UNITED STATES
Crux
Carolyn Woo SPECIAL TO CRUX
The Convocation of Catholic Leaders, a large national gathering of diverse leaders from across the Catholic Church in the United States, is taking place July 1-4 in Orlando. Having followed the convocation from its inception and planning, I can attest to the intention of opening a window to let in some new air.
The idea is to hang a freshly-painted welcome sign on the Church, prominently placed over a door that once seemed forbidding. It’s also to deploy communication devices that can pick up the channel of today’s people, and allow for two-way exchanges.
The focus is on the lay people of the dioceses, going beyond just the “usual suspects” to invite new voices and emerging leaders. The content is impressively comprehensive, with 66 breakout sessions on topics ranging from the expected (social justice, immigration, parish vitality, faith formation) to the uncomfortable (the “nones,” reaching out to those hurt by leaders and members of the Church, ministry to people with same-sex attraction).
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