The first Gathering of the Ministerium in the diocese was Oct. 24 at Cleveland Public Auditorium, drawing more than 1,200 participants ranging from educators and clergy to parish staff and volunteers. It was co-hosted by the diocesan education and parish life staff along the Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd Institute.
The daylong event began with morning prayer, a keynote presentation and Mass. After lunch, there were breakout sessions that offered professional development opportunities.
(See photo gallery above.)
The event ended with closing remarks from Bishop Edward Malesic who told attendees to leave with a firm conviction to share the God they love as they serve in their ministries. He also referenced his first pastoral letter, A Flourishing Apostolic Church, which encourages people to share their personal stories with others about how they came to know Jesus.
“We hope that people walked away saying, ‘I'm excited about my faith. I'm excited to see how many other people here in Northeast Ohio are doing this kind of work. And I got some resources that are really going to help me be a more effective missionary disciple in my own ministry,’” said Matthew Carey Jordan, director of the MMGSI and vice president of academic affairs at Borromeo and Saint Mary seminaries.
The keynote speaker was Meg Hunter-Kilmer, a missionary, author and storyteller who works as a campus minister at the University of Notre Dame. She encouraged the audience to get to know the real Jesus through reading depictions in the Scriptures.
Father Damian Ference, vicar for evangelization, served as master of ceremonies for the day.
Auxiliary Bishop Michael Woost celebrated the Mass and delivered a homily focused on encouraging people to be the face of Jesus in the various communities they serve.
Organizers are considering plans to have more ministerium days in the future.
“I walked away from the event feeling strengthened as an individual, but also with a sense of community,” said Madelyn McNamara, an art teacher at St. Charles Borromeo School in Parma. “And I think that's very important for everybody to know that they're not alone, and they're with God and we have a strong Church.”