By Ruby Thomas, Record Staff Writer
Fourteen delegates from the Archdiocese of Louisville were among 3,500 who took part in the Convocation of Catholic Leaders July 1-4 in Orlando, Fla.
Father David Harris, pastor of St. Albert the Great Church, was among the local delegates. The event proved to be an “uplifting, personal time of growth” for him as a Christian, he said in an interview afterward.
“The thing that really spoke to me was to see the leadership of the bishops and to see how the church works together to be a universal church,” said Father Harris in a phone interview. “To celebrate Mass and see 150 bishops walk in was moving. The great diversity of the church was wonderful.”
Father Harris said he has shared with his congregation “benchmarks of a vibrant parish,” which he learned at the convocation.
“This is the type of Catholic culture we want to continue to nurture at St. Albert,” he said, listing the benchmarks. Among them are:
- Great involvement of the laity.
- Unity and communion with each other.
- A rich diversity of ages and cultures.
- Same great message, but with some new methods that connect with the times we live in.
Father Harris said St. Albert will host a leadership summit Nov. 3 and 4 at the church, where 100 parish leaders will “look at where we are and where we need to go in light of the direction the church is taking.”
A “strategic plan to direct our parish for the next several years” will come out of the leadership summit, said Father Harris.
