Pastoral Congress to offer an array of workshops

Friday, Sep. 19, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY – Joy Ever New, (La Alegría Siempre al Día) the 2014 Diocesan Pastoral Congress, will offer 27 workshops by different Catholic leaders.

The workshops will offer a variety of topics, including adult faith formation, catechetical methods, Scripture, evangelization, liturgy, Catholic social teaching, stewardship, ministry and prayer, marriage and family life, scouting, and ministry for youth and young adults. 

Some workshops will be conducted in English, others in Spanish; some will be bilingual.

Dr. Hosffman Ospino, PhD will be the keynote speaker for both the English and Spanish addresses. He is with Boston College’s Hispanic Ministry and Religious Education, and this spring he was the main author of the “National Study of Catholic Parishes with Hispanic Ministry.” Also, the Congress will have the participation of Dr. Patricia Jimenez, webmaster for U.S. Hispanic Ministry, who has worked for more than 20 years in the areas of youth ministry, catechesis, teaching and administering lay formation programs.

Other speakers are Martin López, Hispanic Ministry consultant; Thomas Cummings, M.Div., from the Institute for Church Life; Norma Valdez from Catholic Relief Services; J. Santiago Rodriguez, S.J., from the Apostleship of Prayer; Lisa Ainslinger, from Catholic Life and Faith; Greg and Julie Alexander, who offer marriage and parenting education courses; Alejandro Barraza, Director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Las Cruces, N.M.; Katie Smith-Myott, who has served in Faith Formation in parishes in the Minneapolis St. Paul area for 20 years; and Armelia Desesto-Sury, who has served in  youth and campus ministry for over 10 years and is a STEP facilitator for the  University of Notre Dame.

Local presenters and their topics include: Nancy Lorena Needham, Saint Marguerite Catholic School and bilingual lay ecclesial minister, who will speak on liturgy; Father Sam Dindsdale, diocesan Liturgical Commission chairman and pastor of Saint Marguerite Parish, whose topic is adult faith formation; Deacon Sunday Espinoza and Carol Ruddell will discuss catechetical methods; both Deacon Scott Dodge and Ruth Dillon, the diocesan director of liturgy, will have workshops on liturgy; Jean Hill, director of the diocesan Peace and Justice Commission, will present information on Catholic social teaching; Denise Richards, Mary Gesicki and Louise Cooper will have workshops on ministry and prayer; Mike and Treva Fendrick will focus on stewardship; and Lou Schoen’s topic is scouting.

“I invite you to ponder the words our Holy Father, Pope Francis, spoke at his General Audience on April 3, 2013: ‘Let us feel the joy of being Christian! We believe in the Risen One who conquered evil and death! Let us have the courage to ‘come out of ourselves’ to take this joy and this light to all the places of our life!’” wrote the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, in his invitation to the people of the diocese to attend the Pastoral Congress.

“Our time together this year is graced by Dr. Hosffman Ospino, our keynote speaker, whose research at Boston College will no doubt provide a clearer vision of the Catholic Church of the future in the United States. We are blessed to be able to share the wisdom of Dr. Ospino as well as that of many other inspiring presenters,” Bishop Wester continued.

Among all the richness of the presentations and the workshops of the Pastoral Congress will also be the presentation of the  diocese’s 2014 Pastoral Plan.

“As your shepherd in Christ, I invite you to share in this process,” the bishop wrote. 

WHAT:  2014 Pastoral Congress 

WHEN: Saturday, Sept. 27, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

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

Cost: $50/person; includes lunch. 

For information or to register, visit https://www.dioslc.org/events/registration/step1?event=1802 or call the Office of Religious Education, 801-328-8641 ext. 326.