Pre-Convocation Preparations:
Plans for this Convocation began to
be discussed by the Conference of Bishops several years ago. It’s taken this long to design, plan, make
all the preparations and accommodations, determine speakers and participants,
and develop the communication efforts to publicize and promote the
Convocation. It began with a theme of
Religious Liberty; however soon after Pope Francis published his major
apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), it became
clear that religious liberty would be one of several major themes under the
overarching category of the New Evangelization and bringing the Joy of the
Gospel to our part of the world here in America.
While many were concerned about the timing
of the proposed event (over the 4th of July holiday) and the
location of the event (Florida in July?), the combination of excellent rates at
that time of year and the availability of people to travel and participate
during those days, and facilities big enough to manage the expected turnout made
Orlando the desirable location. The
Bishops discussed this event at several of the Conference meetings and
wholeheartedly endorsed the project and enthusiastically became the
hosts/inviters for this major, national event.
Each Bishop was asked to begin
planning for this event by selecting a delegation to represent the Diocese and to
make sure that the costs of sending the delegation were provided in the
budget. In our case, we were able to
receive a good bit of financial assistance through Catholic Extension and some
other grants received.
Our diocesan delegation is made up
of seven people to accompany me to the Convocation: Father German Perez-Diaz,
Father Tom McNally, Deacon Candidate Dr. Don Bouchard, Diocesan Staff members
Jamin Herold and Lisa Irwin, Catholic Charities President/Executive Director
Tim Leiser, and Parish Youth Leader, Joy Livingston (St. Margaret Parish). In addition our Diocesan Staff member, Socorro
Truchan, who was technically representing NACFLM (National Association of
Catholic Family Life Ministers), also joined with our delegation as the 9th
member.
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| The Diocese of Kalamazoo Delegation (from top to bottom-left to right): Fr. Tom McNally, Dr. Don Bouchard, Bishop Paul J. Bradley, Fr. German Perez Diaz, Lisa Irwin, Joy Livingston, Jamin Herold, Socorro Truchan and Tim Leiser. |
Our delegation met several times before leaving for Orlando
to get to know one another and to plan our strategies for making sure that we
could make the best use of our time at the Convocation, e.g. selecting which of
the many Breakout Sessions we would plan on attending, etc.
From a personal experience
perspective, I have attended many national meetings/conferences/convocations in
the past, but none was as major, as vibrant, as enthusiastic, as
diverse/inclusive, as massive as this one proved to be. The expected number of attendees was over
3,000 representing more than 150 Dioceses throughout the United States, and
every national organization, ministry, and movement, and representatives from a
large number of religious women and men.
Participants stayed in several of the large hotels surrounding the
primary meeting space which was the Hyatt Regency Hotel and the Orange County
Convention Center. As we were warned
beforehand to bring comfortable walking shoes, that suggestion proved so true
in the amount of walking that was required to move from hotel room, to
meeting/convocation sessions, to lunch or dinner locations. One of our delegation members, Joy
Livingston, who wore a fit bit, was able to determine that during the 4 days
she was there, she walked more than 24 miles. My legs can attest to a close
proximity to that amount for me.
It was so encouraging to see the
entire Church in microcosm gathered together for these days of prayerful
reflection, renewal and strategic planning: lay women and men, religious,
deacons, priests and bishops, all participating together in this very important
convocation.
There were four themes for the four
days: July 1---Unity in the Joy of the Gospel and our need for a new
outpouring of the Holy Spirit; July 2---Renewal in light of the state of
the “landscape” of our Church in the United States (based on current research
and data) in a spirit of “evangelical discernment”; July 3---Witness---going
to “the peripheries” to accompany those disengaged from the Church and/or those
suffering from poverty (material and spiritual), those with disabilities, those
who are hurt/alienated; and July 4---Mission---equipping leaders with resources (spiritual, catechetical,
practical) to help them in their ministry and in being formed as true
missionary disciples, being mindful that ministerial excellence is only
possible by a daily reliance on the Lord.
Major keynote presentations were
provided by Cardinal Dolan, Cardinal Wuerl, Cardinal O’Malley, Cardinal Tobin,
Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop Gomez, Archbishop Lori, Bishop Robert Barron, Dr.
Hosffman Ospino (Boston College), Carl Anderson (Supreme Knight, K of C), and
Patrick Lancioni (Amazing Parish).
There were many other gifted speakers who served as Panelists responding
to the major plenary sessions including:
Dr. Helen Alvare, Fr. Tom Gant (CARA), Bishop Frank Caggiano, Sr. Mariam
James Heidland, SOLT, Curtis Martin, Sherry Weddell, Fr. Paul Check, Dr.
Carolyn Woo, and many others. [Check out the USCCB website for a host of videos recorded at the Convocation as well as exclusive EWTN interviews with the keynote speakers.]
In addition, there were 66 Breakout
Sessions/Workshops where many more nationally known speakers participated as
panelists/presenters on a wide-range of topics in regard to those major
themes. I was privileged to be one of
the Bishops giving Opening and Closing comments for a Breakout Session on "Reaching Wounded Families, those struggling with Brokenness."
Lest you think the focus was only on
presentations and breakout sessions and sharing information, I would say that the
primary focus of this entire Convocation was on prayer and Liturgical
Celebrations, with a clear focus on the Holy Eucharist; in other words, the
focus was on Jesus. Each day, the entire
assembly came together for the Celebration of the Eucharist, which was
beautifully celebrated. There was a Eucharistic
Chapel set up for the opportunity for regular private prayer in the Presence of
the Blessed Sacrament; there was never a time that I went into that Chapel that
it wasn’t overflowing with people, filling every chair and sitting/kneeling on
the floor. There were regular
opportunities to receive the Sacrament of Penance throughout the 4 days, with
priests hearing Confessions during the many assigned times during the day. In addition to the daily celebration of the
Eucharist, there were other powerful devotions included. On Saturday evening,
there was a time of prayer in honor of Mary, Mother of Evangelization. On
Sunday evening, there was an Evening of Adoration and Reflection: “Encountering
Jesus, Healer of Wounds and Source of Mercy”.
On Monday morning, there was an early morning Eucharistic Procession
through the streets surrounding the Hotels/Convention Center
with the thousands
of Convocation participants processing in quiet praise of Jesus, Who
accompanies us on our journey of faith; and on Monday evening (Eve of 4th
of July) there was an Evening Experience of Praise: “A Celebration of Faith,
Witness and Mission”.
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| Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Christophe Pierre, |
At the conclusion of the Mass on
Tuesday afternoon, the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre (shown left) gave an
incredible talk summing up the entire Convocation. Archbishop Pierre
participated in all four days of the Convocation and was truly the
representative of Pope Francis with us all throughout our time together. I was privileged to have a nice chat with him
about the state of our Diocese, and he was very engaging and interested.
All in all, this was an exceptional
Convocation of Catholic Leaders, and I do believe that this Convocation
represents (as Archbishop Pierre says) a “kairos”
moment for the Church in the United States.
I truly want that to be the case for the Church here in the Diocese of
Kalamazoo, and I look forward to the ways that those who represented our
Diocese as Delegates to this Convocation will continue working with me, and
many others, in helping to develop a strategy and a plan to renew our Local
Church and to find new ways to bring the Joy of the Gospel to all those in our
Diocese, beginning with each of us: lay leaders, religious, deacons, priests
and bishop.
As
Cardinal DiNardo said at the conclusion of his Homily in the Final Mass: “what
more is there to say, but: ‘Come, Lord Jesus’!”
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| Diocesan delegates discussing a plan for missionary discipleship in the Diocese of Kalamazoo |
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