LEWISTON — Nearly 200 parish leaders, teachers, volunteers and representatives of other ministries gathered together to learn from presenters and to engage with counterparts from other parts of Maine at the 2016 Parish Life Conference in Lewiston on Oct. 1.

The conference began with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Deeley in the ballroom of the Ramada Inn.

“Even as we come together and sing the opening song, you can feel the energy and excitement in the room,” Bishop Robert P. Deeley said. “This is a group of people who have gathered for enrichment and learning. This is a community which has come together to seek ways in which we can make our parishes stronger and better.”

Presenters from around the country offered workshops and addresses, many with a focus on the conference’s theme, Opening the Door to the Joy of Mercy, appropriate in the final months of the Jubilee Year of Mercy, declared by Pope Francis.

John Collins, a national religion consultant for William H. Sadlier Inc., presented “Making the Works of Mercy Come Alive Beyond the Holy Year,” aimed to reinforce that the Works of Mercy are modeled on the life, words and example of Jesus.

Boreta Singleton, a religious educator for over 30 years who is currently the director of faculty formation at St. Peter’s Preparatory School in Jersey City, New Jersey, spoke about how liturgical celebrations always present an opportunity to encounter God’s mercy.

Steve Connor, the editor of RENEW International, a Catholic organization fostering spiritual renewal and faith formation, explored Pope Francis’ call to have the Church be a “field hospital for the sick,” not a resort for the privileged few. 

Sister Kathleen Schipani, director of the Office of Persons with Disabilities for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, hosted two workshops. One session, “Ocean of Mercy,” was presented in American Sign Language. The other provided a theological, pastoral, and practical perspective to showing that mercy through the welcoming and catechizing of youths with disabilities.

Joan Weber, the project coordinator for youth and family ministry services at the Center for Ministry Development, discussed engaging parents in the faith formation of their children and offered a second workshop on best practices for recruiting parish volunteers.

“Sometimes, gathering volunteers seems like a burden, but always remember that it is really a ministry,” Weber said. 

Defining and expanding a parish’s vision for youth ministry was explored in a workshop offered by Don Boucher, the director of the Office of Faith Formation and coordinator of youth and young adult ministry for the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa.

Miriam Hidalgo, the coordinator of Hispanic Catechesis for the Archdiocese of Hartford, reviewed Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Si‘,” and the role of Christians in the care of creation. During the two-part workshop, presented in Spanish, Hidalgo discussed consumerism and greed, but also focused on climate change and practical solutions to help the environment, including meatless meals, gardening, and “conscience buying” of biodegradable and chemical-free products.

Monsignor Michael Henchal of the Diocese of Portland hosted a workshop that provided a deeper understanding of the Gospel of Matthew for catechists and leaders of youth ministry, and Peter Denio, the program manager for the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, went over ways in which those gathered could assist in creating a parish culture that is “discipleship focused.”

The closing keynote address was delivered by ValLimar Jansen, who has traveled the world as a full-time inspirational speaker, composer, catechist and singer, including a performance at the Loreto/Angora International Papal Event in Italy for a crowd over 300,000 people and a worldwide television audience. Her presentation, “Mercy Beyond Measure,” leads participants into moments of reflection after sharing stories from Scripture that illustrated a variety of encounters with mercy.

“Give the gift of forgiveness to someone who hurt you,” Jansen said. “It is through the forgiving, loving heart that God can work miracles and shower mercy upon the world.”

“We believe that the message of the Gospel brings light, life, and joy,” Deeley told the assembly of conference participants. “During this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we have reflected as well on the Gospel as a message of mercy and love.”