A Listening Church in a Divided Nation with Cardinal Wilton Gregory

The Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, Leadership Roundtable, the Jesuitical podcast from America Media are coming together to host a podcast and dialogue with Cardinal Wilton Gregory at the 2024 Catholic Partnership Summit. Cardinal Gregory, the archbishop of Washington and the first African American cardinal, will engage in a dialogue with young leaders about how the Church can better listen as a community of faith and how young people can live their faith in a divided nation.

Cardinal Gregory recently joined Catholics from all over the world, from all walks of life, from all vocations, and of all ages at the Synod in Rome called by Pope Francis to help the Church better listen, learn, and journey together to proclaim the Gospel in our time. As the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Gregory serves a divided nation’s capital. We are months away from a presidential election that will decide the future of our democracy as deep division persists on issues like racism, abortion, migration, climate change, and more.

This podcast and dialogue with young leaders will explore how Catholics—especially young adults—can embrace synodality in our Church, pursue justice, engage in dialogue on these polarizing issues, and use the principles of Catholic social thought to seek the common good.

This evening will have two parts:

7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Live Jesuitical recording and Salt and Light Gathering 

A live recording of Jesuitical with co-hosts Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless in conversation with Cardinal Wilton Gregory followed by a dialogue with Ashley, Zac, Cardinal Gregory, and two young adults.

8:00 – 9:00 p.m. | Reception

Continue the conversation with other young leaders over food and drink.

Participants

  • Cardinal Wilton Gregory is the archbishop of Washington, a member of the Vatican Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life, and the former president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Cardinal Gregory was appointed by Pope Francis as the first African American cardinal and as a member of the Synod on Synodality.
  • Zac Davis, an associate editor, the senior director for digital strategy, and co-host of the podcast Jesuitical at America Media, will moderate this conversation.
  • Anna Gordon is the program director for the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University where she leads the Initiative’s Salt and Light Gatherings. She serves on the Young Adult Advisory Committee for the 2024 Catholic Partnership Summit and is the former associate editor of Education for Justice.
  • Ashley McKinless, an executive editor and co-host of the podcast Jesuitical at America Media, will moderate this conversation.
  • Fatima Vasquez-Molina is the service coordinator at Elizabeth Seton High School in Bladensburg, Maryland, and is currently studying in the Master of Arts program in Theology and Ministry with a concentration in Hispanic Ministry at Boston College. She is a graduate of the Catholic University of America.

This Salt and Light Gathering is for Catholics under 40 years old to help them explore links between faith, Catholic social thought, and their lives and work and is co-sponsored by Leadership Roundtable and America Media’s Jesuitical podcast.

Photo © Vatican Media

Recording and Accessibility​

For those who cannot join us in person, the gathering starting at 7:00 pm ET will be livestreamed and posted online for later viewing.

All in-person accommodation requests should be sent to cathsocialthought@georgetown.edu by February 23. A good-faith effort will be made to fulfill requests.