February 4, 2009

Faith conference features nationally known speakers

By John Gleason

Just a few weeks remain until the 2009 Living the Catholic Faith conference takes place.  Theme of this year’s conference is “Live with Conviction!” The Feb. 27-28 event provides an opportunity to broaden, deepen and strengthen faith through enlightening reflections of leaders of the Church today. The two-day conference focuses on the life of St. Paul and will feature exhibits, workshops and speakers.

In a letter to pastors, Denver Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., said that while the conference aims to especially assist teachers, catechists and other parish ministers, it also has important value for priests, deacons, parents and general Catholic adults.

“We’ve worked hard in recent years to make this gathering practical, useful and enriching for all who attend,” the archbishop wrote.  “It really is a vital part of our local church life and the most valuable adult learning event of the year.”

Among the keynote speakers will be Marcus Grodi, president and founder of the Coming Home Network International; Mother Mary of the Angels, S.R., superior of the Sisters of Reparation of the Sacred Wounds of Jesus; Bob Rice, assistant professor of theology, catechetics and youth ministry at Franciscan University; and Mary DeTurris Poust, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to the Catholic Catechism.”

In 1992, Marcus Grodi, a Presbyterian minister, and his wife Marilyn, were received into the Catholic Church. Their journey was both exciting and lonely as they knew only a few other ministers who had converted.

“We began to meet other clergy converts as well as clergy and their families who were still on the journey home,” Grodi said, explaining how the Coming Home Network International began. “Together we saw the need for a fellowship of converts and their families to provide a network of help to others still on the journey.”

In the past 15 years, the Coming Home Network has assisted nearly 1,600 ministers from more than 100 non-Catholic traditions, as well as many laypeople through prayer, fellowship and outreach. Grodi’s Living the Catholic Faith keynote presentation will address the importance of conviction in conversion.

The title of the presentation that Mother Mary of the Angels will be making is “Reparation is Our Hope.” 

“I’ll talk about what reparation means, how it can connect with people’s lives and how they as Catholic’s can actively participate in reparation in order to help others in their family,” the nun said, “especially those dealing with members who have fallen away from the Church.  And since it will be Lenten time, it will be a nice opportunity to touch on that as Lenten practices really relate well to reparation.”

Professor Rice said his workshop will focus on the humility needed to proclaim the “foolishness of the Gospel.” Rice said that in catechesis, there is a difference between being pastoral and seeking “customer satisfaction.” Many times catechists hold back from sharing the fullness of the message out of fear, he said. 

“My keynote will hopefully inspire catechists to not be afraid to proclaim the ‘folly of the Gospel,’ even though we will be laughed at and rejected for it,” he said.
Author DeTurris Poust said her presentation is an outgrowth of her “Idiot’s Guide” book.

“It’s a talk on a lost generation, people in the 30-50 age group who came of age after Vatican II when the content of catechism was changing in terms of what was being taught in religious education classes,” De Turris Poust said. “Many of them came of age in a time a lot of emphasis was put on love and how we treat other people but not a lot of emphasis was put on basic core teachings of the faith.”

De Turris Poust said people tell her they aren’t sure they can adequately pass along their faith to their children and, in many cases, don’t fully understand it themselves.

“These parents want to reconnect with their faith and for many that will come through their children and the faith programs that they are involved in,” she said.

The Living the Catholic Faith Conference will take place at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. in downtown Denver.  Cost of the event is $55 for one day, $75 for two with the price going up $10 after Feb. 6.  More information can be found online at archden.org/lcfc2009/ or by calling 303-715-3260.