The Napa Institute’s 2nd Annual Conference, “Catholics In the Next America”, will be held from Thursday, July 26th to Sunday, July 29th. The event will feature an impressive array of speakers and
participants, including Archbishiop Charles J. Chaput, O.F.M. Cap.,
Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Bishop Robert F. Vasa, Bishop Salvatore J.
Cordileone, Rev. Robert Barron, Rev. Joseph D. Fessio, S.J., Rev.
Norbert Wood, O.Praem., Peter Kreeft, Hugh Hewitt, Frank J. Hanna, III,
Dr. Tim Gray, Dr. Elizabeth F. Yore, and Leonard A. Leo.
The event is hosted by Rev. Robert Spitzer, S.J., the President of
Napa Institute, and Timothy R. Busch, Esq., who is CEO of the Institute;
Fr. Spitzer will also be a featured speaker at the conference.
The
three intertwining themes of the 2012 conference, says Busch, are faith
and reason, Catholic education and religious freedom. “In the wake of
HHS mandate”, Busch notes, “religious freedom is certainly the topic of
the day. However, it’s not the only pressing issue of the day. The
Church is facing the departure of our young adults from not only from
the Catholic faith, but from belief in God in general. So Fr. Spitzer
will lead the charge on reason and faith at the conference.” Busch also
points out that Catholic education is “under siege at the parochial
level particularly in urban centers”, with numerous schools closing each
year. In light of that challenging fact, he says, “we need to address
new school models that will work.”
The pressing topic of religious liberty will be addressed in
Thursday’s presentations, including those by Archbishop Chaput and
Bishop Morlino. Catholic education will the focus of Friday’s events,
including a talk by Fr. Barron (who was recently appointed rector and
president of the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein
Seminary by Francis Cardinal George), Fr. Spitzer, and Frank Hanna III.
Saturday’s schedule includes presentations by Fr. Spitzer, Fr. Barron,
and Dr. Kreeft on faith and reason, a topic all three men have spoken
and written about extensively for both academic and popular audiences.
Breakout sessions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will include a
variety of topics and presenters.
Challenges and Encouragement
The varied and difficult challenges posed by secularism must be
addressed directly, says Fr. Spitzer, which is a primary reason for the
formation and work of the Napa Institute. “Challenges to religion and
the Catholic Church surround us”, he says. “Stephen Hawking, Richard
Dawkins, and many other atheists are undermining the faith of our youth
and adults; the President of the United States insists on forcing our
religious institutions to administer artificial contraception against
Church teaching; our young people, though optimistic and concerned for
others, are becoming increasingly morally relativistic; the media almost
luxuriates in scandals which give only a slice of the immensely good
reality accomplished by our Church.”
A driving idea behind the conference is that Catholic leaders—whether
clergy or laity—need to learn more about these pressing issues from
leading thinkers, authors, theologians, and philosophers. “If we are to
stand up for our faith in the public square,” Busch states, “we must be
educated. The Institute focuses on substance of our Faith by bringing
together theologians, philosophers and the shepherds of our church for
instruction, discussion, and mutual encouragement.”
The Napa Institute was founded as a response to the call for a New
Evangelization, intended to help Catholics address the challenged posed
by the “next America”—one that is increasingly secular and even
anti-religious. A key component of the New Evangelization, as
articulated by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, explains Fr.
Spitzer, “is the active participation by our lay leaders. We expect our
priests, religious, and catechists to respond to the challenges put to
faith and morals in our day, but we minimize our effectiveness when we
do not prepare our lay leaders to do this for the organizations,
educational boards, governmental agencies and political arenas over
which they have considerable influence.”
Worship and Spiritual Edification
To that end, the Napa Institute Conference focuses not only on reason
and teaching, but also on the spiritual life and worship. Participants
will be able to spend time in Eucharistic adoration, available around
the clock in the Chapel of Our Lady of the Grapes, and to participate in
prayer and worship each day. On Saturday evening there will be
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by Solemn Vespers and a
Sacred Music Concert, featuring St. Dominic’s Choir. And the conference
will conclude on Sunday morning with four liturgies: a Solemn Pontifical
Celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of Mass in the Extraordinary Form
celebrated by His Excellency, Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone;
Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Novus Ordo); Divine Liturgy of St. John
Chrysostom (Byzantine Rite); and Holy Sacrifice of the Mass (Novus
Ordo, Latin). The music at the High Mass will sung by the Pacific Collegium choir.
Those who are unable to attend, says conference director Luke Miller,
will be able to take advantage of the presentations via television,
radio, and internet. A crew from Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN)
will be at the conference to film keynote sessions, selected breakout
sessions, and some of the liturgical services. “Following the
conference”, says Miller, “highlights from the Napa Institute will be
broadcasted on the EWTN Global Catholic Network. We are truly blessed to
be working with the leader in Catholic media as we equip Catholics ‘in
the next America.’” Parts of those broadcasts will also be made
available on YouTube. In addition, broadcaster Al Kresta will be on
site, hosting his Ave Maria Radio program, “Kresta in the Afternoon”,
live from the conference.
Last year’s conference, Miller says, was a great success, and he
expects close to three hundred participants at this year’s event. For
more information or to register, visit the Napa Institute website (www.napa-institute.org) or call 949-474-7368 (ext. 216).