By Tom Tracy - Florida Catholic
The 2017 Convocation of Catholic Leaders being held in Orlando July 1-4 is a historic gathering of some 3,000 lay and religious leaders from 160 dioceses and 185 national organizations. They are gathered to explore the current challenges and strengths of the Church and its evangelization efforts.
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is sponsoring the gathering, provided some statistics about the event, which is formally being called, “Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America.”
- On hand are 155 cardinals, archbishops and bishops; along with 125 deacons, 50 Catholic medical professionals, 380 priests, 175 religious women, and 10 religious brothers.
- The top 10 states that sent delegates include California, Texas, Florida, New York, Ohio, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Minnesota and Michigan.
- Nine of the non-Latin eparchies sent over 50 delegates.
- Home Missions island dioceses on hand include St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands; Chalan Kanoa; and the U.S. Marshall Islands.
- Top dioceses sending delegations are Cincinnati, Orlando, New York and Miami.
The Convocation is being dedicated to the Blessed Mother while constantly seeking the guidance of the Holy SSpiri. It is the only response to Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium on the national level, according to organizers. The event marks a first in U.S. Church history.
