ORLANDO, Fla. — On July 1-4, 2017, eleven men and women from the Diocese of San Angelo participated in the National Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida. This unprecedented gathering of clergy and laity was organized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in order to assess the contemporary challenges and opportunities of the Church in the United States.

The gathering assembled Catholic leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations for a strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture. Inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), the convocation explored the call of all the baptized members of the Church to be agents of evangelization. It presented fresh insights based on new research, communication strategies, and successful models for ministry.

The presentations fostered a sense of personal responsibility to become true missionary disciples. They emphasized the connection between evangelization and pastoral planning. They encouraged parishes, dioceses, and Catholic organizations to discern what the Holy Spirit is calling them to do moving forward.

The convocation’s message to all Catholics is that we must look for those who are on the peripheries. We should regularly ask ourselves, “Whom are we missing? Who are the ones who are unengaged in the life of the Church? How can we revitalize our parishes and movements to more effectively share the Gospel with those who need to encounter Christ?”

The eleven people from the Diocese of San Angelo who attended the convocation were Bishop Michael Sis, Sr. Hilda Marotta, Sr. Adelina Garcia, Fr. Bala Anthony Govindu, Alison Pope, Dave and Linda Erickson, Jimmy and Karen Patterson, and Charlie and Kathy Keane.

Over the next several months, members of this team will contribute articles to the West Texas Angelus in order to share insights gathered in the particular sessions of the Orlando Convocation. In this month’s edition, I will offer reflections on helping young people make the transition from youth to young adulthood.