ACTS retreatants seek to gather in fellowship, praise and worship at first convention
SAN ANTONIO • The first annual ACTS Missions Convention, themed “The Communal Life for the Third Millennium,” will be held Thursday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 15, at the AT&T Centre at San Fernando downtown at 231 West Commerce.
The three-day program includes prayer, presentations, panel discussions and praise and workshops, along with activities such as a dinner-dance, musical concert and golf tournament.
Keynote speakers at the event on Oct. 13 include Father Ken Hannon, OMI, who will address “Spiritual Direction;” Bonnie Abadie, who will speak about “Spiritual Direction Courses;” Tony Deosdade and Rosemary Lopez, who will examine “Teen ACTS;” representatives from the HIV/AIDS ACTS Committee will speak about their efforts; Judge Oscar Kazan and Dr. Jorge Cuellar, who will explore “Ministry of the Third Cross;” and Judy Pelayo and Don Hanson, who will focus on “Jail ACTS.”
The highlight of the day will be a Mass at San Fernando Cathedral celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez at 4:30 p.m. Later in the evening, from 7 to 10 p.m., a dinner and dance will be held in the cathedral centre with music provided by Rudy T. Separate $35 tickets for this event can be purchased apart from convention registration.
The following day, on Saturday, will again feature Abadie, meditating on “Contemplative Prayer” while Sister Mary Fagan, SHSp, will highlight “All in One Heart and One Mind.” Scenes will also be performed from “Moses, the Musical;” and a panel discussion will elicit opinions on retreat music. Msgr. Balthasar Janacek will preside over Mass in the cathedral centre at 6:30 p.m., to be followed by a concert from David Kauffmann from 8 to 9:30 p.m. Kauffman composed an original theme song for the convention titled, “We choose to carry on.”
Esther Chavez, who is chairing the first time ever ACTS Missions Convention, is a member of the ACTS Missions Board of Directors. She and a committee of eight have been working since June of 2005 on the event program and sessions. “We are really excited about this convention and pray that it will be a success,” said Chavez.
The gathering has also been a dream of Tom Peterson for quite a while. He is the executive director of ACTS Missions, where these retreats originate.
“We want to raise the visibility of ACTS in general,” Peterson said. “We are motivated to have ACTS people come from all over to compare methods, hopes and dreams.” In speaking of this networking opportunity, he continued, “We are so fortunate to be in San Antonio where ACTS originated. I sincerely believe everything is guided by the Holy Spirit.”
ACTS Missions began 10 years after the conception of the ACTS movement. The office, located on the campus of Oblate School of Theology, maintains a Web site, has compiled a director’s manual, and offers leadership workshops four times a year. In addition, ACTS Missions is currently developing a DVD and workbook to spread its leadership training. “We want to help make people more knowledgeable in conducting their retreats,” Peterson said.
In addition to the retreat’s presence in 10 states and the country of Honduras, ACTS Missions is now working with two parishes in Durbin, South Africa, to import the program there. Peterson hopes to have activities begin by next summer. Also, he said he is constantly fielding phone calls from churches around the country seeking additional information regarding ACTS.
Quoting Auxiliary Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, the ACTS Missions executive director repeated, “It will be a time for evangelizing, re-living the experience and continuing the mission.”
The registration fee for the convention is $100, and includes continental breakfast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as well as lunch on Friday and Saturday. The $100 fee per participant applies until 500 seats are filled. For further information, contact Libby Roussin at (210) 342-1077 or e-mail her at lroussin@ost.edu.
Twelve vendors have signed up to have tables to sell their wares, mostly religious articles. Some businesses are the Daughters of St. Paul Books and Media, Good for the Soul Music, Catholic Life Insurance; Omega Retreat Center, Heavenly Treasures and Christ the King Books and Gifts.
In addition, there will be a golf tournament on Sunday afternoon with a tee-off time at 2 p.m. Green fees are $150.
Hotel accommodations are available at the Comfort Inn Alamo/Riverwalk at 102 Camaron St. For reservations, call (210) 281-1400 and ask for convention rates.