Reconciliation Symposium coming to Boston
by Stefani Manowski
January 7, 2013

“The New Evangelization: Renewing the Church” is the title of the third symposium presented by Paulist Reconciliation Ministries and the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry. The symposium will be held April 20, 2013 beginning at 9 a.m. at Boston College. The event is free, and lunch is included. Registration is now open via Boston College’s Web site.

The focus of the event is “renewing parish life to be a welcoming beacon to those outside,” according to Father Thomas A. Kane, CSP, director of Paulist Reconciliation Ministries. “Both past symposia were sold out and were well received because they spoke to where people in the Church are today. How do we make sense of the New Evangelization, and how do we develop a more welcoming approach? We expect another sellout because we are trying to deal with the pastoral issues of the day.”

The day will begin with a welcome and prayer service followed by a plenary session titled, Mission, Evangelization and Discipleship, by Father Anthony Gittins, CSSp.

“Father Gittins’ keynote will focus on Jesus as the cornerstone of church life and mission,” Father Kane explained.

Father Gittins is professor of mission and culture at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He is the author of 15 books on theological and anthropological topics, and on mission and spirituality.

When Your Loved Ones Don’t Come to Mass and Don’t Miss It, is the topic of the afternoon plenary session by Kristina M. DeNeve, coordinator of evangelization and adult faith formation for the Diocese of Honolulu.

“Ms. DeNeve will look at the question of Catholic identity, even among those who rarely practice their faith or belong to a church community,” according to Father Kane.

Smaller group workshops will be held in addition to the plenary sessions.

“The workshops are varied and will deal with discipleship, the parish as source of mission, liturgy as reviewing the community, nurturing lay ministers of the new evangelization and examining the role of holiness among the youth, to name a few,” said Father Kane. “I hope that workshop attendees will return to their communities with a sense of urgency and openness, to work together toward parish revitalization by embracing those on the fringe, and listening to the stories of people who wish to return to the Church with openness and compassion.”

Workshops and presenters include:

  • An Evangelizing Agenda for Parishes Today by Father Frank DeSiano, CSP, president of Paulist Evangelization Ministries
  • Are There Any Christian Disciples Today? by Father Anthony Gittins, CSSp
  • Evangelizing in Many Tongues in Today’s Diverse Parish by Hosffman Ospino, assistant professor of Hispanic ministry and religious education, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
  • Responding to ‘Sticky Questions’ About the Catholic Faith by Kristina M. DeNeve
  • Ministering to Returning Catholics: Anna LaNave, ministry coordinator for Landings International and co-author of When They Come Home: Ways to Welcome Returning Catholics
  • Evangelization Through Liturgy by Father Sean McCarthy of the Archdiocese of Boston
  • Evangelizing Youth and Young Adults by Theresa O’Keefe, assistant professor the practice of youth and young adult faith and co-director of contextual education, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
  • God’s Presence in Our Stories by Rev. Philip Browning Helsel, ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church and assistant professor of pastoral care and counseling, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
  • Mystagogy, Mutual Evangelizing and the Journey Home to God: Sojourners, Care-Givers and the New Evangelization at Life’s End by Sister Margaret Eletta Guilder, OSF, associate professor of missiology, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry
  • Nurturing the Evangelizing Identity of the Laity by Susan M. Timoney, associate secretary of pastoral ministry and social concerns for the Archdiocese of Washington.

The event is free, and lunch is included. Registration is open at www.bc.edu/stmce.