CMSM National Assembly 2024
Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway | July 29 – August 1, 2024

This year’s theme focuses on the significant changes that are affecting religious life and draws on the long-standing practice of religious to rely on the Holy Spirit to navigate through changes.

Although it is widely recognized that male religious are living and ministering in a much-altered context from even 20 years ago, the pace and amount of these changes can seem overwhelming, as can what to do about them. This year’s Assembly is designed to prompt discussions around a series of key topics affecting the life and ministry of male religious, including mutual relations, safeguarding, and larger social and cultural shifts.

In addition to these conversations, Praesidium will present their revised Standards for an endorsement vote by CMSM members.

Join us in Atlanta, GA, to engage with these topics, converse with fellow leaders, and reflect on the changes impacting male religious life!

Pre-Assembly: Monday, July 29 (full-day program)

The Role of Leadership in Vocation Ministry

Learn more about the Pre-Assembly

National Assembly: Tuesday, July 30 – Thursday, August 1

Renewed in the Spirit: Changing Realities in Religious Life

Register for the National Assembly

Post-Assembly: Thursday, August 1 (half-day program)

Communal and Ministerial Planning

Learn more about the Post Assembly

Registration Details

Register now for the 2024 Assembly!

Early Bird pricing is available through Friday, May 3, 2024. 

  • Register here.
  • Early Bird pricing is available through Friday, May 3, 2024. Standard pricing takes effect on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
  • Once you have registered for the Assembly, make sure to book your hotel room(s) at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway using the CMSM booking link.
  • Assembly Registration closes on Monday, July 1, 2024, at 5:00 pm ET.

Early Bird Pricing (March 4 – May 3, 2024)

  • First Attendee:
    • $655
    • This rate is available through Friday, May 3, 2024
  • Additional Attendee:
    • $555 ($100 off)
    • This rate is available through Friday, May 3, 2024
  • Pre-Assembly: $115
  • Post-Assembly: $85

Standard Pricing (May 4 – July 1, 2024)

  • First Attendee:
    • $705
    • This rate is available through Monday, July 1, 2024
  • Additional Attendee:
    • $605 ($100 off)
    • This rate is available through Monday, July 1, 2024
  • Pre-Assembly: $115
  • Post-Assembly: $85

We encourage you to come to the Assembly with members of your council. For this reason, we have discounted registration for additional attendees from each community.

Schedule

  • Engaging topics

  • Group Discussions

  • Business & Regional Meetings

  • Board Elections

  • Exhibit Hall

  • Pre-Assembly & Post-Assembly

Monday, July 29 (7:30 am – 6:30 pm)

  • Pre-Assembly: The Role of Leadership in Vocation Ministry (full-day program)

A lack of new vocations was named by CMSM members as a key concern in last year’s member survey. While seeking and nurturing new vocations continues to be an important focus for religious communities, there are larger issues which also are essential to discuss, such as the changing nature of who is joining communities, the readiness of communities for candidates, and the role of leadership in vocation ministry. This pre-assembly, in partnership with the National Religious Vocation Conference, will help leaders and those in vocation ministry reflect on these issues.

Join us for presentations by Fr. Tom Gaunt, SJ on who is joining religious life, examining key statistics that impact vocation ministry; best practices in vocational accompaniment, discernment, screening, and admissions with the National Religious Vocation Conference’s Sr. Deborah Borneman, SSCM; and a panel of current CMSM members discussing key aspects of the role leaders play in vocation ministry.

