ST. PETERSBURG, FL: The Diocese of St. Petersburg invites the media to attend a Civil Dialogue Program that will help people learn how to tone down hostility and increase civility. The focus of the program is the issue of migration, which includes both the legal migration of refugees and those who arrive at the U.S. without any legal status.
This is the Diocese’s first ever Civil Dialogue Training Program and it will take place onSunday, August 13, 2017 from 12:30 p.m. to 3:15 pm. at St. Patrick Catholic Church (4518 S. Manhattan Ave. Tampa, FL 33611).
“We hope to provide people of faith a forum to engage in civil, respectful dialogue about divisive issues,” said Sabrina Schultz, the Director of the Office of Life Ministry. “This forum will encourage participants to share their own experiences regarding migration and connect them with the Church’s Social Teachings.”
Participants will practice listening with respectful openness and learn ground rules for civil dialogue. The dialogue will not be a debate about government policies; it will be a conversation based on local experiences, focusing on building understanding and respect among parishioners, no matter their positions or opinions.
This Civil Dialogue program is a collaboration between Catholic Relief Services and the Diocese of St. Petersburg’s Office of Life Ministry. Trained facilitators will guide parishioners in a dialogue that is structured to be productive and fosters a spirit of building bridges rather than division.
Participation in this program is by invitation only. For questions, please contact Sabrina Schultz at 813-246-6916 or at sab@dosp.org.
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About the Diocese of St. Petersburg
The Diocese of St. Petersburg is comprised of over 461,000 Catholics and includes 74 parishes, 7 missions, 48 schools and early childhood centers, a university, and a variety of social service, health care, housing and pastoral ministries located within the five counties of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando and Citrus. Mass is celebrated in 11 languages and we are led by our fifth bishop, Most Reverend Gregory Parkes.