for all genders’ ordination;

• used four strategies to create change in the Catholic Church: education, lobbying, direct action, and alternatives.

And now, for the first time, we’re launching TWO new Re/Generation cohorts. One cohort will connect teams of Re/Generators with local, long-time Call To Action leaders, especially around our chapters across America.

The other cohort will connect Catholics of color from across America.* My friends, Re/Generation does sacred work; its mission is to make the Church safe for its most vulnerable and oppressed members. And for me, Re/Generation has done just that. Before becoming a Re/Generator, I didn’t feel like I, a gay Mexican-American, could call myself Catholic. The Church as I knew it was hostile to my existence. My fellow Re/Generators helped me to imagine a different future for the Church. They helped me to see a side of American Catholicism that I’d never known: kinder, warmer, and more hopeful.

My friends, will you chip in today to help hundreds of other young Catholics share in my Re/Generation experience?

In these hard times, when so many cannot give, those of you who can are especially important. You can give at cta-usa.org/donate. Contributions to our last appeal averaged $50. Thank you!

Together, we can secure a more just and hospitable future for Christ’s Church.

In Christian solidarity,

Jacob Andrew Gonzalez

PS If you can, give monthly, so we can plan better and work steadily from your support!

*Do you identify as a person of color? Gather monthly with the Person of Color Caucus of Call To Action! Learn more and sign up at cta-usa.org/antiracism