In 2018 when the Pennsylvania grand jury report detailing sex abuse in the Catholic Church was released, as a Pittsburgh native and lifelong Catholic, Kevin Hayes was shaken. In reaction to that report laity came together for a listening session and from that came the framework for Catholics for Change in our Church. They coalesced around focus groups: support for abuse survivors, financial transparency, addressing clericalism, strengthening the clergy, pathways to lay leadership, and engaging youth.