CALEXICO –– Get ready to fall in love.
“Encounter: The Greatest Love Story” is the theme of the upcoming Imperial Valley Catholic Conference.
Between 250 and 300 people are expected to attend the conference, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 16, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Academy and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Calexico. All Catholics are welcome to attend.
A special version of the conference, intended for priests, will be offered the previous day, Nov. 15, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart Parish in Brawley.
Marioly Galván, diocesan chancellor and director of Pastoral Ministries, said that the Imperial Valley conference will be “a day filled with spiritual renewal, pastoral development and fellowship.”
“We joyously await hundreds of youth and adult attendees representing the vibrant and beautifully diverse communities that are present in our diocese,” she said.
The schedule for the bilingual event includes two keynote presentations –– one for adults and another for youth –– by Father Agustino Torres, of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who is the founder of Corazón Puro and Latinos Por la Vida.
Those leading breakout sessions in English will include:
— Noreen McInnes, director of the diocesan Office for Liturgy and Spirituality, on “Encountering the Real Presence of Christ in Mass: Become What You Receive”;
— Christina Bagaglio Slentz, who oversees Creation Care Ministry in the Office for Life, Peace and Justice, on “Encountering the Love of Christ in Creation”;
— John Prust, director of the Office for Family Life and Spirituality, on “Encountering Jesus Through the Sacrament of Marriage”; and
— Jorge Mendoza, who is a doctoral student in Psychology, on “Encountering Christ: Navigating Mental Health Services as Catechists.”
Those leading breakout sessions in Spanish will include:
— Leonardo Fonseca, who serves in the diocesan Office for Communications, on “Ir al Encuentro: Proclamando el Kerigma en una Cultura Digital” (“Encounter: Proclaiming the ‘Kerygma’ in a Digital Culture”);
— Wendy Baez, associate director of the Office for Family Life and Spirituality, on “El Matrimonio y la Vida Familiar: Co-Creadores del Reino de Dios” (“Marriage and Family Life: Co-Creators of the Kingdom of God”); and
— Karla Perez-Carrero, a volunteer in Creation Care Ministry, on “Encontrando el Amor de Dios en la Creación” (“Finding God’s Love in Creation”).
There will also be a morning Mass with Auxiliary Bishop Felipe Pulido, and opportunities for confession and to visit a variety of exhibitor booths.
This will be the third edition of the Imperial Valley Catholic Conference. The first was in November of 2018. The second was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic; it eventually took place in April of 2023. Moving forward, the plan is for the event to be held every two years.
“This year, the conference will follow the model of the Eucharistic Revival,” promised Galván, referring to the three-year initiative launched by the U.S. bishops in 2022 to increase Catholics’ understanding and love of the Eucharist. “We will have a (Eucharistic) procession with the monstrance, Holy Hour and Benediction, Mass, workshops and wonderful entertainment.”
The cost to attend is $35, with lunch included. Certified catechists can earn six hours toward renewal of their catechetical certification for attending.
For more information, visit sdcatholic.org/ivcc.
