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WASHINGTON (June 5, 2000) -- Deacons and evangelization will be the focus of the National Catholic Diaconate Conference (NCDC 2000), June 21-24, at St. Mary's College in Moraga, California.
The national conference is the largest national gathering of deacons and their wives, and is held every three years. This year's theme is The Deacon in the Third Millennium: A New Evangelization.
The event is sponsored by the U.S. bishops' Office for the Diaconate in association with the major U.S. diaconate organizations. More than 800 deacons, their wives and guests are already registered for the event.
Deacon John Pistone, Executive Director of the Diaconate Office, said additional registrations are expected. He added that this year's conference "promises to be uplifting, motivating and a spiritual gathering in harmony with this jubilee year."
Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas, Chairman of the Bishops' Committee for the Diaconate, will be the opening keynote speaker on Wednesday, June 21. In succeeding days, other keynote speakers will include Archbishop. Gabriel Montalvo, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States.; Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles; J. Michael Stebbins, Woodstock Theological Center, Georgetown University; Deacon William Ditewig, Director of Pastoral Services and Ministry for the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa; and the Father Bryan Massingale, from St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Other presenters include representatives of the Canadian Bishops' Conference and CELAM, the Episcopal Conference of Latin America.
In addition to the keynote presentations, the program also includes a slate of mini-courses and workshops on a broad range of topics.
Other activities include a Thursday evening presentation of a musical about of the life of Jesus through the voice of Mary, his mother, entitled HER STORY.
Deacon Pistone urged those still needing to register to contact the office of the Bishops' Committee on the Diaconate soon at 202 541 3038 for information.