Forum for Catholic Movements and Associations “Journeying Together as Pilgrims of Hope”

Ottawa, 16 October 2025 – Organized by the Standing Committee for Relations with Catholic Movements and Associations of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), the Triannual Forum for Catholic Movements and Associations will take place 17-19 October 2025, at the Holiday Inn Toronto International Airport Hotel, on the theme inspired by the Ordinary Jubilee Year of Hope, “Journeying Together as Pilgrims of Hope.” Sixty participants, consisting of the leadership of Catholic movements and associations from across Canada, together with Catholic Bishops, will meet for the first in-person Forum since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each time the Forum is held, the CCCB celebrates with its participants how Catholic movements and associations are gifts in the life of the Church in Canada – authentic expressions of the lay apostolate and key contributors to the vital infusion of the Gospel into every aspect of life. In the particular context of the Jubilee Year of Hope, the Most Rev. Marcel Damphousse, Archbishop of Ottawa-Cornwall and Chairman of the Standing Committee for Relations with Catholic Movements and Associations, stated: “My hope is that during this gathering we will celebrate and share our charisms and gifts with one another so that we may know ever more profoundly the Christ-filled hope which never disappoints!”

Throughout the event, both in plenary sessions and in small groups, participants will reflect on the importance of Catholic movements and associations in the life of the Church through the lens of synodality. They will also discuss how Catholic movements and associations in Canada can each contribute to marking the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, known as the Extraordinary Jubilee of 2033. To facilitate theological and ecclesiological reflection at the Forum, this year’s keynote speakers will be Dr. Josephine Lombardi, Ph.D., Dean for Academic Affairs, Associate Professor, Systematic and Pastoral Theology, St. Augustine’s Seminary; Dr. Catherine Clifford, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Systematic and Historical Theology, St. Paul University; and Mr. Jeff Lockert, President, Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO).

Press Release – 2025 Forum for Movements and Associations PDF

Communiqué de presse – Forum des mouvements et associations 2025