In the ongoing effort to affirm and exemplify the contributions of lay ecclesial ministers in the Catholic Church, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has launched a series of webinars and testimonial videos.

Entitled “Co-Workers: Bishops and Lay Ecclesial Ministers in Conversation,” the series is co-hosted by the USCCB’s Secretariat of Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth (LMFLY) and the McGrath Institute for Church Life at the University of Notre Dame and is open to all pastoral leaders in the Church.

Several webinars have already been recorded and the series continues on May 17 with a segment featuring Archbishop Nelson J. Pérez of Philadelphia, accompanied by Matt Davis and Marisally Santiago, two lay leaders who work with the archbishop in Philadelphia.

Previous installments in this series are available for viewing and as additional segments are produced will be available on the USCCB website here.

• Archbishop Alexander K. Sample of Portland in Oregon with Julie Onderko (January 2021)
• Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend with Esther Terry (February 2021)
• Bishop William A. Wack, CSC, of Pensacola-Tallahassee with Sharmane Adams and Chris Benzinger (March 2021)
• Bishop David Konderla of Tulsa with Dr. Richard Meloche, Adam Minihan, and Dr. Christine Myers (April 2021)

With this series, the LMFLY Secretariat hopes to uphold the work of lay ecclesial ministers, and also recognize and speak to some of the challenges they experience in their ministry, including the COVID pandemic, the economy, and the impact it has on all those who minister in the Church. To learn more about the role of the laity in the Church visit here.