Fourth West Coast Call to Action Conference, San Jose, Cal., August 2000.
 
 

Called: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

The fourth West Coast CTA Conference was held August 11-13 at San Jose State University.
300 people attended the conference.


Welcoming people Friday afternoon. Who knew registration could be this much fun?

Workshop speakers and subjects
• Jack Jezreel: Transformed people, Transformed Parish, Transformed World
• Helen Kelley: What Has Become of the Irrepressible Immaculate Hearts
• Thomas Merton Center: Forming a Eucharistic Community
• Cindy Pile: From Violence to Wholeness: The Spirituality and Practice of Non-violence
• Diana Wear: Church Reform: Tools for Catholic Activists
• Joanne Arnold: Prayer Shawl workshop
• Brian Joyce: Vatican II and Parish Life 2000
• Jean Molesky-Poz: A Catholic Response to Immigraton and Refugees
• Chris Stampolis: How to Take Over Your Parish
• David Gentry-Akin: Catholic Feminist Theology: A Gift for Women and Men
• Patricia Lynn Reilly: Celebrating the Girl Child: Resources, Rituals and Strategies
• Interfaith Panel on the Death Penalty
• Anthony Padovano: Hope and the Church: A Reflection on the Graces and Griefs of Being Catholic
• Presentation of Nothing Sacred: Felix Culpa, followed by discussion and prayer service

Carol Lee Flinders

Friday night opened with the presentation, With Swift Pace and Unswerving Feet: St. Clare of Assisi-Then and Now by Carol Lee Flinders, sacred dance:  Night Prayer, Behold the Arms of God by Omega West Dance Company, and a mime meditation, Take Off Your Shoose-This is a Holy Place, by Gloria Heese & Janel Sawatzki.


 

Saturday morning Anthony Padovano talked about Hope in the Church.


Padovano talked about the church in the first century when Baptism and Eucharist were central. The early church was characterized by powerful stories, parables, no by dogmas. There were no laws or rules. Padovano gave 12 developments of greatness that the church developed over the next two millennia:

On canonization, Padovano bemoaned the fact that we were canonizing Pius 9 instead of Oscar Romero. "Wouldn't it be nice if we would canonized 5 honest plumbers, a sensitive taxi driver, single mothers". The papal monarchy makes a strange caricature of the gospel - a discipleship of equals - by making us all equally insignificant." Jesus gave Peter charge of caring for His sheep, not running them off a cliff."

Diana Wear spoke on Church Reform: Tools for Catholic Activists

Jack Jezreel spoke on
Transformed people, Transformed Parish, Transformed World

Saturday night we watched the last episode of Nothing Sacred which had never been broadcast. It was the Easter story and the discussion following was lively. (If you'd like ABC to sell tapes of the series or put it in syndication, e-mail them at  ABC audience response .)
(You can never get these CTA people to STOP discussing!)

Closing Liturgy

Homilist Carol Lee Flinders


 

One of our presenters, Patricia Lynn Reilly, gave the homily. Carla de Sola and the Omega West Dance Company added to our closing liturgy.

Photos by Ray Turner and Fred Dietrich

It was an experience all who attended won't soon forget. For the planners it was also an experience of joy seeing the others. It was with mixed feeling of happiness and relief we packed up and left San Jose State.