Wednesday, October 21, 2009

ARCHDIOCESE — A statewide convocation of Ohio’s priests, believed to the first of its kind, will be held Nov. 5-6 in Columbus. The focus of the convocation will be on fostering a “marriage-building church.”

The two-day event will address the theology and sacramentality of marriage, practical issues in contemporary culture and the church, and pastoral concerns regarding marriage that priests face.

The Ohio bishops are sponsoring the event as a means for implementing the National Pastoral Initiative for Marriage, which will be voted on in November (see related story).

“The Catholic bishops of the United States have made marriages a top priority,” said Bishop R. Daniel Conlon of Steubenville, chairman of the convocation committee. “Most lay people are called by God into the married life, and we shepherds of the church need to do more to support this wonderful vocation.”