By Peter Finney
KENNER, La. – Passionist Father Donald Senior, one of the country’s foremost Scripture scholars, will discuss “Life as God’s Gift” in his keynote address at the 34th annual Gulf Coast Faith Formation Conference Jan. 7-9, 2016, at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner.

Rickard

“He’s one of the leading – if not the leading – Scripture scholars in the country,” said Alice Hughes, director of the Office of Religious Education for the Archdiocese of New Orleans, which will host the catechetical conference in conjunction with the Diocese of Jackson and several other dioceses of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
About 1,500 Catholic school religion teachers, parish catechists and other catechetical leaders are expected to attend the conference, formerly known as the Johannes Hofinger
Conference.This year’s conference theme is “God-Given Dignity: Respecting All of Life.”
In addition to Father Senior, other keynote presenters will be Dominican Sister Theresa Rickard, president of RENEW International and an expert in small faith communities and parish renewal, and Deacon Art Miller, director of Black Catholic Ministries of the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut.

Miller

The conference will open Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. with a special track for priests and deacons. Father Senior and Deacon Miller will offer their reflections on the ministry of preaching. There will also be a separate track for deacons’ wives.
Mass will be celebrated on Jan. 8 and 9, and nearly 70 breakout sessions will be offered over the two days, including several for Hispanic catechists.
“This is one of the few times that catechists and religion teachers in a region can actually have quality, national speakers,” Hughes said. “ A small diocese on its own could never bring in this number of quality national speakers.”
The workshop sessions cover topics ranging from catechetics, RCIA, adult education, Catholic high schools, parish schools of religion, liturgy, music, church environment and Hispanic Catholics.
“The conference is intended to help individuals in their personal, catechetical and spiritual enrichment as well enrich their ministry in parishes and schools,” Hughes said. “There is something for everyone. For our archdiocese, our three goals are to inform, form and transform, and that really does take place.”
The dioceses on the planning committee include Baton Rouge, Houma-Thibodaux, Lafayette, Alexandria and Lake Charles in Louisiana; Biloxi and Jackson in Mississippi; Birmingham in Alabama; and Pensacola in Florida. Hughes said she regularly receives rave reviews from diocesan religious education directors about the value of the conference.
“They tell me how their people come back to their diocese and share how much they have gained from coming together,” Hughes said. “A lot is gained from networking with other people..”
An opening reception is planned Jan. 7 at 8:30 p.m. at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Kenner, 2829 Williams Blvd.
Early registration is available through Dec. 18: www.gcffc.org.