The Catholic New World: Join thousands of Catholics at Navy Pier celebration

By Michelle Martin
Staff writer

Chicago-area residents love a good festival, from the Taste of Chicago to the dozens of neighborhood celebrations that dot the landscape every summer, and organizers of the first archdiocesan Catholic Festival of Faith are betting that local Catholics are no different.

Those who attend the first-ever festival, Oct. 30-Nov. 2 at Navy Pier, will find hundreds of workshops, along with speakers, performances and entertainment, displays and liturgies. Catholics of all ethnicities and ages will be represented as the local church celebrates its own complex international flavor.

“We’re doing something that is very Chicago,” said Vincentian Father Joseph C. Geders, “and that is a festival. It’s like the Taste of Chicago. No one who goes to the Taste of Chicago tries all the food. They go for their favorites, and maybe try two or three other things.

“That’s what we hope will happen here. There’s something that will meet everyone’s taste, but we hope they will sample some of the other things as well, maybe some of the art or the performances. We want to try to expand their knowledge of the church. … That’s what the church does: takes people where they are at and tries to lead them to a deeper relationship to Our Lord.”

Cardinal George said this is the first time that Catholics from across the Archdiocese of Chicago, representing all parishes, organizations, institutions, ministries and racial, ethnic and age groups will gather in one place to worship, learn and celebrate our faith as Catholics. (See the Cardinal’s Column, Page 3.) He will offer a pair of workshops Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 titled “God’s Forgiveness Made Visible: the Sacrament of Penance.”

Geders, who directs the Office for Evangelization, Catechesis and Worship, wants the festival to honor the diversity of the Chicago area’s neighborhoods—neighborhoods often known by the name of the local parish—and at the same time breaking down some of the barriers between them.

“Very often those neighborhoods create their own boundaries,” said Geders. “Those boundaries can become impenetrable. There are people from the West Side who have never been downtown, people from the North Side who have never been to the South Side. … We often don’t experience diversity in Chicago the way others do, and that sometimes creeps into our churches.

“As a result, yo--never get a full picture of that diversity, that multiplicity of parishes that make up the archdiocese. Yo--have urban, suburban, old and young, rich and poor. It’s important to see that come together because yo--get a clearer picture of Jesus Christ—and that reflects directly on our mission of evangelization. At the end of the day, the whole is greater than its parts.”

That applies not only to geographic boundaries, but also areas of ministry, said Mary-Louise Kurey, director of the archdiocese’s Respect Life Office. Kurey, a longtime advocate for chastity, will offer a workshop session on Oct. 31 called, “Standing With Courage: Confronting Tough Decisions About Sex.”

“I think it’s a phenomenal idea to bring all the ministries of the archdiocese together to celebrate all of our faith,” said Kurey. “So often, it’s easy to pigeonhole our faith—‘I’m a social justice person’ or ‘I’m a pro-life person.’ Just like the Body of Christ has different parts, all of these roles are important.”

Catholic Community of Faith, the radio presence of the archdiocese, will broadcast from the festival on Friday, Oct. 31, from 9-10 a.m. on Radio 820 AM. The show is hosted by Father Greg Sakowitz and Catholic New World editor Tom Sheridan.

Geders said organizers understand people will come for their own reasons: catechists might come for workshops on religious education, those involved in Hispanic ministry might want to stop by before attending the Noche de Gala, parents might come to various sessions intended to help them learn to pass on their faith. But while they are there, they might find something unexpected, whether it’s the one-man play about Blessed Damien being presented by Chicago singer and motivational speaker Wayne Messmer, a keynote address by Harvard professor Mary Ann Glendon or a special liturgy to celebrate All Saint’s Day or the Hispanic-centered Day of the Dead.

A special youth day will kick off the event Oct. 30, and Oct. 31 will include special workshops for teachers and catechists. That day will be a teacher institute day for all archdiocesan Catholic schools. The celebrations of All Saints and All Souls days Nov.1 and 2 provide opportunities for special liturgies.

Many of the offerings will emphasize the special gifts brought to the Archdiocese of Chicago by its many immigrant communities, including workshops and speakers in Spanish and Polish.

Father Leoncio Santiago, himself a Filipino immigrant and pastor of St. Genevieve Parish on the Northwest Side. Santiago, who serves as the assistant chaplain for the National Alliances of Filipino Catholic Groups in the U.S. and leads a parish that is 85 percent Hispanic, will offer a workshop titled “Changing Places, Changing Lives” on Friday, about the religious experiences of immigrants, and their impact on the communities to which they move.

“Many immigrants have their own devotions, like Mexicans with Our Lady of Guadalupe, and they want to practice them exactly as they did in their old countries,” Santiago said. “They try to bring it here to provide some inner stability in their constantly changing lives, where their circle of friends, their families, their whole identities are changing. … But they have to remember, they are also intruding. The place changes when yo--come in. There has to be a mutual openness.”

Santiago said he is encouraging his parishioners to attend so they will get a broader sense of the church, and of the scope of common strengths and challenges among such diverse people, all of whom worship in the same church.

“It enlarges your soul,” he said. “It enriches your spiritual experience.”

Geders acknowledged some anxiety about trying to bring so many different factors together. In previous years, many of the ministries—from the Office for Catechesis for the Office for Parish Pastoral Councils—have run their own conferences and celebratory events.

“Because it’s a first-time event, I’m a little nervous,” Geders said. “We don’t know what to expect.”

Several other dioceses across the country have sponsored similar events with varying formats. Some are only one day, some are held outdoors. But Chicago’s will be different if only because of the size of the archdioceses and the richness of the resources on display.

Measuring the success will not be easy or fast, Geders said, because most of the simple means of evaluation are inadequate. To start, there is overall attendance. Early registrations did not look good, but had picked up considerably in the two weeks before the event. Then there is the immediate satisfaction factor—“Of course, yo--want everyone to have a good time,” Geders said—but the ultimate results will be felt in the parishes, over the next several months.

“The success of the event isn’t going to happen on the pier,” Geders said. “The success of the event is in people hearts, in the deepening of their relationship with Jesus. If we do that, the success will be felt in the parishes.”

Some of the workshops and presentations to be offered during the festival include:

--Treasures of the Archdiocese, an exhibit of old and new art objects from parishes and collections.

--St. Francis Sister Dawn Nothwehr will speak on “Love of the Enemy in an Age of Terrorism.

--Father Patrick Lagges, judicial vicar, will explain annulments and the church’s teaching on marriage.

--Arhcbishop John Pham Minh Man, Archbishop of Saigon, will speak on “Family and Faith.”

--Bert Ghezzi will present “Saints Preserve Us: Wisdom of the Saints for Everyday Life.”

--Father John Cusick, director of Young Adult Ministry, will present: “For Young Adults Only—Dealing with the Issues, Traditions and Practices of Our catholic Church.”

--A discussion of “Liturgy in the Black Catholic Community.”

For more information about the Catholic Festival of Faith—speakers, workshops and entertainment—visit: www.catholicfest.org.