  • Welcome Reception (tentatively scheduled for 5:30 pm)

Tuesday, July 30 (7:00 am – 7:00 pm)

  • Opening Mass
  • Mutual Relations: Issues and Possibilities
    • Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer and Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS converse with facilitator Dr. Susan Timoney about current issues in mutual relations as well as opportunities they see for better collaboration between bishops and major superiors.
  • Presidential Address
    • Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS, President of CMSM, offers some reflections on the theme of the Assembly – “Renewed in the Spirit: Changing Realities of Religious Life” – to help frame the discussions that will take place over the next two days.
  • Small & Large Group Discussions
  • Plenary Session: Presentation of the Revised Praesidium Accreditation Standards for Catholic Religious Institutes
    • Christy Schiller will present the changes to the Accreditation Standards, the rationale behind them, and outline how they will affect CMSM communities.
  • Regional Meetings
  • Nominations
  • Opening Reception
  • Exhibit Hall

Wednesday, July 31 (7:00 am – 6:30 pm)

  • Mass
  • Plenary Session: Social Science Perspectives on Changing Realities
    • Fr. Tom Gaunt, SJ, from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, and Dr. Tricia Bruce from the Springtide Institute will offer insights from social science on changing realities impacting religious life, such as: attitudes of younger generations toward institutions and belonging to organizations, trust deficits, concerns younger religious shared about continuing traditional apostolates of their communities, changes to who is entering communities, and other data.
  • Plenary Session: Leadership Reflections on Changing Realities
    • Join a panel of leaders who will kick off a discussion of the previous session with reflections on what they perceive is changing most quickly and impacting their communities the most, as well as some of the strategies they have used to discern how to deal with those changes. Table and large group discussions will follow.
  • Business Meeting
  • Evening Reception
  • Exhibit Hall

Thursday, August 1 (7:00 am – 5:00 pm)

  • Mass
  • Plenary Session: Safeguarding – Looking Back and Looking Forward
    • Fr. Dan Dorsey, GHM and Br. Nick Gonzalez, FSC will offer reflections on on the history of male religious safeguarding efforts as well as what they see as the biggest issues in this area at the moment, especially around adult misconduct. Discussions of the current state of safeguarding will follow, especially focusing on current needs of CMSM members in safeguarding.
  • Assembly Synthesis
    • Dr. Susan Timoney will lead small and large group discussions to help attendees synthesize their ideas and discern what action steps they’d like to to take after the Assembly.
  • Closing Luncheon (12:00 – 1:00 pm)
  • Post-Assembly: Communal and Ministerial Planning (2:00 – 5:00 pm)

As communities face fewer members in their communities, significant and careful planning efforts are needed to ensure the viability of ministries and personnel assignments. Matthew Manion, of Villanova’s Center for Church Management, will lead this Post-Assembly session, designed to help attendees learn best practices as well as red flags in their communal and ministerial planning, and give them an opportunity to discuss with others in leadership how to best enact plans in areas they have control over (such as personnel assignments) and respond to situations they don’t have control over (such as the sudden closure of a long-standing ministry by a diocese).

Assembly Program Overview

This year’s National Assembly theme is “Renewed in the Spirit: Changing Realities in Religious Life.”

We are pleased to welcome Dr. Susan Timoney back to the National Assembly this year as our Facilitator.

Daily Breakdown

  • Monday, July 29
    • Pre-Assembly – The Role of Leadership in Vocation Ministry
      • 9:00 am – Program begins
        • Who is Entering Religious Life? – Fr. Tom Gaunt, SJ, Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
        • Best Practices in Vocation Ministry – Sr. Deborah Borneman, SSCM, National Religious Vocation Conference
        • Leadership and Vocation Ministry Panel – Fr. William Kaliyadan, MS, Br. Joseph Trout, OP, and Fr. Michael Heine, OFM Conv.
      • 5:00 pm – Program concludes
  • Tuesday, July 30
    • Mutual Relations: Issues and Possibilities
      • Archbishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM Conv., Archbishop of Atlanta, and Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS, CMSM President
    • Presidential Address
      • Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, CPPS, CMSM President
    • Presentation of Praesidium’s Revised Accreditation Standards for Catholic Religious Institutes 
      • Christy Schiller – Praesidium
  • Wednesday, July 31
    • Plenary Session: Social Science Perspectives on Changing Realities
      • Fr. Tom Gaunt, SJ – Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, and Dr. Tricia Bruce – Springtide Institute
    • Plenary Session: Leadership Reflections and Discussion on Changing Realities
      • Fr. Oscar Vasquez, SM, Abbot Elijah Owens, OSB, Fr. Ruffino Ezama, MCCJ
  • Thursday, August 1
    • Morning –
      • Plenary Session: Safeguarding – Looking Back and Looking Forward
        • Fr. Dan Dorsey, GHM and Br. Nick Gonzalez, FSC
      • Assembly Synthesis
    • Afternoon –
      • Post-Assembly – Communal and Ministerial Planning
        • Matthew Manion – Villanova Center for Church Management, Fr. René Constanza, CSP

