Our time together in Baltimore at the 2025 National Assembly was a blessed one! Our Past President, Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS, reviewed in his excellent Presidential Address our work during the days together:
“Our theme this year is Rejoice in Hope: Solidarity and Fraternity. Over the next few days we will be exploring these concepts from a variety of vantage points. The four words that make up our theme are rich in meaning. There is not a single manner in which they are to be understood. This gives each of us an opportunity to mine the richness in the words and to see how you as individuals can encounter them in your ministry of leadership.”
With the assistance of Dr. Ann Garrido, we then considered how we can use the power that we have in a way that uplifts others and draws them into deeper solidarity. Fr. Sam Sawyer, S.J., offered us a spiritual reflection that kept us focused on our sharing in the mission of Christ. We discussed with the aid of presenters issues of migration, pro-life, option for the poor, and care for creation. In light of these reflections the members of the Assembly decided to issue a statement on immigration which is available here. Our final session on fraternity opened a year-long discussion on communal life which will continue in our regional meetings and culminate at our National Assembly in Phoenix next year (July 20-23, 2026) with the theme: One in Christ: Communal Life Today.
We are grateful to Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States of America, and Archbishop William Lori, Archbishop of Baltimore and Vice President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, for joining us and offering us words of hope and encouragement in their homilies. We were also inspired by the presence and participation of the first cohort of the Young Religious Leadership Development Certificate Program. We installed and celebrated the new President of CMSM, Fr. James Herring, O.Praem., who begins his two-year term. We also are appreciative of our sponsors and exhibitors who support the Assembly.
Thank you to all those who participated in the 2025 National Assembly. The resources from it as well as from the Pre and Post Assemblies are available here. May we continue to keep each other in prayer.
In prayerful solidarity,
Frank Donio, SAC
Executive Director
This is an excerpt from the August 2025 Items of Note. Items of Note is a monthly email for CMSM members and partners. If you are not receiving Items of Note once a month via email, please email contact@cmsm.org.