Sacramento CTA Event

Caryl Callsen from the Sacramento Call To Action chapter sent this description of an upcoming event they are hosting. 

TIM STIER: Crying Out for Justice, A Parish Priest’s Story

Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016, 2-4 p.m.

The institution of the Roman Catholic Church is imploding due to the clergy sexual abuse of children and youth, its cover up by popes and bishops, and its refusal to recognize the equality of women and the dignity of gay and lesbian persons and their committed relationships and marriages. Tim will focus on his efforts towards structural reform first as a pastor and later during ten years of voluntary exile. He will frame this crisis in terms of justice/injustice and a glaring lack of prophetic leadership, and address the reasons why more priests don’t speak up. 

Tim Stier, age 66, is a priest in voluntary exile since 2005 from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. After serving in five parishes over a 25 year period, the last 12 years as a pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Fremont, Tim felt called to stand in public solidarity with clergy sexual abuse survivors, women, and gay and lesbian persons. His decision to refuse an assignment in 2005 led to the loss of salary and benefits and suspension of faculties to celebrate the sacraments. While in exile, Tim has written a book (2015), Crying Out for Justice Full-Throated and Unsparingly;  A Parish Priest’s Story, and led a public protest outside the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland every Sunday for nearly six years. He also supports abuse survivors, women, and gay and lesbian Catholics while working for structural reform in the institutional church.  Tim lives in Oakland with his mother, Audine.

Location:  St. Mark’s Methodist Church, 2391 St. Mark’s Way, Sacramento, CA 95864 (In the neighborhood behind Country Club Plaza.)

For more information and/or reservations call or email Caryl Callsen (209-295-2151) or graycall@volcano.net. Please let us know if you are coming so we can plan accordingly.