Reflecting the Word: A Conversation with Robert Choiniere
Igreja, Povo que se Liberta (“The Church, a People Going Free”)
– Motto of Third Inter-Church Gathering of Base Communities, João Pessoa, Brazil, July 1978
Our special thanks to Robert Choiniere, D.Min, the founder of Ignatian Encounter Ministry, for joining us from Rome on March 14, 2024. Robert shared his background in pastoral planning and how it has influenced his current work, provided an overview of the history and mission of Ignatian Encounter Ministry and the ways its virtual infrastructure is contributing to the Syond on Synodality and the ongoing “synodal conversion” of the church, and walked us through the process of Spiritual Conversation that is rooted in Ignatian practices. We also discussed how new kinds of conversational spaces are giving the church a deeper sense of its global identity and pondered the concept of a “circular church” in which “we all become learners.”
Christian Life Community USA | Christian Life Community Canada
World Union of Catholic Women’s Organizations
Robert Choiniere, D.Min, is the founder of Ignatian Encounter Ministry. He has been a professor of theology at Fordham University and has served as the Director of Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Brooklyn and Parish Pastoral Council Coordinator in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia. He is also the former chair of the Conference of Pastoral Planning and Council Development (CPPCD). Dr. Choiniere holds a Doctor of Ministry from Fordham University, an MA in Pastoral Ministry from Boston College, and a BA in Theology and Theatre from DeSales University.
Image: Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Colored engraving. Wellcome Collection. Public Domain Mark. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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