VATICAN CITY (RNS) — In a high-rise apartment in New York City overlooking the Freedom Tower and the Statue of Liberty, Catholic thought leaders both conservative and liberal gathered to pray together and share a fine meal over a glass of Cabernet Francis — all in an effort to overcome polarization.
In the Catholic world, it’s hard to imagine an unlikelier pair than Tim Busch and the Rev. Jim Martin. A successful businessman and entrepreneur, Busch founded the Napa Institute in 2011 to combat secularization in the church and uphold conservative values. Martin, the editor-at-large of the Jesuit magazine “America” is best known for his Outreach program, aimed at promoting inclusivity and welcome for LGBTQ+ members of the Catholic community.
Together, these two representatives of opposing factions in the church have created a framework for dialogue, even friendship, among priests, activists and journalists who would otherwise be arguing over divisive theological issues on social media.
Busch contacted Martin and asked for his help to bring left leaning Catholics to the table and today the two speak regularly to work on common issues and think of ways to bring their dinner experiment to U.S. parishes. The dinners started in late 2023, as Busch became increasingly concerned with rising political polarization in the U.S. and the deepening fractures he saw mirrored in the Catholic church.
Tim Busch. (Photo courtesy Catholic University)
Of course, in the minds of many liberal Catholics, Busch is partly responsible for those fractures, having hosted gatherings at the Napa Institute where some of the most vocal conservative Catholic voices in the U.S. railed against woke-ism and liberal ideologies.
By this year’s annual summer gathering of the Napa Institute, held July 24-28 at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, California, Busch had struck a new tone, urging Catholics during his keynote speech to leave the culture wars behind and to “stop hating and start loving.”
Busch has hosted four dinners, with 40 guests so far, and plans to host three more this year. “We are not there to debate or have a theological conversation, although it’s not prohibited, it’s just not the primary goal,” Busch told Religion News Service in an interview on Monday (July 29).
“After all, we all share the same beliefs on 95% of the issues,” he added.
The meetings start with a short Mass in the chapel in Busch’s apartment, followed by reciting the rosary before a Marian shrine that his daughter made. After a brief reception, guests are invited to sit for dinner. It was Martin’s idea to ask participants in turn to share their favorite Bible verse and describe how it has impacted their lives.
“That allows them to talk about their spiritual life, but also the family, the kids, the priests, the conversions. It’s really touching,” he said. “There are so many people who break down crying during the event. I think it shows the impact of meeting people that they have never met before, but they know who they are, and every day they get up in the morning and fight them instead of fighting the devil. I think that’s a big relief.”
There are 12 guests for every dinner, with Busch and his wife attending every one. “It was very Eucharistic,” the Rev. Ricky Manalo, a member of the Paulist Fathers, who attended one of the dinners in March, told RNS.
“Any type of gathering that centers around food is always a good start to conversation and common ground,” he said.
A French chef prepares a Mediterranean-inspired dinner for the guests, and Busch, who is in the wine business, pulls out copious amounts of wine — averaging one bottle per guest — from his Trinitas Cellars. “It dials everybody down,” he said.
Many of the wines are named after Marian shrines, but the one titled after Pope Francis is the real conversation starter, Busch said. “Especially for left/center people, they think, “Oh, this guy doesn’t hate the pope — he makes wine with the pope’s name on it!” he said, adding that he sends cases of the wine to the pope as well.
Busch said he tries to invite six people from both camps, conservative and liberal. Every guest receives a bio of the other participants before the dinner so “nobody gets surprised,” he explained. No one has canceled last minute, and overall people who attended said they were glad to have come, Busch said.
Conservative guests have included the editor of “First Things” magazine, Russell Ronald Reno, and Catholic commentator and author Sohrab Ahmari, and Father Javier del Castillo, the U.S. vicar of the Prelature of Opus Dei.
