The season of Lent in the Catholic Church draws many individuals closer to their faith. Many Christians receive ashes on Ash Wednesday as a symbol of repentance and practice some form of penitence during the following 40 days. With this season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving ending on Easter Sunday, some may wonder, what’s next?
The Diocese of Gary is offering its first-ever Emmaus Conference scheduled for Aug. 9 at the Porter County Expo Center in Valparaiso.
“I see it as a time to reset as many students start going back to school,” said Father Declan McNicholas, director of missionary discipleship and evangelization, describing how the timing of the conference was chosen.
Father McNicholas noted that while families typically go on vacation in June and July, August is an opportune time to get back into a routine and ensure that faith remains a focal point in their daily lives.
The associate pastor at St. John the Evangelist in St. John shared that he loves the lessons behind the story in the Gospel of Luke, “Road to Emmaus.” In the story, two disciples encountered Jesus and didn't recognize him, “just like so often we don't recognize Him,” noted Father McNicholas.
“They didn't recognize Him at first, and there was this very kind and patient Jesus,” said Father McNicholas, “but ultimately, the story ends with them running back to Jerusalem – realizing that their life is forever changed.”
While encountering Jesus will be an important part of the Emmaus Conference, the Bible story also provides a lesson in missionary discipleship, another key conference theme.
“It was this moment in which they became evangelists themselves,” explained Father McNicholas. “They turned back to Jerusalem and wanted to tell everybody that Jesus is risen. And so it's in that encounter that we then become the evangelists.
“I think we all need moments in our life to be filled up, to be sent back out,” said Father McNicholas. “This is a time to be filled up with Mass, great talks, praise and worship, Eucharistic adoration, confession and encountering other people in Northwest Indiana doing the same thing.”
He continued, “At the end, we're doing a commission. Just like the two disciples, you are now being sent out two by two. This is the day to be filled up in order to go back to our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods and tell everybody about Jesus.”
Father McNicholas promised the Emmaus Conference will be “like none other that we've ever had here in Northwest Indiana,” adding that the experience is going to be akin to the National Eucharistic Congress.
“This is going to be something that is just top-notch,” he said. “I want people to walk away and say, ‘I didn't think the Diocese of Gary could put this on.’”
This conference will bring people of all generations together for quality Catholic formation and will not include breakout sessions for specific age groups. However, childcare will be available for children 10 and under.
“We're all together because the church isn't just segmented off,” Father McNicholas said. “The person in high school may be doing something different than the senior citizen (in life), but there's this story that we can encounter each other through. You come with your family, you come with your friends, but you're sitting next to somebody who might be your same age or might be in a different age bracket.”
The conference will be offered in both English and Spanish – essentially, two conferences combined in one space. Keynote speakers and breakout sessions will be available in both languages.
“Almost half of our people that go to church on Sunday in the diocese go to Mass in Spanish,” said Father McNicholas. “And if half of our people are going to Mass in Spanish on Sunday, then we need to make sure that they’re represented and that we provide formational experiences for them too.”
Speakers for the event include: Dr. Edward Sri, a theologian, author and well-known Catholic speaker who is a Munster native; Dr. Mary Healy, a professor of scripture at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit; Alejandro Aguilera Titus, associate director of the Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C.; and Dr. Dora Tobar, an expert in family ministry and hispanic ministry.
Sean Martin, diocesan coordinator of catechesis and faith formation, said it is very exciting to have all the keynote speakers already lined up.
“Dr. Sri’s work, among many other topics, has been on missionary discipleship,” he said. “It will be great to hear him speak.”
Martin added that each conference he has helped plan for the faithful of the Diocese of Gary has been a blessing – being able to witness the participants enjoy the event, from the speakers to the reception of the sacraments.
“I'm most looking forward to experiencing the buzz that takes place when you get a thousand people together; a thousand Catholics worshiping Jesus,” said Father McNicholas. “There's a buzz about it when you feel the Holy Spirit, so that's what I can't wait to experience.”
The diocese is also planning to roll out a new prayer challenge through the Hallow app in August with similar messages. Users of the popular Catholic app may recall that Bishop Robert J. McClory led a nine-day novena before Lent. The upcoming prayer challenge is expected to span a longer time of about two to three weeks. Specific details will be announced later.
To register for the Emmaus Conference, click here. To sign up for the Hallow app, visit https://hallow.com/parish/.
