National Pastoral Life Center


The National Pastoral Life Center was an organization whose goal was to serve the leadership of the Catholic Church's pastoral ministry, particularly in parishes and diocesan offices. It was founded in 1983 by Rev. Msgr. Philip J. Murnion with the help of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops. It was the publisher of Church magazine.
In 1996, the NPLC created a debate in the Church by proposing a Catholic Common Ground Initiative, whose goal was dialogue with dissenting Catholics on a variety of unresolved issues that came about in the years following the Second Vatican Council. This initiative was met with strong opposition from leading bishops in the United States.
In November 2009, it was announced that the NPLC was closing down after 25 years of service to the Catholic Church in the United States.