The Diocese of Camden sent two dozen parish and diocesan representatives to the “Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America” held July 1-4 in Orlando, Fla. Below, some of the participants share their reflections on the experience.
Father Robert Hughes
Vicar General, Diocese of Camden
The blind beggar made a simple request of Jesus as he passed through his home town of Jericho, “Lord help me to see.” At the Convocation of Catholic Leaders, Cardinal Joseph Tobin made a keen observation noting that when Pope Francis was elected, his peripheral vision was increased … in essence, the Lord helped him to see. The weight of the Petrine office opened his eyes to the plight of so many and has formed the way he conducts himself as pope.
The four days spent in Orlando praying with, listening to and conversing with Catholics from across the country has likewise given me a wider peripheral vision. It is so easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks of our local reality that we forget to bring the “joy of the Gospel” into our ministry and yet that is our primary call and most important responsibility as missionary disciples. The Resurrection of Christ matters here and now and only the reality of that truth has the power to change our hearts and widen our vision.
All of us are poor beggars dependent on what the Lord Jesus offers. We too want to see, not only with our eyes but with our hearts. God’s love for us is real and our relationship with him is fundamental to bringing the Gospel to life.
As a result of my participation in the Convocation of Catholic Leaders, I resolve to deepen my relationship with Jesus and pray that across South Jersey we can encourage Catholics to embrace a more mature prayer life and a profound relationship with the Lord who loves us.
Laurie Power
Religious Education, Holy Child Parish, Runnemede
The Convocation of Catholic Leaders offered the church in America an unprecedented opportunity to step back and take stock of how well we are fulfilling our mission to share the Gospel (Mt 28:19-20) and live as missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. This was no small task to accomplish in only four days, but by God’s grace, some meaningful insights emerged.
First, the good: the Convocation brought together an incredibly diverse group of Catholics. So diverse, that without this gathering, many may have never crossed paths, either physically or ideologically. Yet, the church embraces them all. The unity of the Body of Christ does not come from shared space, mutual interests or common opinions, but from the Holy Spirit. It is this same Spirit who carries out the work of evangelization. When we cooperate with the Spirit, our differences no longer divide, but become an asset in reaching a diverse American people.
Next, the bad: the latest Pew research shows that of the roughly one quarter of Americans who report having no religious affiliation, 13 percent were once Catholic. For every one person who converts to the Catholic faith, six are leaving the church. By age 30, about 50 percent of young Catholics will leave the church. Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron summarized the current situation well: in terms of evangelization, we have a fight on our hands.
Lest the landscape seem entirely bleak, we cannot overlook the absolutely beautiful: bishops gathering with their sheep to listen and accompany, the church young and old coming together to worship in vibrant liturgies, to adore in Eucharistic procession and to praise in a concert with Matt Maher and Audrey Assad, individuals engaging in constructive dialogue and disciples seeking ways to effectively share how they fell in love with Jesus and the difference it has made in their lives. In many ways, the Convocation presented a microcosm of all that is good in the church. At the same time, it offered a vision for what the church could be if each of us takes time to encounter Christ on a daily basis and share with others the joy of that encounter.
Sister Kathy Burton
Faith and Family Life Formation
The USCCB Convocation offered a wonderful opportunity to witness the universality and diversity of our church. Through the lens of Evangelii Gaudium, we were all challenged and invited to pray, dialogue, vision and plan ways we, as a team, can go to the peripheries of our diocese and bring the message of Jesus Christ to all. I look forward to continuing these conversations as we move forward.
Mary Boyle
Superintendent of Schools
The words of Saint Augustine in his “Confessions” come to mind for me as I reflect on the experience of the convocation. “Late have I loved You, O beauty ever ancient, ever new.” The church is a rich treasury of grace, different faces and different approaches to the one Beauty, our God. How can we challenge each other to seek beauty and to speak of and for God in a society that yearns for God but sometimes doesn’t recognize the yearning? As a Catholic educator, I am challenged with many messages from the Convocation, but one challenge I share with those whose ministry is education. When a young person finds God in the things that he loves then he falls deeply in love with God. How can we ourselves find God, fall more deeply in love with God? Only then can we help our young people to find and fall deeply in love with God.
