LEWISTON---“Even as we come together and sing the opening song, you can feel the energy and excitement in the room,” said Bishop Robert P. Deeley. “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.” 
Nearly 200 parish leaders, teachers, volunteers, and representatives of other ministries gathered together to learn from nationally-known presenters and engage with counterparts from other parts of Maine at the 2016 Parish Life Conference in Lewiston on October 1. The conference began with a special Mass celebrated by Bishop Deeley in the ballroom of the Ramada Inn.
A variety of presenters from around the country offered workshops, addresses, and new ideas on Saturday, many with a special 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 is a national religion consultant for William H. Sadlier, Inc., the oldest family-owned publishing company in the country. His presentation, “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.
“Be intentional about letting students know that their food drives, collections, the Sign of Peace at Mass, donations, greeting cards to the elderly, and other acts of kindness are what these Works of Mercy are all about. I think, sometimes, we forget,” said Collins.
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.
 
“We come to liturgy as we are, not as we hope to be,” said Singleton. “God meets us there, just as we are, not as we hope to be. So mercy is already present. Our celebrations should lead us to then go out and be merciful to others.”
 
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. Connor explained that the Holy Father’s willingness to not judge others and reach out to those on the margins of society is demonstrating that call to “a world hungry for his message and vision.”
 
Sister Kathleen Schipani, the director of the Office of Persons with Disabilities for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, hosted two workshops. One session, entitled “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 youth with disabilities.
 
“I hope that catechetical leaders do their best to accommodate all children to have the opportunity for faith formation,” said Sister Kathleen. “It’s the vision of the Church. It needs to be every parish’s mission. I hear from parishes that say that it’s difficult because ‘our catechists are just volunteers,’ but there are many catechists who have incredible talent and abilities. The parents of children with disabilities didn’t get their master’s degree in this, but they learned how to accommodate. The parish family has to do the same thing.” 
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,” said Weber. “People volunteer for many reasons: to achieve, to serve, to enhance their college applications, and many are people who want to make a real difference by sharing their treasures and talents. The key is to be honest and flexible so that volunteers are comfortable and will be fulfilled doing what you ask them to do.”
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.
“Youth ministry is not just youth groups or keeping kids busy, it’s much broader than that,” said Boucher. “Youth ministry is a relationship. The essence of this relationship is us knowing our kids and what they hunger for in their lives. A lot of youth we encounter don’t get heard. We might say ‘oh, get some life experience and then we’ll talk.’ We need to design our programs and activities to meet their needs, finding a way to accommodate them and their needs. Their needs, not our needs.”
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.
“I hope you will implement these impactful alternatives in your own families and encourage others in your parish communities to do so,” said Hidalgo. “ Laudato Si’ is not just another encyclical written by a pope. It is the most important encyclical because it concerns our planet, the home we all live in, and its message is urgent and vital to future generations.”
In addition, 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.
“I hope those gathered will take away the understanding that when we know we have the upper hand over those who set themselves against us, we stand at the ‘crossroads of mercy,’” said Jansen. “We can choose to strike back and administer ‘justified’ reprisal upon them or we can choose to show mercy. Show mercy to people who wrong you. Return good deeds for evil done against you. Give the gift of forgiveness to someone who hurt you. 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. During this Jubilee Year of Mercy we have reflected as well on the Gospel as a message of mercy and love,” Bishop Deeley told the assembly of conference participants. “Your effort to bring this to life in our diocese is a gift. We remind ourselves in a gathering like this that we are Church and we are about the most important mission that we can be on:  proclaiming the Good News of the Gospel. In proclaiming the message of the Gospel, we, indeed, ‘open the door to the joy of mercy,’ mercy received and mercy given.”