Watch CMN's four-part webinar series exploring practical components of restorative justice approaches within Catholic ministry. Each session highlights a particular “Opportunity in Ministry,” drawing out themes and learnings that are applicable to all settings.

Through interactive exercises and conversations with restorative justice practitioners and fellow Catholic leaders, participants glean practical wisdom and develop a customized engagement roadmap for their parish or ministry.

DOWNLOAD: CMN's Restorative Justice Engagement Roadmap template

Each webinar session utilizes content and tools featured in CMN's restorative justice engagement guide, Paths of Renewed Encounter. Viewers come away with ideas and next steps for sharing learnings with their communities.

Session 1: Public Education and Community Resilience

Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021 | 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT)

Review basic concepts of restorative justice through the lens of Catholic teaching, and explore how intentional community-building with restorative practices can help prevent violence, build resilience, and foster public support. Group will focus on identifying a goal, core values, and reading the signs of the times.

Featured Speaker: Desirée Anderson (University of New Orleans and Restorative Justice Network of Catholic Campuses)

Session 2: Creating a Restorative Ministry

Tuesday, Nov. 30, 2021 | 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET (4 - 5:30 p.m. PT)

Discern ways of integrating restorative justice practices into a new or existing ministry to meet unaddressed needs, repair relationships, and create spaces for healing. This session will emphasize equitable leadership in a core team along with opportunities for training and mentorship.

Featured Speaker: Andrea Travers, M.A., D.Min. (Insight Prison Project and Circles of Support and Accountability)

Session 3: Supporting a Restorative Initiative

Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, 2021 | 2 - 3:30 p.m. ET (11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT)

Consider how your parish or institution might partner with external organizations dedicated to restorative justice and how to provide support that helps restorative justice thrive and grow. Participants will explore collaborative stakeholder engagement and assess the gifts and resources that the parish/ministry might offer a local restorative justice effort.

Featured Speakers: Liane Rozzell and Bill Casey (Restorative Arlington Project)

Session 4: Becoming a Restorative Institution

Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021 | 7 - 8:30 p.m. ET (4 - 5:30 p.m. PT)

Learning from the “whole school” model of implementation, this session looks at ways to develop restorative justice as an organization’s primary response to internal harms and racial injustices. Here, participants will practice communicating their plan and evaluating the impact of their restorative approach.

Featured Speakers: Fr. Larry Dowling (St. Agatha Catholic Church) and Kayla Jackson (Old St. Patrick's Catholic Church)

About the Facilitators

L. Tomay Douglas is a restorative justice equity educator, social worker, substance abuse counselor, consultant, and coach. She is a facilitator with Restorative Justice Education (RJ Ed) and is a Restorative Roots Collaborative member facilitating participatory action research. Tomay is a Ph.D. student and resident restorative justice practitioner at the University of San Diego, project leader of HEAL Humanity Now!, facilitator on the RJ Certificate training team, and graduate assistant at the Center for Restorative Justice at USD.

Caitlin Morneau serves as Director of Restorative Justice at Catholic Mobilizing Network. She was the lead adaptor for CMN’s faith formation guide, Harm, Healing and Human Dignity: A Catholic Encounter with Restorative Justice, and led the collaborative creation of Paths of Renewed Encounter: A Restorative Justice Engagement Guide for Catholic Communities. Caitlin holds an MA in Conflict Transformation from the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding at Eastern Mennonite University and is trained in circle process and restorative community conferencing.