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.
Registration extended to May 15th!
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 •
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!