Encountering the Faith as a Community

           While many tend to travel to Florida for fun in the sun or the thrills of attractions such as Disney World and the Everglades, there is a growing number of Catholics who travel to Florida for a faith encounter. It is in those trips that many come to know Christ or to grow deeper in their faith through moments of fellowship, prayer, and Adoration. For the fourth consecutive year, thousands gathered at the Florida Eucharistic Congress for prayer, worship, keynote addresses, and breakout sessions that were geared for all who attended. Held on March 11-12 at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center in Jacksonville, FL, the congress brought families together, religious men and women, and young people for a powerful two days which included some highlights like: a dramatic presentation of the Living Stations by the men and women of Comunita Cenacolo; and the presence of Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, who delivered the main keynote address and presided at the liturgy.   

Br. Branden Gordon and I worked at the vocation booth in the exhibit hall with gaming, arts & crafts, and educating congress attendees about our Salesian life.  Besides the local Floridians, we met a host of people from our Salesian family that came from New Jersey & New York, California, Europe, and Central America.  They related joy-filled stories of being affiliated with our camps, schools, and experiences they had during the Don Bosco relic tour.
 

            The Eucharistic Congress in Jacksonville continues to shape Catholics communally through faith, education, and prayer. Seen in a Salesian context, the Florida Congress expressed the Oratorian criteria:  a home that builds the ecclesial family, an education grounded in the catechesis of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and a lived faith encounter of the Passion of Christ through the Living Stations.