Catholics Gather To Discuss Future In New Millennium

About 700 Catholics met at the Spokane Convention Center Saturday to discuss a pretty daunting topic: the church’s future in a new millennium.

So those participating in the Diocesan Convocation handled it the best way they knew - by breaking issues down into smaller, easy-to-comprehend chunks. And though no one solved the church’s or the world’s problems, those there figured it was a start.

People came from as far as Pasco and Walla Walla to tackle issues like women’s roles in the church, how to make the church more inviting to minorities, how to include young people and how to bring alienated Catholics back to the pews.

“It was just really a rich time of people listening to one another,” said Spokane Bishop William Skylstad. “Some with divergent opinions.”

After the brainstorming groups broke up, speakers took the podium to summarize the findings.

Barbara Umbdenstock told the crowd she found young people didn’t want to be considered just “the future” of the church. “They said ‘We’re the present.”’

Some people called for more “Spirit-filled” worship services. And at the same time some wanted change, others called for a renewed effort to make church rituals understood by everyone.

Sister Mary Garvin paraphrased Pope John XXIII in her remarks saying the church isn’t around to “guard a museum” of centuries-old tradition, but is there to “tend a growing garden.”

And the Rev. Tom Khue said the Catholic church - firmly rooted in its western European beginnings - doesn’t do enough to welcome minorities.

Talk is one thing. The tough part, though, lies ahead, said Carol Pelo, director of religious education at Spokane’s Our Lady of Lourdes Cathedral.

“The challenge now is to do something about it,” Pelo said.

, DataTimes