The Diocese of Honolulu is sending six people to the July 1-4 “Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America” in Orlando, Florida.
They will be among the expected 3,000 gathered for what has been called the largest such gathering sponsored by the U.S. bishops.
The participants from Hawaii are Bishop Larry Silva, Father Konelio Faletoi, Lisa Gomes, Fay Pabo, Joseph Oh and Kainoa Fukumoto.
It will be a historic event and a time to show the unity of the church, Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New York, told the American bishops June 15 at their spring meeting in Indianapolis.
Bishop Malone is the chairman of the bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth.
Gomes, the director of the diocesan office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry, is the Hawaii delegation leader.
She said that Father Faletoi, pastor of St. Michael Church in Kailua-Kona and chairman of the diocesan Presbyteral Council, was chosen to represent the priests of the diocese.
Pabo, Oh and Fukumoto are active young adult ministers in Hawaii.
They were chosen, Gomes said, because the “bishop wanted young adults who currently serve the church and will continue to serve the church in the foreseeable future.”
The convocation, an invitation-only event, is meant to give the participants a better understanding of what it means to be missionary disciples in today’s world through workshop presentations, keynote addresses and prayer.
The plan is to bring Catholic leaders from across the country together to closely examine Pope Francis’ to evangelization for all Catholics as expressed in his 2013 apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”).
Dioceses are sending delegations. Other attendees will be leaders of Catholic organizations, apostolates, missions, congregations, institutions and agencies.
