Sep 25, 2011 / 11:14 am
More than 600 Catholics from throughout the Diocese of Salt Lake City gathered at the Skaggs Catholic Center in Draper, Utah on Sept. 17 for the 2011 Pastoral Congress. In keeping with the new effort that is underway in the diocese, most of the congress speakers focused on the topic of stewardship, which struck a chord with those who attended.
"I come to these congresses because I always need to learn and to grow," said Martina Villalpando, a parishioner of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in West Valley City.
Workshops were given in both English and Spanish. The keynote speaker in English was the Most Rev. Robert F. Morneau, Auxiliary Bishop of Green Bay, Wisc. For Spanish speakers, the keynote presenter was Dominican Sister Rosa Monique Peña, who for 20 years was director of the Archdiocese of Miami's Department of Religious Education.
Bishop Morneau "has had extensive pastoral experience; he's been involved in many, many pastoral endeavors and all forms of administration: diocesan, parish, education and pastoral ministry," said the Most Rev. John C. Wester, Bishop of Salt Lake City, who introduced the keynote speaker. "He's somebody who has been a very faithful steward of God's gifts. His life and his ministry are a wonderful example to all of us of one who uses those gifts with gratitude and generosity. I consider Bishop Morneau one of the great leaders in the Church here in the United States of America."