Speakers

More speaker details are coming soon!

Fr. Frank Donio, S.A.C.
Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Fr. Jeffrey Kirch, C.PP.S.
Missionaries of the Precious Blood

Matt Manion
Villanova Center for Church Management

Dr. Susan Timoney
The Catholic University of America

Dr. Tricia Bruce
Springtide Institute

Fr. Thomas P. Gaunt, S.J.
Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA)

Fr. Dan Dorsey, GHM Glenmary Home Missioners

Br. Nick Gonzalez, FSC De La Salle Brothers

Fr. Oscar Vasquez, SMThe Marianists

Abbt. Elijah Owens, OSB Order of St. Benedict

Fr. Ruffino Ezama, MCCJ Comboni Missionary

Logistics

Lodging:

Lodging has been arranged at the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway (2020 Convention Center Concourse, Atlanta, Georgia 30337). Click here for the CMSM booking link.

  • Hotel check-in: 3:00 pm ET
  • Hotel check-out: 11:00 am ET

Arrival/Departure:

  • Arrival: If you are not attending the Pre-Assembly on Monday, July 29, we recommend arriving anytime after 4:00 pm ET on Monday. There is a Welcome Reception at 5:30 pm on Monday, July 29. The Assembly programming will begin at 8:00 am ET on Tuesday, July 30.
  • Departure: Assembly programming will conclude after lunch (at 1:00 pm ET) on Thursday, August 1. The Post-Assembly will take place directly after lunch on Thursday, August 1 and conclude at 5:00 pm ET.

Airport: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

ATL Skytrain:

  • The ATL Skytrain will take you directly from the airport terminal to the Atlanta Airport Marriott Gateway.
    • From the domestic baggage claim area of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, at any time of the day or night, you can hop on a train to Gateway Center—absolutely free of charge, no ticket or pass required. The ATL SkyTrain arrives every two minutes and takes passengers on a swift five-minute loop.
    • Once you’ve collected your baggage, the SkyTrain building is just outside the glass double-doors. Look for the overhead signs directing you there.
      • If you’re coming from the South terminal baggage claim, exit through the doors marked W2. Follow the crosswalk to the SkyTrain building.
      • If you’re coming from the North terminal baggage claim, exit through the doors marked W1. Follow the crosswalk to the SkyTrain building

Ground Transportation:

  • Please read the information about the ATL Skytrain above. Unless you need to rent a car, you can get to the hotel straight from the airport via the Skytrain.
  • Information about rental cars and rideshare can be accessed on the ATL Ground Transportation website.

Parking at the Hotel: At the Marriott, self-parking is available for a daily rate of $32.

We look forward to seeing you in Atlanta, GA! If you have any logistical questions about the Assembly, please contact Greta David, Director of Communications, at [email protected] or (240) 394-1851.

Sponsors

If you are interested in learning more about how you can be an sponsor or exhibitor at our Assembly, please reach out to Chris Pierno.

Thank you to our sponsors who help make this National Assembly possible! Click on a logo below to learn more about them.

Gold Sponsors

Silver Sponsors

Bronze Sponsors

We welcome inquiries from organizations that offer services and programs that meet members’ needs. If you are interested, please send your information, including a link to your website and brief information about the services you provide, to Chris Pierno.