Clic aquí para información en español (Click here for information in Spanish)

The Secretariat of Life, Charity, and Justice of the Diocese of Austin will host a gathering that will bring together parish leaders and volunteers whose faith inspires them to respond to current challenges relating to evangelization in contemporary society, lay leadership, poverty, injustice, and the promotion of human life and dignity. Join us on Saturday Aug. 24 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Parish (4800 Convict Hill Rd.,  Austin, TX 78749). All are welcome!

Click here to download registration form in English or here for form in Spanish.

Principal Celebrant and Homilist
Most Rev. Joe S. Vásquez was installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Austin on March 8, 2010. On Jan. 23, 2002, Bishop Vásquez was ordained and installed as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Currently, Bishop Vásquez serves on the following committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): Chair, Committee on Migration; Administrative Committee; Committee for Religious Liberty; Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism; and on the Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship Working Group, and as a Consultant to the Committee on International Justice and Peace and the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development. 

Keynote Speaker
Hosffman Ospino, PhD, is an associate professor of theology and religious education and director of graduate programs in Hispanic ministry at Boston College. He has written extensively on questions related to Hispanic Ministry, Catholic education, evangelization, and catechesis. He serves on the national team coordinating the Fifth National Encuentro of Hispanic/Latino Ministry. Dr. Hosffman Ospino of Boston College will speak about being church, being Catholic in America, and the commitment to accompany each other on the journey towards salvation.


Keynote Speaker
Very Rev. James Misko was appointed by Bishop Joe S. Vasquez as Vicar General of the Diocese of Austin on January 21, 2019. Father Misko was ordained a priest by Archbishop Gregory Aymond on June 9, 2007. He has served as pastor of Christ the King Parish in Belton and as associate pastor of St. Elizabeth Parish in Pflugerville. Father Misko is a member of the College of Consultors, and he has served on the Presbyteral Council since 2011. He also currently serves as the chair of the Priest Advisory Council for the Encountering Christ Capital Campaign.


Moderator
Luisa de Poo, LP, M.A., is the associate director of Pro-Life Activities of the Diocese of Austin. Luisa works to build a culture of life by promoting the dignity of the human person from conception to natural death. She has earned multiple educational degrees including a master's in Theology from St. Mary's University in San Antonio and she is a licensed Clinical Psychologist. Luisa De Poo was appointed by Archbishop Joseph Naumann as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities in light of her effective pro-life/pro-family work  and efforts increasing participation and commitment of Hispanics in issues that affect life and human dignity in the diocese.
 

Moderator
DeKarlos Blackmon, ObISB, is the Secretariat Director of Life, Charity, and Justice, Director of Social Concerns, and Coordinator of Black Ministry of the Diocese of Austin. He has been  involved in pastoral ministry, outreach, developing youth, and promoting civic improvement. DeKarlos has served on the following: Sixteenth Supreme Knight, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of the Knights of Peter Claver and President of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights, as a consultant to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee for Cultural Diversity for African American Affairs and as Adjunct Professor in the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans.

Participants can sign-up to one breakout session for the morning and afternoon.
(Click here to see sessions available on the Spanish track)

Morning Sessions

• Create In Me a Clean Heart: A Pastoral Response to Pornography
  • In recent years, the use of pornography has grown exponentially due to emerging technologies. Pornography use makes it difficult for men and women to be in mutually respectful self-giving relationships with each other (Create in Me a Clean Heart, USCCB, 2015). This session explores how pornography is an offense against the inviolable dignity of the human person revealed fully in Christ and the gift of human sexuality and marriage in God’s plan, how pornography leads to sexual violence, and the general toxicity of pornography — objectification of persons.

• From Darkness to Light: Human Trafficking and our Response
  • Victims of human trafficking are in need of our mercy to help them out of the bondage in which they find themselves. What we often don’t realize is that victims are here in our midst. Human trafficking, or modern-day slavery, is often hidden in our communities. It is a growing crime that violates the fundamental rights and the dignity of women, children, and men. This session sheds light on the issue of human trafficking, highlights organizations that work to combat the crime, provides ways for individuals to get involved in awareness efforts, and helps to detect the signs of human trafficking to reduce the vulnerability of young people.

• Gabriel Project and Project Rachel: Ministries of Accompaniment
  • This session will explore The Gabriel Project, a parish-based pregnancy help ministry, and Project Rachel, the Catholic Church’s healing ministry for women and their partners who have experienced an abortion. These ministries of the New Evangelization meet people where they are using the language of nurture and guidance in the art of accompaniment.  Pastoral care, an ancient model of emotional and spiritual support, can be found in all cultures and traditions. For Catholics, pastoral care, or accompaniment of those in need, is one of the ways we continue the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ in the world today. Pope Francis has called for all Catholics to practice the “art of accompaniment,” with a steady, reassuring and compassionate gaze that heals, liberates and encourages growth in the Christian life (Evangelii Gaudium, 169). Accompaniment is critical to expecting parents — regardless of the circumstances or the outcome. This session will also demonstrate how the Diocesan Pastoral Care Ministry trains volunteers to accompany, mentor and support people in their pain, loss, anxiety, triumphs, joys and celebrations.

