USCCB - (Office of Media Relations) - First North American Institute for Catholic Evangelization to Be Held In Portland This July

First North American Institute for Catholic Evangelization to Be Held In Portland This July

WASHINGTON (May 13, 2003) -- The first North American Institute for Catholic Evangelization (NAICE) will be held at the University of Portland from July 9-12, 2003.

The institute will provide the first opportunity for national, diocesan and parish leadership to come together from a variety of ministries to reflect on their ministry through the lens of evangelization, the essential mission of the Church, according to Father John E. Hurley, C.S.P., Executive Director of the USCCB Secretariat for Evangelization.

NAICE is sponsored by the USCCB Secretariat for Evangelization, the University of Portland, and the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon.

Over 400 participants, including 20 bishops, will come together from over 120 dioceses in the United States plus representatives from Canada, Latin America and the United Kingdom.

Presiders and homilists include Bishop Wilton D. Gregory, President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Adam Exner of Vancouver, BC, and Archbishop John G. Vlazny of Portland. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, Archbishop of Washington, will give the keynote address.

NAICE major presenters include Rev. Eric Law, a consultant to religious institutions on racial and diversity issues, on Culture; Sr. Angela Ann Zukowski, MHSH, director of the Institute for Pastoral Initiatives and associate professor in the Department of Religious Studies of the University of Dayton, on Media; Dr. Carole Eipers, Director of Catechetics for William H. Sadlier, Inc., and former director of the Office of Catechesis in the Archdiocese of Chicago, on Evangelizing Catechesis; Rev. Frank DeSiano C.S.P, past president of the Paulist Fathers and consultant to the USCCB Committee on Evangelization, and Dr. Susan Blum Gerding, founding editor of The Catholic Evangelist magazine and 1996 recipient of the Pope Paul VI Award for Leadership in Catholic Evangelization, on Breaking Open the Word; Rev. Ronald Rolheiser OMI, General Councillor for Canada for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, on Spirituality; Rev. Donald Senior, President of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, on Scripture and Mission; Dr. Robert McCarty, Executive Director for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, on Youth Ministry; Michelle Miller, Executive Director for the National Catholic Young Adult Ministry Association, and Rev. Brett Hoover C.S.P, founding director of Young Adult Ministries in New York City, on Young Adult Ministry; and Msgr. Ray East, Executive Director for the Office of Black Catholics, Archdiocese of Washington, and archdiocesan Vicar for Evangelization, on Disciples in Action.

Also, Adele Bolduc, CCCB Office for Evangelization; Carla Caldwell, Archdiocese of Seattle Office for Lay Ecclesial Ministry; Beverly Carroll, USCCB Secretariat for African American Catholics; Ronaldo Cruz, USCCB Secretariat for Hispanic Affairs; Sr. Amy Hoey, RSM, USCCB Office for Lay Ecclesial Ministry; Rev. Ovidio Peccharroman, Diocese of Arlington Spanish Apostolate Office; Annette Turner, Archdiocese of Louisville Multicultural Office; and, Rev. David Tyson, President of the University of Portland.

NAICE Portland is the first part of a two-part process. Part two is for leadership attending the Institute in Portland to return to their home dioceses and collaborate in sponsoring a similar institute over several Saturdays for people in the parishes using diocesan resource people.

The Bishops' Committee on Evangelization seeks to reawaken in all Catholics the call to evangelize. Bishop Edward J. Slattery of Tulsa is Chairman.

For more information on NAICE including schedule, list of speakers and registration form see the USCCB Secretariat for Evangelization website: www.usccb.org/evangelization or E-mail them at evangelization@usccb.org or call 202.541.3012.