Below you will find announcements from partner organizations that were submitted for CMSM’s most recent edition of Items of Note. If you are not receiving Items of Note to your inbox, please email contact@cmsm.org.
National Religious Vocation Conference
November 19-23, 2026, Join us at the NRVC Convocation at the Rosen Centre in Orlando, FL. Gather with all those who support vocations to religious life to be part of an inspiring conference, coming together as Bearers of Hope/Portadores de Esperanza/Sứ Giả Hy Vọng. Our keynote presenters are Brother Moises Gutierrez, OFM, Ph.D., Sister Vicky Larson, PBVM, Ph.D., and Brother Antonio D. Sison, CPPS, Ph.D. Visit our website for more information to experience hope bold enough to promote vocations across generations and cultures. Share our publicity video!
National Religious Retirement Office
The National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO) offers a range of online educational resources to help religious communities enhance their eldercare services and retirement planning.
In partnership with the Avila Institute of Gerontology, NRRO offers free quarterly webinars on topics related to aging and eldercare.
The next scheduled webinar, “Aging, Everyone Is Doing It!”, will be held Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 1–2 p.m. ET. Presenter Beth Long-Higgins will explore how cultural messages and personal attitudes shape the experience of aging and offer ways to reframe how we think and talk about later life.
The webinar is free for members of religious congregations and their staff. Use discount code NRRO when registering.
NRRO also offers several video series to support various aspects of eldercare and retirement planning.
- Basic Elements of a Comprehensive Retirement Plan is a five-part workshop covering the essential components of retirement planning for communities of all sizes and types.
- Tending the Vineyard is a five-part series on property planning for religious institutes, accompanied by practical supporting materials.
- Walking Together offers workshops and resources on dementia for caregivers and healthcare professionals.
Religious Formation Conference
FORMATOR PEER LAB
Fall Session: “Accompanying Real People: Formation in Complexity”
Thursday, September 24 | 10 am Central (4 pm London) | Online via Zoom
Formation ministry is sacred — and emotionally demanding. Formators accompany complex personal stories, hold confidential burdens, and make decisions that shape lives and communities, often carrying that weight quietly and alone.
The Formator Peer Lab offers a confidential space for real conversation about the interior and institutional weight of formation work. This isn’t another Zoom meeting or a rehash of familiar self-care tips — it’s a structured 90-minute gathering built for genuine reflection and support.
The fall session explores the real complexity of accompanying the people entrusted to your care. The format includes a brief framing reflection, confidential small-group case conversation, large-group reflection on emerging patterns, and practical tools for ongoing renewal. Small-group discussions stay confidential; the session will not be recorded.
Open to directors of formation, formation team members, congregational leaders, member area liaisons, and both new and experienced formators. No prior attendance required.
Come not to perform, but to reflect. Come not to fix, but to be strengthened.
Free and open to all active formators. Registration required.
Saint John Vianney Center
Saint John Vianney Center offers Monthly Support and Resource Meetings for Men Religious Leadership. On September 17, 2026, the topic of Caring for Senior and Retired will be addressed. To join the conversation go to:
https://bit.ly/SJVCMRLeadershipSupportMeetings. All virtual meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 4pm Eastern and are on a secure telehealth.
Registration is open for Saint John Vianney Center’s Suicide Prevention & Awareness Program for 14 more locations this fall. This program is to prevent suicide of your brothers. It is a one-day complimentary program designed for leadership. The program provides guidance and practical tools for greater confidence in accompanying those who may be struggling. For dates and locations, or to register, go to: https://bit.ly/SjvcSPEdworkshop
Planning for a workshop? If you are interested in a workshop for your community, Saint John Vianney Center offers a wide variety of topics that may be of interest to you and your men. Click here for some suggestions or call us to discuss your interest.
Visit us at https://www.sjvcenter.org/ or call 888.993.8885.
The Labouré Society
What if the dollars your community spends on formation costs could instead help grow your community’s ministry outreach or fund retirement expenses? Join The Labouré Society for a one-hour virtual information session on October 8th from 1-2 PM CST and discover how we can help free up funding for your community by assisting with candidates’ formation expenses and student loans. Register today.
Catholic Theological Union
We’re excited to invite you to Theologians of the Vatican II Era, a special public lecture course at Catholic Theological Union this fall.
For the first time since before the pandemic, CTU is bringing back its public lecture course, offering the community an opportunity to learn from leading scholars about some of the most influential theologians of the 20th century.
Over seven Tuesday evenings, we’ll explore the lives and ideas of theologians who helped shape the Church in the years surrounding the Second Vatican Council, including Yves Congar, Karl Rahner, Hans Küng, Edward Schillebeeckx, Marie-Dominique Chenu, Elizabeth Johnson, and Engelbert Mveng.
Lectures will be presented by scholars from CTU, the University of Notre Dame, and Fairfield University. A special highlight will be three lectures by Thomas O’Meara, OP, who personally worked with Congar, Rahner, and Küng.
Whether you have studied theology for years or are simply curious to learn more about the people and ideas that shaped the modern Catholic Church, we hope you participate.
We’d love to welcome you to CTU this fall! Learn more and register today: https://ctu.edu/event/theologians-of-the-vatican-ii-era-ctu-fall-lecture-series/
At the Foot of the Cross, We Find Our Brothers and Sisters
Each September, the Church celebrates the Exaltation of the Holy Cross and, the following day, Our Lady of Sorrows. Together, these days remind us that our faith does not turn away from suffering. We draw close to it, trusting that Christ is already there.
At Cross Catholic Outreach, we have the privilege of seeing religious live this reality every day. Through education, health care, pastoral ministry, clean water, housing, feeding programs, and countless other works of mercy, priests, brothers, and religious throughout the world remain close to people experiencing profound poverty and suffering.
Our recent time together at CMSM reminded us again how much stronger this mission becomes when we serve together.
As we approach the Feast of the Holy Cross, we invite you to join us in praying for the poor, for the missionaries who accompany them, and for all of us to recognize where Christ may be asking us to draw closer to someone who is suffering.
May the Cross we proclaim always lead us toward the people Christ calls us to love.
We also remain grateful for communities interested in exploring how their priests might share this mission through our Outreach Priest ministry.
To learn more about Cross Catholic Outreaches’ Outreach Priest program, and how you could assist with serving the poorest of the poor, please visit our site: HERE
National Catholic Partnership on Disability
Going to Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s Beatification? Come to Booth #725 and say hello to National Catholic Partnership on Disability (NCPD) staff Beth and Kelsey! Learn about the role clergy play in removing barriers to belonging and how NCPD’s resources can help and also see our adjustable ambo made out of Legos. We are so excited to connect with you!