Speakers from Hallow will open up Catechist Convocation in Paramus
The Catechetical Office of the Archdiocese will host the annual Catechist Convocation, a conference for parish and Catholic school faith formation leaders on Saturday, Nov. 4.
Hundreds of faithful are expected to converge on Paramus Catholic High School for a day filled with workshops and collaborative conversations, which will support their Catechetical calling. The promotional materials express that this event is aimed at “helping them to face the challenges of today’s world while staying grounded in faith and keeping with an ever-deepening relationship with Jesus.”
The day will open with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Michael Saporito, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark.
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There will be a Spanish track and an English track. The keynote speakers will be Alex Jones, CEO of Hallow in English, and Jaimie Gil, Director of Spanish Content for Hallow in Spanish. Hallow, launched just three years ago, has become the world’s top Catholic App for prayer, meditation, music, and the Bible.
There will be over 30 workshops that will support each attending “catechist on a mission” and include topics such as building authentic friendships, the blessing of grandparents, making faith formation fun, ministering with the ears of Jesus, gender ideology, social justice, facilitating small group studies, how to prepare parents for their child’s sacraments, how to pray in color, ministering to middle schoolers, and faithful citizenship.
Carolina Munoz, Martial Arts World Champion and Youth Minister, will lead a workshop on engaging youth. Father Tim Graff, Secretary for Parish Ministry and Vitality, will lead a discussion on how we are called to use the moral teaching of the Church as guidance for difficult moral and political decisions of our day. The Chancellor of the Archdiocese, Sister Donna Ciangio, will teach participants how to facilitate deeper, intentional listening of the adults and parents served within parish ministries. Director of Family Life, Brian Caldwell, will help leaders to guide families on how to form a healthy Catholic identity and to seek and follow God’s guidance as they navigate struggles in mental health, cultural demands, and pressures from relationships, schedules, work, school, and social media. Dr. Anne Masters, Office for Pastoral Ministry with Persons with Disabilities, will lead a workshop on how we can better welcome, include, and accompany persons with disabilities and their families. Deacon Asterio Velasco will be helping participants grow in their understanding of synodality in his Spanish language workshop. Among the many other topics addressed in English and Spanish are ministry with young adolescents, forming life-long disciples for social justice, formation for families, and theology of the body.
Exhibits and vendors include Loyola Press, Sadlier Publishing, RENEW, OSV Curriculum, Anne Rose- Gifts of Faith, Felician University, Ruah Institute, New York Company Supply, Holy Land Art, and more. There will also be time to meet the officials from the Archdiocese of Newark offices of Family Life, Evangelization, Persons with Disabilities, and the Office of the Chancellor.
The Catechetical Office of the Archdiocese of Newark has been hosting the Catechetical Convocation annually for the past several decades. The event’s general purpose is the formation of catechists and leaders from parish and catholic school communities through prayer, intellectual exchange, and conversations about best practices and shared experiences. The convocation also allows catechists to meet with others who share a common mission.
Check-in begins at 8 a.m. with the day ending at 2 p.m. The cost is $25 before Monday, Oct. 23 and $30 after. For more information visit rcan.org/ catechetics/. Register here.
Featured image: Keynote speakers will be Alex Jones, CEO of Hallow in English, and Jaimie Gil, Director of Spanish Content for Hallow in Spanish.
