Thanks to funding available through the Diocese of Great Falls-Billings Lay Ministry Grant, three lay leaders from the Ft. Belknap Indian Reservation attended the St. John Bosco Conference for Catechists and Religious Educators. Valerie Blackcrow from Sacred Heart in Ft. Belknap Agency, Odilio Alvarez from St. Thomas in Lodgepole, and Laura Cramer from St. Paul Mission in Hays travelled to the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio during the week of July 18, 2016.
The theme of the conference was “Receive the Father’s Mercy,” and the keynote presentations included “In the Tender Compassion of Our God,” “Being Pastorally Present: The First Step of Mercy,” and “Communicating God’s Love in a Fatherless Generation.”
Valerie, Odilio, and Laura each attended different ministry track workshops, such as “Reading and Praying with Scripture,” “Principles in Ministry Growth,” “Laying Adequate Foundations for Our Students in Sacramental Catechesis,” and “Family and Intergenerational Catechesis.” Equipped with the principles and skills learned at the conference, Laura feels much more confident in her role as Director of Religious Education.
In addition to the keynotes and workshops, the conference offered opportunities for daily Mass, Eucharistic Adoration, confession, and private prayer. Odilio especially appreciated the availability of the sacraments and the opportunities for fellowship among the community. He experienced “a heavy dose of the Holy Spirit throughout the event.”
For Valerie, the conference offered “hope in a time when our world is so chaotic.” She enjoyed hearing about how to bring others back to Jesus. Learning and celebrating with hundreds of Catholics from across the nation was a beautiful and powerful experience!
Next year’s St. John Bosco conference will be held July 17-20, 2017. More information about the conference can be found at steubenvilleconferences.com/adult/.
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