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By Rick Doucette
For Today’s Catholic
The Catholic Formation and Leadership Conference is almost here, and there’s still time to sign up to attend. We invite all teachers, catechists and ministers from schools and parishes all over the archdiocese to gather on Nov. 7-8 at the spacious Henry B. Gonzalez convention center in downtown San Antonio. There are no “tracks” this year for individual groups, so you can attend both days and get even more information from the different breakout sessions on each day.
Information on the schedule, keynotes, breakout sessions and registration is located in the ad on page 29 of this issue and in the registration brochure.
This year’s theme is, “Called to Witness: Living the Faith.” We are called to witness the Catholic faith by living it. How do we achieve this goal, particularly in our moral life? The third pillar of the Catechism addresses the church’s vision of Christian morality, our life in Christ. We’ve designed this year’s conference to provide you with a compelling message of Catholic morality and to equip you with effective information and teaching methods to promote Catholic morality in your school and parish ministries.
Gathering together with colleagues and friends will give you the opportunity to pray together, hear an expanded group of top-notch speakers, visit with publishers and other exhibitors, share ideas, ponder challenges, receive blessings and be strengthened by the awareness of many others who share the same journey of faith. All to prepare for the exciting catechetical year ahead.
On both days, you are invited to visit the exhibitors beginning at 8 a.m., followed by Eucharistic liturgy at 8:30 a.m. Exhibitors will be available throughout the day on both days.
Keynote sessions are the same on both days, beginning at 10:45 a.m. and 1 p.m., with lunch (on your own) in between. Breakout sessions begin on both days at 2:45 p.m.
The morning keynote is by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, founder and director of Aurem Cordis™. Titled, “Truth, Freedom and the Human Person: Understanding Our Life in Christ,” he will explore the dignity of the human person by examining what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God, the relationship between truth and freedom, the nature of sin and the spirituality of family life.
The afternoon keynote is by Father Romanus Cessario, OP, professor of systematic theology at St. John’s Seminary in Brighton, Mass. His talk, titled, “‘Seeking What is True and Good’ Veritatis Splendor No. 62: Conscience formation in the church and authentic Christian freedom,” discusses Catholic school teachers’ role in forming the consciences of their students in a culture that ignores what is true and good in human life.
Each day also has six breakout sessions. Two are the same on both days; four are unique on each day. More detailed information on the speakers and their presentations can be found in the ad and in the registration brochure.
More information and the registration brochure are available by calling (210) 734-1638 or on the Web at www.archsa.org/cflc. Early registration is no longer available. For full conference attendance, registration is $50/person regardless of group size. Do not mail registration after Oct. 24; register at the door. Hotel information is available upon request. An Archbishop’s Appeal Scholarship of $20 per person is available for those in ministry in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Rick Doucette is the associate director of the Office of Social Concerns.