By Ana Lonngi de Vagi
In a time when polarization seems to touch almost every aspect of our local, national, and global lives, what does it mean to create spaces where people can listen to one another, ask questions, and remain in relationship—even when they see the world differently?
One possible answer is a book club undertaken by members of the Focolare Movement in North America, exploring Catholic Social Teaching through Mark Shea’s The Church’s Best Kept Secret: A Primer on Catholic Social Teaching. Dialogue is at the heart of Focolare spirituality as a way of building unity, but dialogue cannot be taken for granted—even among those who share the same spirituality. The initiative also comes at a meaningful moment, as Pope Leo XIV has emphasized Catholic Social Teaching as a resource for addressing some of the challenges facing our society.
Launched in March, the book club now brings together fourteen groups, meeting in English, French, and Spanish, either locally or virtually across the United States and Canada. Aside from the reading group meetings, three plenary sessions were planned (at the beginning, midpoint, and end of this book journey) with all participants, in which we hear from experts, including the author.
The book provides a common starting point, but the deeper experience happens in the conversations around it. Participants bring their own questions, convictions, and experiences while learning to make room for those of others. Some groups use the conversation in the spirit as a framework; all are an exercise in listening with an open heart and mind, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide the conversation.
It has not always been easy. There have been moments of tension and disagreement, especially when conversations touch on deeply held beliefs. But perhaps this is precisely why the experience is so important. Can we disagree and still listen? Can we remain curious without immediately trying to convince one another? Can we stay at the table when a conversation becomes uncomfortable?
The goal is not to reach the same conclusions or find easy answers, but to remain in relationship while reflecting on how Catholic Social Teaching challenges us both personally and as a community. Its principles invite us to continually ask, in each concrete situation: What does human dignity require? What serves the common good? What are our responsibilities toward one another? What kind of society are we called to build?
The book club is still a work in progress. Each group is finding its own rhythm, and there is still much to learn about how to create spaces where honest dialogue and genuine encounters can flourish. But across different communities and perspectives, people are choosing to come together—and choosing not to give up on relationships when differences emerge.
One participant described the groups as “spaces of communion.” Different political perspectives and life experiences become not obstacles, but a richness—an opportunity to broaden our perspectives, question ourselves, and even allow ourselves to be changed by the conversation.
The book club is still a work in progress, but something important is already happening: people are choosing to come together and not give up on relationships when differences emerge. The final plenary session will take place in October, and there are already conversations about continuing the journey with Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas as a possible next book.
Perhaps this experience can be replicated in our churches and communities. In a divided time, creating spaces where we can sit down together, read together, disagree, and keep listening to one another may be a small but meaningful act of hope.