Mary Lou Hughes
Faith and Family Life Formation
This unprecedented gathering of national Catholic leaders was a great experience of church.
The diversity of our community was well represented in those gathered in Orlando over the holiday which celebrates this diverse nation’s founding.
Through the lens of the “Joy of the Gospel,” delegates were encouraged to “Boldly, joyfully go out.” The word “periphery” was used often to describe where we are to go. The various sessions provided opportunities of naming the various peripheries experienced and helped to expand our understanding.
I look forward to working with the members of the Camden delegation in continuing the work begun at the Convocation.
Mike Chambers
President, Paul VI High School
I was honored to be asked by Bishop Sullivan to attend this Convocation for Catholic Leaders. I honestly did not know what to expect of the event primarily because this type of convocation was unprecedented in the United States until now.
Looking back, the convocation exceeded any and all of my expectations. I felt a sense of renewal, a sense of energy and a touch from the Holy Spirit. The energy and spirit of the convocation expressed the importance of sharing our personal witness and experience with Jesus Christ.
In particular when thinking of the youth in our church, we as educators must take every occasion to provide an opportunity for our young people to have their own personal encounter with Jesus and to share that encounter with their peers. It is through sharing the personal encounter with Christ that a person can draw another closer to Jesus. It our vocation, as Catholic educators, to be “interested” in our youth rather than just interesting when engaging and educating the youth.
The goal at hand is to bring this energy … this experience to “get up and go” to the Diocese of Camden and infuse the spirit into the ministries we serve.
Camille Cuentas
Catholic Charities
I received a personal call from Pope Francis this past weekend! While the conversation was not exactly via telephone, the Convocation of Catholic Leaders challenged me to answer our Holy Father’s call to live out the “Joy of the Gospel.”
Four top things I learned on how to answer Pope Francis’ call and live out his challenge to be a missionary disciple:
- Pray and allow yourself to be led by the Holy Spirit in everything you do.
- Reach out with love and mercy to those in the peripheries.
- Create more opportunities to evangelize with testimonies of our faith as well as take the time to listen to others.
- Continue to defend the dignity of life, such as of the unborn and the incarcerated.
As I reflect back on this past weekend, I am beyond grateful to have been able to attend the Convocation. It was amazing to be surrounded by so many different people who share the same love for Christ. I truly felt the presence of our Lord, especially in the opportunities of adoration. May God continue to bless and protect our journeys toward heaven!
Deacon Anthony Cioe
Saints Peter and Paul, Turnersville
The Convocation of Catholic Leaders provided an amazing opportunity to renew, refocus, and re-energize the evangelization efforts of the Catholic Church in America. The resounding message was that through our baptism we are called to be missionary disciples of Jesus Christ, and as followers of Christ, we are to recognize that our faith, while personal, is not private. Each of us shares in the responsibility of bringing the Good News to all people; in our family, in our neighborhood, in our parish boundaries, in the diocese and in the entire world, particularly to those on the periphery of society who are most in need. To make this goal a reality we need to declare ourselves in a permanent missionary state so that we can step outside of our comfort zone and be the face of Jesus to all, including our most vulnerable.
I return to the Diocese of Camden excited, energized and fully engaged in the process of helping Bishop Sullivan to achieve the Holy Father’s dream of creating a missionary impulse that will channel our energy for the evangelization of today’s world.
