Meeting just a stone's throw from the Archbishop of Dublin's palace in Drumcondra, north Dublin, more than 100 Catholic lay people of all ages and backgrounds gathered at All Hallow's College to discuss forming a reform movement of the laity.
Dubliner Deirdre Ui Chonchuir (63) told the gathering that she was attending the meeting "out of desperation", adding: "I'm hanging by a thread to a church that meant so much to me as a child."
Organiser Noel McCann said the umbrella group was needed in order to give ordinary parishioners and lay people a stronger dialogue with the church.
"It's about giving people a voice," he told the crowd. "We want to change things for the next generation."
The group is to meet again in the coming weeks.
Mr McCann can be contacted at nsmccann@eircom.net