Denver Catholic

CATHOLIC LIFE I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I JANUARY 29, 2014 Annual faith conference postponed Archbishop Aquila urges BY ROXANNE KING The annual Living the Catholic Faith Conference, which was set for March, is being postponed to next year, organizers announced Jan. 15. Cost of the venue nearly doubled over the last two years and scheduling conflicts with another diocesan conference made securing sought-after speakers and exhibiters challenging, said Greg Willits, chair of the conference planning committee. "We're looking at moving the conference to fall of 2015," he said, adding that meanwhile organizers will be reworking and improving the conference. "The areas that we're considering changing are not only the venue and time of year the conference is held, but we're looking at how can we present an event that each and every year will truly be life-changing?'" Willits said. "What can we do to make this be not just an annual event, but a must-attend event?" The two-day conference has been hugely successful drawing catechists and Catholic school educators, but organizers would like it to be just as popular with other lay Catholics, their families and entire parishes. "We want to make this event 'VIVIENDO LA FE CATÓLICA' Day-long Spanish-language faith conference ("Living the Catholic Faith") When: 8 a.m. March 15 Where: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver Cost: $25 Information: call 303-7153247 or email Maria.Ramirez@ archden.org be something that is synonymous with Denver and the new evangelization," explained Willits. "Basically, we're taking a step back and looking at how can we make this the event Denver deserves?" The Spanish-language track of the conference, which drew more than 1,600 attendees last year, is still scheduled for March 15 at the Colorado Convention Center in downtown Denver (see details in accompanying box). "Historically, the Spanish track has been the best attended by everyday laypeople," Willits said. Others who would have attended the conference still have faith enrichment opportunities available to them, organizers said. Faith formation for catechists will still be offered at the annual Catechetical Congress in August, Willits said. And the Catholic Schools Office is working with individual schools on alternative continuing formation for the day teachers would have attended the Living the Catholic Faith Conference, said Msgr. Tom Fryar, planning committee member and moderator of the curia. "(All laypeople) are encouraged to take advantage of such continuing faith formation opportunities as are offered throughout the year at both the parish and archdiocesan levels," he said, mentioning in particular the Archbishop's Lecture Series and Theology on Tap. Organizers are excited about restructuring the Living the Catholic Faith Conference in a beneficial way. "It is our plan to continue to build upon the successful experiences of the past, and to adapt to overcome the present challenges that make this decision necessary," Msgr. Fryar said. "Our hope is to provide a strong, dynamic and engaging witness of our rich and glorious faith and help people know how to best grow in their faith, and share it more fully with family, friends and others." journalists to share truth PHOTO BY TODD WOLLAM/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER MEDIA professionals pose for a photo with Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila after a Mass for Catholic Journalists and Media Professionals Jan. 26. Some 50 Catholic journalists who work for religious and secular media attended a Jan. 26 mid-morning Mass for Catholic Journalists and Media Professionals celebrated by Archbishop Samuel J. Aquila at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in downtown Denver. The archbishop urged the journalists to always seek and promote the truth of the Gospel and the dignity of the human person. Listen to the archbishop's homily at www.DenverCatholic. org. The Mass was held the first Sunday after the feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of Catholic writers and editors. It was organized by the Communications Office of the Denver Archdiocese. Next month is Catholic Press Month. Threats to religious freedom will repeat, conference says Catholic leader speaks to faith groups about getting involved COLORADO CATHOLIC CONFERENCE Sign up for the Colorado Catholic Conference's legislative network alerts at www.cocatholicconference.org. BY NISSA LAPOINT History may repeat itself if faith communities don't join forces to protect their religious freedom, Jenny Kraska of the Colorado Catholic Conference warned a crowd gathered in a church last week. "The threat is very real. There is a threat to our religious freedom and it's happening all the time," Kraska said. "It is so important to witness to because if we don't, history will repeat itself. I don't think that is something that any of us in any of our faith communities want to see happen again in this great nation." Kraska, director of the state lobbying arm of the Church, talked to a gathering of some 200 Christians Jan. 23 inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Broomfield. New bills impacting religious liberty were proposed in the state Legislature this session, including House Bill 1048, which protects the right of college campus groups to choose leaders who share their beliefs. The bill was Learn more about religious liberty on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops website, www. usccb.org/issues-and-action/ religious-liberty. PHOTO BY NISSA LAPOINT/DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER JENNY KRASKA of the Colorado Catholic Conference speaks to a crowd Jan. 23 about religious liberty inside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Broomfield. considered by the House Educa- get involved and express their tion Committee Jan. 27. views to their legislators. ReOpponents argue the bill is ligious liberty is an issue that discriminatory, that religious should draw bipartisan support, groups shouldn't have the right she said. to discriminate against those "The protection of religious who don't share their beliefs. freedom and our ability to worBut Kraska said the bill is pro- ship and express our religion as posing fair treatment of religious we see fit is something that really groups on campus. transcends party lines and party "I don't think any of us would platforms. That's how it should say that a student group of Dem- be regarding this issue," she said. ocrats should have a Republican Religious freedom is granted as their leader if they don't be- by God and guaranteed as an inlieve in the tenets of that group's alienable right by the Founding thought process and what they Fathers, she said. That is what believe," she said. believers see as the heart of the She encouraged the crowd to American democratic society. Contacting legislators is also key, she said, because many rarely hear from their constituents. "If we don't make our voices heard as people of faith, as people who have very defined views on this issue and many others, than someone else will make their voice heard." She urged for one united, clear voice on religious liberty. She drew on the words of Cardinal Francis George, archbishop of Chicago, during a speech at Brigham Young University in Utah in 2009. "Sometimes our common advocacy will make one of us the target of retribution by intolerance elements," the cardinal said. "But despite that, if we stay together and go forward together, the good sense, the common sense and generosity of the majority of people as well as the love that is truly present through God's grace in the heart of all people will, I believe, bear much fruit." Kraska said now is Coloradans' chance to make their voices heard. "There are not two more important faith communities to come together on this issue and to really say with a common voice and purpose—we need to protect religious liberty." Attendees at the speech said they've seen an erosion of that right. "A lot of religious freedom built into our Constitution is methodically chipped away at," said Daniel Sellers, 30, a member of the Latter-day Saints. Others who attended, like Don and Debbie Mittlestadt of Crossroads Church in Northglenn, said they aim to take action. "We need to be more active and get busy," Debbie Mittlestadt said. "We have to wake up." Kraska said there are a number of ways to get involved: register to vote, sign up for the conference's email alert system and contact legislators. "First and foremost, I believe Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; we need to pray," Kraska said. "We cannot forget about the nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa power of prayer."

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