What is a Chapter?
CRL Chapters are groups of CRL members who build, celebrate, and promote rural Catholic life in their local area. These chapters are the representatives of Catholic Rural Life to their communities. They share in the CRL vision of flourishing Catholic life in rural America through thriving families, farms, and parishes – centered on faith, community and care of creation.
What does a Chapter do?
CRL Chapters witness to the faith in a diverse array of activities. Most chapters meet regularly, host an annual Mass celebrating rural life, organize social programs and events, and pray the St. Isidore Novena each May. Chapters often begin from individual members who are dedicated to Catholic Rural Life’s vision and want to see it flourish locally.
Because they are local, chapters have a variety of creative ways in which they choose to focus their impact in their community. A few examples are:
» CRL-La Crosse works with a local seed company to provide seed to farmers in need at low or no cost.
» CRL-Salina hosts a seminar each spring for local farmers, covering both farming and spiritual practices pertinent to farming.
» CRL-St. Martin Deanery (Cincinnati, OH) held an event to highlight the history of the African-American farmers in Appalachia who settled in the Archdiocese after the Civil War.
» CRL-Lincoln regularly organizes Masses and prayer services at tractor shows, farming events, and on farms throughout the diocese.
Don’t see your community represented? Find out more about the background and how to start a CRL chapter here and contact the CRL Chapter Program Manager at Laurie@CatholicRuralLife.org.
Interested in getting involved?
Contact CRL or go to your local chapter’s website for details about how you can get involved locally!
No chapter in your area? Get one started!
Forming a chapter has three initial requirements:
- Connect with CRL – Call or Email Laurie Forner, Program Manager, at CRL
- Convene motivated and interested members who are willing to step up as leaders
- Gather a group of interested members (at least 3!) who are willing to lead the chapter and want to share in the vision of Catholic Rural Life
- Approval from your local Bishop
- Every successful chapter relies on the approval and blessing of their local bishop, religious superior, or pastor. Chapters aren’t duplicate ministries in the diocese, rather a grassroots effort at promoting the Catholic faith and way of living to rural communities.
- Every successful chapter relies on the approval and blessing of their local bishop, religious superior, or pastor. Chapters aren’t duplicate ministries in the diocese, rather a grassroots effort at promoting the Catholic faith and way of living to rural communities.
CRL will help walk any interested parties through the chapter planning process and connect you with the growing network of chapters across the country.