Jose Rodriguez
Divine Mercy Parish, Vineland
“Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy Of The Gospel”) seemed to be the main focus during this convocation. I can honestly say I was blessed and honored to be part of the Diocese of Camden’s delegation. The convocation was both comforting and eye opening for me. It gave me a sense of peace and urgency to act quickly upon the issues the church is facing at a parish, diocese and national level. I found it reassuring to know that the challenges we face at a parish level are challenges that almost all the parishes are facing nationally; the comfort stems from knowing we aren’t at this fight alone. The urgency comes from knowing that these issues are national and that they need to be addressed right away. Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut said “be bold and confident” and I believe this to be true. We have to be bold and strong, confident and smart when facing the issues that are in front of us. We can only be bold and confident if our strength comes from Christ. The convocation taught me that one’s personal relationship with Christ takes precedence over all things because if our relationship with Christ is weak our work will be weak, but if it is strong our work will be strong and fruitful. The Convocation touched upon many subjects, but the one that sticks out the most was that of immigration. How do we build solidarity with our brother and sister immigrants? How do we support them? How do we help them? All these answers are found in Christ and in personal conversion. We have to change the way we look at the immigrant and their struggles and, instead of labeling them or checking a box, actually take initiative and make a difference. We have to meet our brothers and sisters at a deeper level, talk to their kids and loved ones, meet them in the middle to understand them truly. The church is facing a lot, but it is up to us, the Catholic leaders, to stand in love, solidarity and in Christ to make a difference. To look to the periphery and acknowledge the struggles and to go out and make that change needed and yearned for. Again it was a blessing. May God bless our diocese and nation and let us remember to be “bold and confident” in Christ and for Christ. Amen.
Father Jon Thomas
Pastor, Parish of Saint Monica, Atlantic City
Great things can happen when you bring together the nation’s top Catholics and more than 3,000 local leaders. The Convocation of Catholic Leaders served a buffet of best practices. Delegates were introduced to the top people working in virtually every aspect of the church’s ministry, then encouraged to take what could work in their local organizations and apply it. While local leaders like me already know about some of those best practices, attending the convocation connected me to other local leaders who’ve replicated their success.
Yes, they’re worth trying because the ideas actually work! I wonder if anyone else felt a bit of friendly competition. There are so many great ideas out there and many have been proven in the field. Some have already started transforming their parishes. The Convocation rightly conveyed some urgency — we cannot dwell too long on when or how to implement the best practices. The time is now.
Gregory A. Coogan
Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministries
It was an honor and a joy to be part of history as a delegate to the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America. The entire church in America is at a pivotal time in our history as we look at significant challenges and opportunities to bring the Gospel to daily life. Today’s pastoral activity must make every effort to be “more mission-oriented, more inclusive and open, and to inspire a constant desire to go forth and form a positive relationship with Jesus Christ” (Evangelii Gaudium, 27). In particular, ministry with, for and by youth and young adults looks to be bold and creative in ways to share and engage young people in the life and mission of Jesus and the church community. Three take-a ways from the Convocation are:
— Urgency — I know from many stories of youth and young adults in my family, ministry among our communities and from recent surveys and listening sessions in Southern New Jersey that there is an urgency to be relevant, engaging and in authentic relationship with young people. Jesus’ message is much too important. We can and must do better at engaging young people where they are through a variety of faith pathways including music, retreats, experiences of service and presence in the virtual world. Parish and school communities will commit to steps in furthering the Gospel and embracing Pope Francis’ vision of a church on the move.
— The Love of Christ compels us to center our lives on relationship with the Triune God through the sacraments, Scripture and daily prayer. Disciples of Jesus Christ commit, even in the busiest times of life, to being grounded in a deep loving relationship with Jesus. This relationship is woven into our daily life and engages our head, heart and hands in the routine of life at school, work, in the family and in the community. The Catholic tradition has much to say and offer all generations to go deeper.
— Authentic Friendship and Community that leads to something and someone deeper. We share life with others through virtuous friendships, meeting people where they are so that we may encourage them on a deeper level to be a follower of Jesus. Care and concern for our brothers and sisters, especially those who are on the edges of our life, faith communities and society, must be real and lead to action. I often find that youth (ages 13–18) and young adults (late teens, 20s and 30s) are on the edge of our communities and they need our attention.
Our first action step as a diocese is a Symposium for Parish Leaders entitled, Engaging a New Generation, to be held for pastors, deacons, youth, young adult and catechetical leaders on Wednesday, Oct. 25, and Thursday, Oct. 26, at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Absecon. This symposium will share skills and strategies for growing mature teen and young adult disciples in today’s world. Leaders will develop a plan and strategies to better reach the minds, hearts and souls of our young people. Contact the Office of Youth, Young Adult and Campus Ministries to be added to the mailing list or for additional information at 856-583-2909.