Saturday, June 6, 2026 - Loyola University Chicago
CONGRESS FOR SPIRITUAL AND PUBLIC LEADERSHIP: HOLY RESISTANCE
CSPL’s annual Congress is a one-to-three-day conference/retreat that brings together people from across Chicagoland and the Midwest for theological formation, organizing workshops, leadership trainings, collective discernment, relationship building, strategic planning and collaboration in a direct action related to our campaign goals.
LISTEN & DISCERN
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COLLABORATE & STRATEGIZE
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GAIN PRACTICAL TOOLS
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BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS
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LISTEN & DISCERN • COLLABORATE & STRATEGIZE • GAIN PRACTICAL TOOLS • BUILD NEW RELATIONSHIPS •
Congratulations to the 2026 Burning Bush Award Winners!
Thomas H. Geoghegan, Esq.
Thomas Geoghegan is an attorney at the firm of Despres, Schwartz & Geoghegan in Chicago. Thomas Geoghegan joined the firm in 1979 and quickly established himself as a prominent labor lawyer. Over the years, Tom has represented labor unions and employee groups in many significant cases in various United States district courts and courts of appeals. We recognize Tom for his remarkable representation in CSPL’s lawsuit to gain ongoing access to bring pastoral care to the people detained in the Broadview ICE facility.
Patrick Dahlstrom, Esq.
Patrick Dahlstrom is a Securities Litigation attorney working in Chicago, Illinois. Patrick Dahlstrom assists clients with Civil Rights, Constitutional Law and Appellate issues. He graduated from American University Washington College of Law in 1987 and has practiced law since 1988. This award recognizes Patrick for his impactful represetation in CSPL’s lawsuit to gain ongoing access to bring pastoral care to the people detained in the Broadview ICE facility.
Royal Berg
Royal Francis Berg is a lawyer practicing immigration, naturalization, and political asylum law in Chicago. He cofounded the weekly rosaries at the Broadview ICE facility alongside Sr. JoAnn Persch, RSM and Sr. Pat Murphy 20 years ago. Royal received a B.S. degree from Bradley University in 1975, and has been licensed for 41 years.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Melrose Park
The parish community of Our Lady of Mount Carmel have played a key role in CSPL’s work throughout the past year. The parish hosted both the October 2025 Mass and Procession honoring the life of Silverio Villegas González and the 2026 Ash Wednesday Mass celebrated by Cardinal Blase Cupich.
We are immensely grateful to Fr. Leandro Fossá, C.S. and the parish for working so closely alongside CSPL.
Scalabrinian Missionaries
The Scalabrinian Missionaries are an international religious community of priests, sisters, and lay people dedicated to serving migrants and refugees. Their presence at Our Lady of Mount Carmel connects the shrine’s historic Italian roots with a broader mission of welcoming and supporting immigrant communities. These fathers have contributed invaluably to the work of CSPL over the past year.
We can’t host this transformative event alone!
Please consider sponsoring the Congress!
We rely on our generous sponsor organizations to make the Congress accessible to our entire membership base. Your sponsorship donation will help to cover the costs for the materials, training and workshops, food and other expenses that make this event such an enriching experience.
JUNE 6, 2026
Growing, learning, and strategizing in community.
Gather with people from across Chicagoland who care just as much as you do about making positive change in your community. Encounter the historical Jesus and develop the tools to build the Kin-dom of God he envisions for us. Learn from national experts in liberation theology and community organizing.
our goals for the 2026 Congress:
Bring together 200+ Catholics and Christians from across Chicago and the Midwest for theological formation, organizing workshops leadership trainings, collective discernment, relationship building, strategic planning and collaboration in a direct action related to our campaign goals
Have participating organizations leave with a clear, strategic plan for leadership development within their organization and local organizing in their community and part of the region.
Deepen relationships across CSPL’s coalition of churches, organizations, universities and religious congregations.
Join us on Saturday, JUNE 6th!
Congress Schedule
7:30-8:30 AM | Breakfast
7:45-8:45 AM | Registration
9 AM | Congress Begins
6 PM | Congress Closes
6:30 PM | Optional Dinner (additional cost of $25/person)
QUESTIONS?
Email congress@csplaction.org with any questions about the Congress, including registration, sponsorships, workshops, the schedule, or any other questions or concerns.
Congress Theme
HOLY RESISTANCE
Holy Resistance names our work at CSPL that is both contemplative and active. It is rooted in the conviction that love must take form in the world, especially in the face of injustice. It is nonviolent resistance grounded in the Gospel, where courage, mercy, and truth are woven together. To call our resistance holy is to insist that it flows from prayer, is guided by conscience, and is accountable to the dignity of every person.
Over this past year, we have witnessed how necessary this posture has been. As migrants in our communities faced detention, deportation, and separation from their families, our organizing work became a public expression of solidarity and prophetic power. Through accompaniment, pastoral care, and public witness, we responded to urgent needs while responding to a deeper call to remain present and prayerfully grounded. Holy Resistance was embodied through prayer, song, and action with those in pain and in the visible acts of procession, relationship building, and organizing.
This theme also reflects the tension we hold. We are resisting real harm while refusing to mirror it. We look to the witness of Jesus, who met imperial violence without surrendering to it and remained rooted in truth and compassion even under pressure. Through Jesus’ model, we are guided by a commitment to nonviolence, refusing to let our actions be shaped by fear, hatred, or violence. Holy Resistance asks us to be disciplined in love, to act with clarity, and to remain rooted in a vision of justice that restores rather than destroys.
Looking ahead, Holy Resistance invites us to continue building communities that are both spiritually grounded and publicly engaged. At our fourth annual congress, we will reflect on what has been done and recommit ourselves to the work ahead with courage, prophetic imagination, and a shared sense of purpose.
Here’s what happened at previous Congresses
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Our staff is happy to share more about the Congress and why it might be a great opportunity for you!