• Growing Older Within the Faith Community: Caring for the “More Mature”
  • The spiritual growth of the aging person is affected by the community and affects the community. There is a need to reflect on the current situation of the aging, identify its roots, and pastorally respond to it more effectively. Aging demands the attention of the entire Church. Parishes are called to connect older adults with each other and with other generations, in addition to providing spiritual and sacramental nourishment. This session will discuss the call to accompany and learn from and with the senior members of our community. It will assess challenges imposed by the throwaway culture that threaten elderly lives and explore options for better care that authentically respect life.

• Restorative Justice: God’s Mercy Endures Forever
  • Every person is created in the image of God, and therefore has an inherent dignity that is not lost by crime or incarceration. The Catholic approach to Restorative Justice begins with the recognition that the dignity of the human person applies to both victim and offender (Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration, USCCB, 2000). Many people detained in correctional facilities have lost a sense of self-dignity and hope by reason of feelings of guilt, abandonment by family members, or the crimes they may have committed. Reflecting on the infinite mercy of God, this session explores how people may become involved in Restorative Justice ministries to bring the hope of God’s mercy to the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated, and their families.

• Welcoming the Stranger: Immigration 101
  • The Catholic Church believes people have the right to migrate to sustain their lives and the lives of their families, and countries have the right and duty to control their borders in a merciful manner. With immigration in the forefront of our nation’s news and politics, it is important to understand how our immigration system works and the paths available for those seeking to better their lives in the United States. This workshop will provide a factual overview of the United States immigration system including immigration statuses, processes and updates on federal laws.

Afternoon Sessions

• From Inclusion to Belonging: Accompanying Persons with Diverse Abilities
  • Ministry to persons with disabilities must address the New Evangelization, and the universal call to holiness, by working to ensure that all human beings have the support they need to actively participate in the sacraments and parish life. The Christian faithful should seek to understand individuals who are experiencing challenges and work to provide them with the support they need. This session helps participants to recognize and appreciate the contribution persons with disabilities can make to the Church’s spiritual life, and encourage them to do the Lord’s work in the world according to their God-given talents and capacity. 

• Mental Health: Let Not Your Hearts Be Troubled
  • One in four families will at some time have to cope with mental illness and its effects on a loved one and the family unit. This reality should motivate us to create awareness and break the stigma of mental health in our communities, since our Catholic faith teaches us an integral vision of the person as a corporal and spiritual being. That is why we should not leave aside the benefits that science and medicine provide us to achieve corporal (mental) healing and consequently, integral health. This session will help create awareness on mental health and the importance of self-care and respite by providing resources and education for spiritual and pastoral support.

• Racism in the Church and Society
  • “To work at ending racism, we need to engage the world and encounter others - to see, maybe for the first time, those who are on the peripheries of our own limited view” (Open Wide Our Hearts, USCCB 2018). Every day our societal realities reveal the need for further catechesis to facilitate a genuine conversion of hearts. Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin calls on Catholics to work at ending racism, to commit to encountering our brothers and sisters, listening with open hearts to the stories of those who have experienced racism. Considering, the USCCB pastoral letter against racism, this session is intended to address awareness of racism, embracing each other as a community of disciples, and answering the call to restore and reconcile. The session is to help the faithful discern opportunities and best practices for engagement that promotes love, unity, and the restoration of and reconciliation between communities. With respect and dialogue, we can then start to build trust and truly confront the evil of racism.

• Stewardship: Give of Your Best to the Master
  • Everything we have is a gift from God, and all belongs to him. Christians, in view of stewardship, must consider how they respond to God’s call on their lives and how they live out that response in interaction with others every day. While good stewardship of temporal and fiscal resources is important in sustaining parish programs, the gifts of talent and time are also key elements in furthering the mission of the Church. Many ask, “How do I know which gifts I have, and how do I put them to use?” This session will provide ideas on how to make a return to the Lord with increase by putting our particular abilities and talents to use to build up God’s Kingdom.

• Understanding Poverty
  • In order to eliminate poverty, one must first understand who experiences poverty and how it inhibits the ability to live a healthy, self-sufficient, and fulfilling life.  This session will explore the types of poverty, the landscape of poverty in Central Texas, and how the Catholic Church is working to combat the oppression of poverty in order to uphold the God-given dignity of every person.

• Welcoming the Stranger: A Pastoral Response
  • Church teaching is clear in the call to “welcome the stranger.” Scripture and Tradition challenge us to recognize the dignity of every human person, especially the most vulnerable. Migrants and Refugees are some of the most vulnerable people in the world today. Pope Francis calls for a deeper concern for migrants, saying that for the Christian “the only proper attitude is to stand in the shoes of those brothers and sisters of ours who risk their lives to offer a future to their children. Can we not realize that this is exactly what Jesus demands of us, when he tells us that in welcoming the stranger we welcome him?” (Gaudete et Exsultate, no. 102). This session will discuss the practical implications and applications of “welcoming the stranger,” noting how hospitality and sharing Christ’s love with all impact’s ministry with migrants and refugees.