MAGIC, MUSIC AND ART CELEBRATE FAITH AT THE LARGEST CATHOLIC GATHERING OF ITS KIND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FEBRUARY 15-18
February 6, 2024  |  By:   |  Press Releases  |  

— The 68th edition of the Religious Education Congress will feature presentations by renowned Catholic leaders, a Sacred Space featuring artwork from skid row and the incarcerated, entertainment that integrates magic and faith, and liturgies in Vietnamese and Chinese —

 

The 68th annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress (RE Congress 2024) this year will be held February 15-18, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W Katella Ave, Anaheim, CA 92802. The event begins with Youth Day (Thursday, February 15) an entire day dedicated to strengthening their faith and inspiring high school age young people through workshops and a liturgy celebrated by Archbishop José H. Gomez. Themed “Your Path Awaits,” this year’s Youth Day keynote speaker will be Giancarlo Bernini, who using the art of illusion will share how to follow a path of truth.   

 

The weekend continues with the Adult Days, themed Be loved! (¡Déjate amar! in Spanish; Được Yêu! in Vietnamese), which offer adult participants 120 workshop options in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, presented by 124 speakers on topics such as how to serve people with disabilities, the important role of women in the Church, music as an expression of faith. Participants will also have access to the opening ceremony on Friday morning with Archbishop Gomez, who will offer a reflection on the theme, and daily Liturgies, including one in Chinese (back after two decades), entertainment, the 2024 Film Showcase, and the Exhibit Hall with nearly 200 vendors. This year, the Sacred Space exhibit will feature artwork created by homeless persons, former incarcerated and currently incarcerated persons, high school students, Vietnamese families and parishioners throughout the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

 

“The daring invitation of being loved will give us the opportunity to not only experience the dignity of being a beloved child of God, but also will give us the strength to be the reflection of God’s love that offers life and hope to our families, society, and Church,” said Sister Rosalia Meza, senior director of the Archdiocese’s Office of Religious Education, organizers of the event.

 

A special welcome will be delivered by Archbishop José H. Gomez during the opening ceremony at the Arena of the Anaheim Convention Center on Friday, February 16 at 8 a.m. RE Congress 2024 will include presentations from leading experts in the field of love and mentorship, such as Adult Days Keynote Speaker Jessica Sarowitz; Sr. Teresa Maya, an expert on theology and Latinos faith formation, and former president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious from 2016-2019, who currently serves as a consultant on theology and synodal topics; and Cardinal Robert McElroy from the Diocese of San Diego, who will address attendees on the Church’s current synodal journey.

 

Other speakers include Congress regulars, Jesuit Fathers Greg Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, Father Allan Figueroa-Deck, a Loyola Marymount University specialist in pastoral theology and Latino studies who will present workshops about the Church’s synodal path in Spanish, and Vatican specialist John Allen, with his workshops, “What’s Next? The today and the tomorrow of Francis’ Papacy,” and  “What’s hot and what’s not: A 360 degree review of the Global Church.”

 

 

Event highlights:

 

  • Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 – Convention Arena – 8:30 p.m. – “Magical Evening,” presented by Catholic Magician Giancarlo Bernini, who will challenge RECongress participants to see beyond magic to the deeper reality of God’s deep love and unconditional forgiveness for each of us.
  • Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 – Convention Arena – 8:30 p.m. – Dance the night away!: Adult Congress participants are invited to dance to the sounds of multi-generational and multicultural music.
  • Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 – Young Adult Day at RE Congress:
  • Workshops focused on Young Adults will include topic on evangelization, dealing with burnout, mentorshihp, the U.S. Bishops new document on Young Adults, and a Young Adult Panel titled “Young Adults: The Church Alive.”
  • Young Adult Liturgy (Bilingual: English/Spanish) – Conventiona Arena – 5:15 p.m.
  • The More of Love – Convention Center Room 202 – 7 p.m. -9:30 p.m. (Community Building, Assembly of Totes for the Unhoused, and dialogue with Jessica Sarowitz)
  • Sacred Space – an exhibit of sacred art by members of religious communities, of Catholic schools and parishes depicting how they view God’s love in their lives through homelessness, the incarcerated, among others. The space offers a silent time for contemplative walk through a Labyrinth and prayer opportunities.
  • Daily Liturgies in different languages dedicated to and organized by different cultural communities in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and other dioceses of Southern California, including Chinese and Vietnamese liturgies (Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024 at 5:15 p.m.)

 

For more information, visit https://recongress.org/register, @lacongress, #RECongress, #LAYouthDay, #BeLoved and #YourPathAwaits.

Media interested in covering the event are provided credentials, which you can request here.

 

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