2017 Diocesan Pastoral Congress: Bishop Solis to give keynote address

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Bishop Oscar A. Solis

SALT LAKE CITY — Bishop Oscar A. Solis will speak about his vision for the mission of the Diocese of Salt Lake City during his keynote address at the 2017 diocesan Pastoral Congress, which will be Sept. 23 at the Skaggs Catholic Center.

Bishop Solis, who was installed as the 10th Bishop of Salt Lake City in March, also is urging Catholics to attend the Pastoral Congress. The annual event “continues to offer participants the occasion to listen, study and learn from the many inspiring presentations, good practices and valuable resources they shared with each other so that they can receive the necessary training and tools to help them in carrying their respective ministries faithfully and effectively,” he wrote in his letter of welcome in the program.

In addition to Bishop Solis, who will give keynotes in both English and Spanish, there will be two other keynote speakers in English: Dominican Father Wayne Cavalier and Dominican Father Jorge Presmanes. Juan Carlos Moreno will present a Spanish-language keynote.

Both Dominican priests are with the Congar Institute, a ministry of the  Southern Dominican Province that provides resources for the formation of lay pastoral leaders. The institute’s resources have been instrumental in the Diocese of Salt Lake City’s lay ecclesial ministry formation programs in English and in Spanish, said Susan Northway, the diocesan director of Religious Education.

All three of the keynote speakers in English will speak on topics related to the theme of being missionary disciples. Bishop Solis will focus on “A Springtime of the New Evangelization,” the title of his April 14 pastoral letter, in which he spoke of allowing “a rebirth in our faith as followers of our commitment to our mission of proclaiming God’s salvation.”

Fr. Cavalier’s topic is “Being Missionary Disciples,” and Fr. Presmanes will speak on “The New Evangelization.”

 The New Evangelization articulated by Pope John Paul II is “a looking outward to share Jesus with others,” Northway said. “Every Christian has the mandate to witness to Jesus. This is a revitalization of missionary movement in modern times.”

Throughout the day, numerous workshops will be offered on various topics, including Young Adult Ministry, Parish Social Ministry, and marriage. The speakers come from throughout the United States; several are local Catholics with expertise in their area.

Northway  hopes that those who attend the Pastoral Congress “will be touched by the spirit to be reinvigorated to share Jesus with other people, to share our faith, to bring other people back into the faith and also announce it, evangelize it for the first time to some people.”

A Vigil Mass will close the Pastoral Congress. Bishop Solis will preside.

WHAT: 2017 Pastoral Congress

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 23; rRegistration opens at 7:30 a.m.

WHERE: Skaggs Catholic Center, 300 East 11800 South, Draper

COST: $45 per person

For information or to register, visit https://www.dioslc.org/events/registration/step1?event=2421