COLUMBIA—If you’ve ever sat in church, looked around to see empty pews and wondered, “Gee, why is no one showing up?” then the Diocese of Charleston has an event for you. The SC Catholics in Action Conference will be held Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Cardinal Newman School, 2945 Alpine Road.
“As Catholics, we are called to show the face of Christ to others, not sit around and wait for people to show up at our doorsteps,” said Michael Martocchio, director of the diocesan office of Catechesis and Christian Initiation. “We are called to reflect Christ in every interaction we have. This is especially important right now. The laity needs to show the faith to others, especially to those who have been hurt.”
Martocchio said the conference is geared to help people find a way to be active in their faith, participate in their church and make the changes that need to take place.
The event will include keynote speakers Bishop Nelson J. Perez from the Diocese of Cleveland, and Gloria Purvis from EWTN, Catholic Answers. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone.
Dawn Eden Goldstein, an assistant professor of dogmatic theology and chair of online theology degree programs at Holy Apostles College and Seminary, will speak at the conference on healing and finding forgiveness as a victim of sexual abuse.
She has written several books, including “Remembering God’s Mercy”, “The Thrill of the Chaste”, and “My Peace I Give You: Healing Sexual Wounds with the Help of the Saints”.
Born into a Jewish family in New York City, Eden lost her faith as a teenager and became an agnostic. During her 20s, in the 1990s, she was a rock journalist in New York. She went on to work in editorial positions for the New York Post and the Daily News.
At the age of 31, Eden underwent a dramatic conversion to Christianity that ultimately led her to enter the Catholic Church. Her books have been featured in the New York Times and L’Osservatore Romano, and on EWTN. Eden received her doctorate in sacred theology summa cum laude from the University of St. Mary of the Lake in 2016, becoming the first woman in the university’s history to earn a canonical doctorate.
The SC Catholics in Action Conference will also feature breakout sessions for people to learn how to become missionary disciples of sorts, or just put faith into action. Sessions include: the role of Catholics in the public square, racism and diversity, catechesis, adult faith formation, youth ministry, marriage preparation, palliative care, evangelization, ecumenism, and more.
Register by Sept. 30 on www.charlestondiocese.org. Cost: $25, includes lunch. Check www.charlestondiocese.org to see session details as they become available. For additional information, contact Cathy Roche in the Office of Catechesis and Christian Initiation at 843-261-0504 or cathy@charlestondiocese.org.
