USCCB - (FLWY) - Committee on the Laity

Committee on the Laity

The Committee on the Laity was established in 1976 to “recognize and promote the dignity as well as the responsibility of the laity in the Church (Lumen Gentium, 37). Guided by the vision of Pope John Paul II’s Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici, and by the U.S. Bishops’ statement, Called and Gifted for the Third Millennium, the Committee assists the bishops in responding to contemporary issues facing the laity in the Church and in society. It also collaborates with initiatives proposed by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. The Laity Committee has a Subcommittee on Youth and Young Adults.

What's New

The Second World Congress of Ecclesial Movements and New Communities was held in Rome on May 31 - June 2, 2006. It was hosted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

Laity Projects and Topics

Distance Learning Programs for Adult Faith Formation
Directory of Lay Movements, Associations, Organizations, and Secular Institutes
Survey of Laity on Integrating Faith and Daily Life
Research and Resources on Pastoral Councils and Consultative Bodies

"We call on all pastoral leaders to strengthen the structures of participation in church life, so that they might listen to one another, grow in understanding, and deepen our experience of dialogue."

U.S. Catholic Bishops
Called and Gifted for the Third
Millennium, 1995