CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A host of national and international speakers will make presentations at the “Centennial Jubilee Ministry Conference” sponsored by the Diocese of Corpus Christi. The conference offers formational opportunities to a variety of people, including catechists, Catholic school teachers of religion and Directors of Religious Education.
“The Diocese of Corpus Christi hopes to enhance the knowledge and spirituality of the Catholic faith within these individuals in an effort to better prepare them for ministry,” said Margaret Alarilla, Director of Evangelization and, together with Jaime Reyna, coordinator of the ministry conference.
Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey will open the conference on Jan. 13 with a 7 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral. The conference theme, “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,” is designed to develop further Bishop Mulvey’s focus on the Word of God and to learn more about the Holy Scriptures, Alarilla said.
Conference sessions will be held on Jan. 14 at the American Bank Center, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bishop Mulvey, along with Helen Osman from Washington DC, will be the keynote speakers.
The bishop’s morning keynote topic will be, “The Word of God: A Light for Our Path; Way of Transformation.” Osman’s afternoon keynote will be on “Today’s Missionaries: Saddling up in a Digital World.”
Osman is the Secretary of Communications for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and oversees all communication aspects of the Bishops Conference. She shepherded the conference’s entry into social media, which is the topic of one of the breakout sessions she will present entitled “Parish Communities and Social Media."
In addition to Osman’s presentation of social media, a number of sessions will deal with strengthening parishes. Diocesan support staff will make a presentation on “The Inner Workings of a Parish Office." Father Pete Elizardo, Jr., the Director for the Office of Divine Worship for the Diocese of Corpus Christi and Rector of the Corpus Christi Cathedral, will review the new translation of the Roman Missal with a talk entitled “Understanding General Instructions of the Roman Missal and the Order of the Mass.”
Lee Gwozdz, nationally known for his work with children‘s choirs, will present on, “Our Parish Choirs! — A Sound Achievement!” Gwozdz serves as the Director of Music for the diocese and director of the Cathedral choirs.
Suzanne Vitadamo will talk on “The Erosion of Medical Ethics” and “How Many Terri Schiavo’s are Being Killed Everyday?” Vitadamo has dedicated her life to full-time pro-life and disability rights advocacy after her life took a dramatic and unexpected turn in February 1990 when her sister, Terri Schiavo, suddenly collapsed and was left with a profound brain injury.
Since the death of her sister, she has worked full-time for The Terri Schiavo Life and Hope Network.
They have been directly involved in hundreds of cases helping to protect persons who are at risk of being euthanized.
Noted national speaker Leland D. Nagel’s talks include “Be My Witnesses” and “Sharing the Story.” Nagel has held a variety of positions on both the diocesan and university level. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership. He describes himself as a faith-filled storyteller who is an educator by profession and a catechist by vocation, a teacher by trade and an evangelist by Baptism.
The conference will also feature a number of presentations in Spanish, including a presentation by Doreya “Yiyi” Dean, with Catholic Charities of Corpus Christi, on “Nuestra llamada a servir: siete principios de la enseñanza social Católica y diez maneras que caridades Católicas es Católico.” Martín López will speak on “Una nueva evangelización” and Father Daniel Ramírez-Portugal will make a presentation on “El ministro y la familia de origen.”
Other speakers, and their topics, include Alarilla, “Verbum Domini: A Reflection on the Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church;” Leisa Anslinger, “Engaging People as Disciples and Stewards;” Rosario Dávila, “Integrating the Gospel Values of Faith, Hope, and Love into the Classroom;” and Dean, “Our Call to Serve: Seven Principles of Catholic Social Teachings and Ten Ways Catholic Charities is Catholic.”
Also, Kenneth Doran, “So What Does Being Moral Have To Do With It, Anyway;” Paul Flores, “Effective Practices for Dynamic Youth Ministry;” and “Word of God Speak, Whaaaat;” Jeff Kisel, “Liabilities Associated with Youth Ministry;” Adam Koll, “Ancient and Future Evangelization: Together for the Sake of the Gospel;” and “What’s So ‘New’ About the New Evangelization?”
Roy Petitfils will make presentations on, “Fishers of Men or Keepers of the Aquarium? Still Called to bring the Word of God to all People in our Parishes (even those who don’t come to Church),” “What Got Us Here Won’t Get Us There—Holding Fast to our Past while Embracing New Approaches and Skills Needed for the New Evangelization” and “Ten Things Youth and Young Adults Want the Church to Know But Don’t Tell Us— And Why.” Dr. Geri Telepak will speak on “Where’s that in the Bible?” and “Is Morality Old Fashioned?”
Although the conference’s original audience is those involved in formal ministry, anyone wanting to enhance their knowledge of the Catholic faith is welcomed, Alarilla said.
Some 1,000 attendees are expected.
“If you truly desire to enhance your spirituality and knowledge of the faith, the ministry conference is the place for you,” Alarilla said.
For more information, and to register online, visit http://acenturyoftradition.org/MinistryConference.