Participants in Church Summit Offer First Impressions
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WWW.THEFLORIDACATHOLIC.ORG | July 2017 FLORIDACatholic MIAMI ARCHDIOCESE BY THE NUMBERS The 2017 Convocation of Catholic Participants in Church summit Leaders, held in Orlando July 1-4, was a historic gathering of some 3,500 lay and religious leaders from 160 dio- ceses and 185 national organizations. offer first impressions They gathered to explore the current challenges and strengths of the Church TOM TRACY Maria Victoria and its evangelization efforts. Florida Catholic correspondent Cimadevilla The U.S. Conference of Catholic attends a Bishops, which sponsored the gather- meeting ORLANDO | A national Church ing, provided some statistics about following the event, which was formally called, gathering this large and unprece- the 2017 dented was bound to evoke laughter, “Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Convocation Joy of the Gospel in America.” tears, intellectual debate, straight of Catholic talk and motivational language as • On hand were 155 cardinals, Leaders in archbishops and bishops; along with well as serendipitous, grace-filled Orlando July encounters among laity, clergy, pre- 125 deacons, 50 Catholic medical 1-4. Before professionals, 380 priests, 175 religious senters and a small army of event coming home, sisters, and 10 religious brothers. staff. the Miami • The Top 10 states that sent For the nearly 40 persons from delegation delegates were California, Texas, the Miami Archdiocese who at- had a chance Florida, New York, Ohio, Maryland, to share tended the 2017 “Convocation of Pennsylvania, Colorado, Minnesota and impressions, Catholic Leaders” — one of the larg- Michigan. est diocesan contingents here from about what around the country — the July 1-4 they heard at • Nine of the non-Latin eparchies sent over 50 delegates. gathering will take some time to the historic fully unpack and share back home. Church • Home Missions island dioceses on The invitation-only “Convoca- summit. (TOM hand included St. Thomas in the U.S. tion of Catholic Leaders: The Joy TRACY | FC) Virgin Islands, Chalan Kanoa, and the U.S. Marshall Islands. of the Gospel in America” brought together some 3,500 U.S. Catholic • Top dioceses sending delegations leaders to spend the July 4 week- bishop Thomas Wenski asked for Miami region, which presents plen- Church” or “be seen by the Church” were Cincinnati, Orlando, New York end asking, among other questions, the group’s initial impressions, ty of its own unique “peripheries” without a concerted effort, or some- and Miami. how best to identify and evangelize thoughts, takeaways and a bit of and “invisible groups” that make for one or something to bridge the di- The convocation was dedicated to the “peripheries” that Pope Francis initial goal-setting for the Church in challenging evangelization efforts. vides. the Blessed Mother while constantly writes about. The event was held at South Florida. The archbishop cited the in- seeking the guidance of the Holy the Hyatt Regency Orlando and the Archbishop Wenski also contrib- ner city, the many Latin American Spirit. It has been the only response, ‘INVISIBLE on the national level, to Pope Francis’ Orange County Convention Center. uted his own thoughts of how the cultural-national groups, blue-col- PARISHIONERS’ “Evangelii Gaudium,” according to Gathering privately with the many convocation speakers, pre- lar workers, college students and “Can we go and find the invisible organizers. The event marked a first in Miami delegation immediately fol- sentations, breakout sessions and single people seemingly off the grid U.S. Church history. lowing the summit, Miami Arch- conversations might apply to the and who likewise may not “see the PLEASE SEE SUMMIT, 10 Archbishop Wenski addresses national Convocation TOM TRACY bishop Wenski told the gathering fore to be better disciples. among the delegates. Florida Catholic correspondent after a morning prayer July 2, the The event was sponsored and “There is definitely a high energy first full day of the July 1-4 event. hosted by the U.S. bishops and and a high hope for coming togeth- ORLANDO | Speaking to a The archbishop pointed out that included large- and small-group er here,” Colella said. “People are standing-room-only gathering the U.S. bishops had wanted to go conversations on a sweeping array saying ‘What more can I do? What of some 3,500 Catholic leaders — deeper into an exploration of the of topics including the current po- more can I do for Catholic educa- clergy, hierarchy, laity as well as issues and emotional motivations litical climate, intercultural aware- tion, for pro-lifers?’ It’s like a fam- men and women religious — Arch- that were keeping many disaffect- ness, social media, social violence ily reunion. And now we want to bishop Thomas Wenski opened the ed Catholics away from their faith and unrest, the state of Catholic ed- know what the bishops have to say first full day of a historic summit communities. ucation, vocations, parish life, fam- as well.” by explaining the event’s roots and “We discovered that every group ily life and more. Some 40 delegates Earlier that morning, Rosema- purpose. studied felt some distance or angst from Miami took part. rie Banich, director of the archdi- Some eight years ago, on the or feelings of anguish in some way,” “With the spirit of evangelical ocesan Office of Youth and Young heels of the global financial crisis, he said. Yet most inactive Catholics discernment, look at opportunities Adults — who also played a leader- a previous decade of Church abuse indicated that they could not imag- and challenges of what we hear (this ship role in the archdiocesan synod Archbishop Thomas Wenski scandals and alarming indications ine a complete break from their week),” the archbishop told partici- — met in a smaller group with the leads prayer at the start of the that the Catholic community in the Catholic identity, he added. pants. “It’s not all doom and gloom. youths and Hispanic young adult July 2 general assembly of the U.S. was becoming frayed, the U.S. “There was a strong sense of the We must present the Gospel with a delegates to discuss how best to en- Convocation of Catholic Leaders bishops started laying the ground- need for a spiritual ‘field hospital,’ sense of confidence and hope and a gage with the convocation. in Orlando. (TOM TRACY | FC) work for the summit that became as Pope Francis has called it, a need sense of joy.” Key presenters and facilitators at known as the “Convocation of Cath- for healing,” the archbishop said of Stephen Colella, director of the the event included Cardinal Timo- and religious leaders from Catholic olic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel the background studies preceding archdiocese’s Secretariat of Parish thy Dolan of New York, Cardinal organizations and ministries. in America.” the convocation. “The landscape Life, said Archbishop Wenski had Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Hous- At the major plenary address July “There was also a perception that has been shifting, so this convo- met with his delegation the night ton, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of 2, Colombian-born academic Hos- pro-life and social justice Catholics cation is a way to understand that before in order to foster a sense of Boston, Archbishop Jose H. Gomez were talking past each other,” Arch- landscape a little better,” and there- renewed friendship and mission of Los Angeles, and many other lay PLEASE SEE WENSKI, 11 2 YOUR MIAMI COMMUNITY Florida Catholic July 2017 Above, Father Alvaro Huertas, administrator of Santa Barbara Parish, holds a City of Hialeah Gardens proclamation commemorating the parish’s 30th anniversary. Left, Maria Mercedes Escobar, secretary at Santa Barbara Parish, prays during the Mass. (PHOTOS BY JONATHAN MARTINEZ | FC) Santa Barbara at 30: ‘Work and fraternity’ ROCÍO GRANADOS clean the site; everything was work The church started in a repur- thanks to a community that loves the funds. We dream big, our com- Staff of La Voz Católica and fraternity, all the time. That posed warehouse on Northwest its parish.” munity is growing,” said Juanita is what sets this parish apart,” re- 87th Avenue, very close to the site On Dec. 4, 2000, Archbishop López, president of the parish’s fi- HIALEAH | In 1987, when the called Jiménez, who is of Domini- where it is currently located, 6801 John C. Favalora dedicated a new nance council. “This parish center parish of Santa Barbara was about can descent and a member of the W. 30th Ave., Hialeah. Archbishop parish hall and a beautiful plaza has capacity for 800 people. This to be created, Father Rafael Pe- choir. “When you are in a parish, Edward McCarthy established it in on the 10-acre site. Plans called for Easter many came who do not at- droso, the founding pastor, invited you feel like family, and that is what 1987 to serve western parts of Hia- the future construction of a school, tend regularly. This makes us want María Jiménez to become a mem- Santa Barbara is for me. It has been leah and the new city of Hialeah a child care center and a church. to build our church as soon as pos- ber. At that time, Jiménez’s parish 30 years already. I am very happy Gardens. On Nov. 25 of that year, Since then, Mass has been cele- sible.” was San Lazaro, but she started here. My children grew up here, my Miami’s then-Auxiliary Bishop brated and the sacraments offered Father Huertas said the parish attending Mass with her family at husband is a lector and extraordi- Agustín Román blessed the facility. in the parish center. has two great intercessors, “the Santa Barbara. She never left. nary minister of holy Communion; “The parish was erected thanks “It is a worthy place while Divine Child Jesus, who has many “In the warehouse where we my youngest son teaches young to the pastoral effort of Bishop we struggle to build the parish followers, and Santa Barbara, who began, for the first time we had a adult catechumens.” Román,” said Father Alvaro Huer- church,” said Father Huertas.