01OCT 15
What Remains?
Notice what you want to keep, release, or leave undecided. Separate a practice from the claims once attached to it.
A SIX-WEEK ONLINE COHORT · AUTUMN 2026
A spiritual life
you can inhabit
honestly.
Explore contemplation, ritual, and what remains meaningful when your beliefs are changing.
Applications open September 14–October 11.
before you begin.
WHENOct 15 – Nov 19
Thursdays · 6:30–8:30 p.m. Central
WHOA small cohort
Up to twelve adults, all backgrounds welcome.
WHAT YOU TAKE WITH YOUA practice that fits
A personal, revisable rule of life.
THE QUESTION WE’LL EXPLORE
What still feels
honestly yours?
You may no longer believe the words and still want to light the candle. You may miss silence, slow reading, ritual, or the room that prayer once made in your day.
We’ll try practices, notice what happens, and make room for different answers. A practice might be moving, awkward, ordinary, or unwanted. That is something to learn from.
You don’t need to arrive with a finished account of what you believe. Curiosity is a place to begin.
BELIEF. DISBELIEF. ROOM FOR BOTH.
Bring your questions.
Bring yourself.
People from all religious backgrounds and none are welcome, including those who have left or rethought Judaism, Christianity, or another tradition. Queer people are warmly welcomed here.
Boundaries will be honored and taken seriously. You can pass, disagree, listen, use the chat, or keep your camera off. There is no expectation of disclosure, no recordings, and everything you choose to share remains private within the group.
THE SIX WEEKS
Try something.
Notice.
Begin again.
Each two-hour meeting combines teaching, an optional guided practice, private reflection, a break, and conversation.
02OCT 22
Prayer After Certainty
Explore attention, silence, gratitude, and desire. Use language that remains yours, or no words at all.
03OCT 29
Lectio Beyond Scripture
Read a short text slowly. Notice what it opens, what you resist, and what you bring to the page.
04NOV 05
Ritual After Religion
Give an ordinary transition a freely chosen form. Try a gesture, an object, a beginning, an ending.
05NOV 12
Discernment Without Magisterium
Bring conscience, feeling, evidence, and counsel to an ordinary decision. Your judgment remains yours.
06NOV 19
A Rule of Life After Deconstruction
Gather what you have actually tried into a small, revisable pattern for attending to what matters.
SOMETHING YOU CAN TAKE INTO AN ORDINARY WEEK
A practice.
Not a new set of obligations.
You’ll develop your own one-page rule of life: one or more practices you want to carry forward, plus a plan for difficult days and a date to revisit it.
- Six live meetingsPrepared teaching and room for conversation.
- Workbook + written summariesWork at your own pace, keep what works for you.
- Individual written feedbackHelping you bring the threads of your rule of life together.
- An optional private forumConnect with fellow seekers, make friends, learn together.
- Time to practiceSet aside a few minutes a week to see what serves you in this season.
YOUR FACILITATOR
Matthew Knight
I spent more than a decade in Catholic formation and ministry, including my work as a priest. I offered spiritual direction and pastoral counseling, led retreats and workshops, and taught classes at all levels. My experience also includes two years of hospital chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education. That training prepared me to accompany people from many walks of life, especially through crisis and transition.
I’m also very much on my own journey of deconstruction. I came out as gay and left active priestly ministry a year and a half ago. I’m still exploring how to draw on the spiritual tradition that formed me when my relationships with God, faith, and the Church have all changed dramatically.
Through Deconstructing Cleric, I want to help others navigate those changing relationships and find practices of ritual, meaning-making, and discernment that support their lives. I bring professional experience, curiosity, and a willingness to keep asking these questions alongside you.
Get to know my writing ↗ENROLLMENT
A small group.
A clear commitment.
Applying is free and comes with no commitment to register. If accepted, you’ll receive the complete terms before deciding whether to enroll. A free, optional 15-minute fit conversation is available before payment. Book a free 15-minute fit conversation ↗
FOUNDING COHORT
$499 total
Everything in the six-week experience: live meetings, workbook, summaries, optional community, and written feedback.
Apply for Cohort ↗COHORT + INDIVIDUAL SESSIONS
$649 total
The full cohort, plus two 45-minute individual practice consultations. Up to four individual-option places within the cohort.
Apply with individual sessions ↗Appointments open between October 23–28 and November 13–18.
Applications close October 11 at 8 p.m. Central. Payment in full reserves a seat after admission and acceptance of the terms. Your offer states the exact total and payment deadline.
After accepting the terms and paying, there are no discretionary refunds for voluntary withdrawal. In case there are not enough enrolled participants to run the course, all payments will be refunded. Material changes, undelivered services, and applicable legal rights are covered in the participation terms.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Room for clarity, too.
Do I need to hold particular beliefs?
No. Belief, disbelief, and uncertainty are welcome. You don’t need to settle what you think before joining. You can use language that feels honest to you, adapt an exercise, or simply observe.
What backgrounds are welcome?
The cohort is open to adults of all religious backgrounds and none, across ethnicities, nationalities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. International participants are welcome. You don’t need to share my Catholic background or follow the same path I have.
What if I need to miss a meeting?
There is no obligation to attend all six meetings. Recordings will not be provided. Instead, a written summary will cover the teaching and practice, and you can continue the conversation in the community or connect one-on-one with other participants who would like to discuss it.
What does the private community include?
You’ll have full access to four spaces for discussion with me and the other students: the Classroom, Chapel, Courtyard, and Bulletin Board. Teaching summaries and practice materials will be posted after each session. I’ll participate in discussions and answer questions there between sessions.
How long does community access last?
You’ll have one week after the end of the course, until November 27, to continue the discussion. After that, the boards will be locked, and you’ll retain access to a read-only archive.
How do the individual sessions work?
This optional upgrade is for people who would like more one-on-one feedback. In two 45-minute conversations, we can choose or adapt practices to fit your current needs and build or review your rule of life in greater depth than the written feedback allows.
What happens after I apply?
I will personally review every application, including your background, goals, practical needs, and availability. Applying creates no obligation to enroll or pay, nor does it reserve your seat. If approved, I will contact you to offer you a place in the cohort, along with the exact fee, participation terms, and payment deadline to reserve your place.
DECONSTRUCTION WITHOUT DISENCHANTMENT
What will you
make room for?
If this invitation fits your life, I’d be glad to read your application.
Apply for the cohort ↗