Sacred art, faith, parenting and the social teachings of Pope Francis are just a few of the workshop topics expected to draw more than 1,000 Catholics to the Tucson Convention Center this weekend.
This is the second time the Diocese of Tucson will host a gathering of this size. The first conference in 2012 attracted more than 1,800 people, according to press materials.
“The first time was for people involved in ministry, but this time we are hoping to attract a lot of people who are everyday Catholics,” said Steffannie Koeneman, the director of communications for the diocese.
Keynote speakers include Bishop Gerald Kicanas of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, the Rev. Robert Barron, the founder of media distributer Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and host of the “Catholicism” documentary series, and Carolyn Woo, the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services.
There also will be presentations in Spanish by speakers Bishop Sigifredo Noriega Barceló of the Diocese of Zacatecas and the Rev. Alfonso Garcia from the Archdiocese of Guadalajara, Mexico.
The three-day conference will offer 30 workshops in English and 30 in Spanish, and an exhibition with vendors and artwork made by members of the Tucson diocese. At St. Augustine Cathedral, 192 S. Stone Ave., conference participants can also observe Stations of the Cross, a representation of Jesus Christ’s path to crucifixion.
In a prepared statement, Kicanas said, “This conference has been planned to help Catholics broaden their understanding of Catholicism, meet new Catholics and to be inspired by a large gathering of others following the Catholic faith.”
