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Nourished for mission — 2024 Bishop's Convocation

News of the Diocese

August 15, 2024

Nourished for mission — 2024 Bishop's ConvocationA week that begin with damaging storms throughout our diocese, concluded with the annual Bishop’s Convocation on Aug. 9—a welcome retreat for parish and Catholic school faith formation leaders that highlighted the Christian vocation to be Eucharistic people on mission.

Originally scheduled to take place at Magnificat High School, this year’s Convocation was relocated to St. Albert the Great Parish due to the sweeping power outages that affected so many in Northern Ohio, Magnificat included.

Nourished for mission — 2024 Bishop's ConvocationFrank O’Linn, Secretary of Education and Superintendent of Schools, used this moment to underscore the resilience of Catholic Parish and School communities, something that has become a hallmark of the Church. “On behalf of all of us at the diocese and the community of Catholic formation, thank you. I’m heartened … and reminded … that this is what we do in Catholic Parishes, Schools, and student ministry: we find a way. The Gospel needs to be heard, disciples need to be made, and so we find a way.

According to Greg Coogan, Secretary for Catechetical Formation, “This gathering for parish and school formation leaders has been a long-standing event celebrating the beginning of a new academic/ministry year. It is with joy and gratitude for their ministry that we host this delightful gathering. Over the past thirty-five years, Convocation has served as a prayerful assembly and welcoming learning environment that provides formation and information to our key stakeholders. This year, pastors, too, were invited and encouraged to attend.”

Nourished for mission — 2024 Bishop's ConvocationThe Convocation Liturgy was celebrated by Bishop Edward Malesic, concelebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost, along with St. Albert the Great Pastor Father Ed Estok and numerous other Priests from throughout our diocese.

During his Homily, Bishop Malesic stressed the significance of the real presence of Christ among and in each of us, sharing “He is here in Word and Sacrament and present in each of us. And together, in a way that Pope Francis calls Synodal – we listen attentively to his voice who speaks to us through the one Spirit we all share. In our diversity of gifts, callings and functions in the Church, St. Paul reminds us that we come together as many in order to become ‘one body in Christ.’”

Nourished for mission — 2024 Bishop's ConvocationBishop Michael Woost delivered the Convocation keynote address to an audience of 250+ parish and school staff members. Titled Go and Announce the Gospel of the Lord: The Mission of Being Eucharist, Bishop Woost emphasized the heart of our faith being an encounter with Christ. “Christianity is not simply about specific teachings or rules, or the way the church is organized; first and foremost, our faith is based upon an encounter with a real person who desires to encounter us. And if we’ve encountered Christ in our lives, that changes the course of our lives, it changes our horizon of life, the direction our life is taking,” he said.

And indeed, our lives will forever be transformed after encountering Christ, for as Bishop Woost concluded and challenged all to consider, “Become what you receive. Become who you are called to be. Be the Eucharistic Christ who gives himself to us so we can give ourselves to him and to one another.”

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