1997 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress

Religious Education Congress
sponsored by
The Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese
Office of Religious Education

Combined with the attendance of Youth Day, which is the prelude to the four day period, the most recent Religious Education Congress attracted nearly 30,000 people. Congress 1997 showcased nearly 150 exhibitors in the Anaheim Convention Center's main hall.

Some images from Congress '97. Click on any of the pictures below for a full-sized version. Use your browser's "Back" button to return.

"WHATEVER THE 20,000 catechists who attended [the 1997] Religious Education Congress have 'given up' for Lent, enthusiasm is not on the list. Those who packed the Anaheim Convention Center Feb. 14-16 for the annual event, the largest of its kind in the United States, demonstrated that this is not a season for Gloomy Guses (or Gussies); rather, it is a time for reflection, for sacrifice and for service, in which virtually all of those in attendance are regularly involved. That does not mean, however, that they cannot celebrate their faith joyously in a variety of ways. And from the spirited liturgies and workshops to concerts and productions -- including the dynamic new Marty Haugen musical, 'Song of Mark' -- Congress-goers embraced the Word (and words) in abundance at Congress '97, and departed ready to echo the Gospel message in their local parish communities."

Click on any of the pictures below for a full-sized version. Use your browser's "Back" button to return.

Cardinal Roger Mahony went online live from the RECongress in the first nationwide chat session hosted on America Online on Friday, February 14, 1997.

Read the transcripts from other Religious Education Congress online chats

Congress Chat History:
Beginning in 1996 on CompuServe, Cardinal Roger Mahony conducted the first nationwide, online (typing) live from Hall A at the Anaheim Convention Center. in 2001 the Cardinal suggested adding a private chat with students from a school in the Archdiocese. Since then, we have had the tradition of a private school chat.

Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez continued the tradition of a Congress Chat, and now we've expanded our chats to include regional bishops and schools from their region. This year, Bishop David O'Connell joins us for our sixth video chat with a school from his region.

with Auxiliary Bishop David O'Connell of the San Gabriel Region

2019 (All Souls, Alhambra)

with Los Angeles Archbishop José Gomez

2017 (St Francis of Assisi, L.A.) • 2016 (St Mary Magdalen, Camarillo) • 2015 (St Finbar School, Burbank) • 2014 (St Columbkille School, L.A.) • 2013 (St Bernard School, L.A.) • 2012 (St Dorothy School, Glendora) • 2011 (St Thomas School, L.A.)

with Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop Emeritus of Los Angeles

2010 • 2010 (St John Chrysostom School, Inglewood) • 2009 • 2009 (St Elisabeth, Van Nuys) • 2008 • 2008 (Sacred Heart, Covina) • 2007 • 2007 (St Benedict, Montebello) • 2007 (St Rita, Sierra Madre) • 2006 • 2006 (Holy Innocents, Long Beach) • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2001 • 2001 (St Jerome, Westchester) • 2001 (Holy Family, South Pasadena) • 2000 • 1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996

with Auxiliary Bishop Edward Clark of the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region

2002

2016 Marks 20 Years of Congress Chats — The first (typing) RECongress chat was held on Friday, February 23, 1996 on CompuServe with Cardinal Roger Mahony. Ten years later, on Friday, March 31, 2006, the Cardinal's annual chat was conducted in a room hosted on ChurchWerks.com. The Cardinal participated in 22 Congress chats (both nationwide and with schools) over 14 years.

At Congress 2016, Archbishop José Gomez has continued the tradition of (now, video) chats with school students from the Archdiocese. This was his sixth Congress chat (and fourth video chat) conducted from the Tech Center, located in the center of Exhibit Hall A at the Religious Education Congress. The RECongress chat are now continued through the regional bishops, while the Archbishop now holds an event on Facebnook Live.

Beginning on CompuServe, the RECongress nationwide chats have been hosted by AOL Live! (1997-2000), Beliefnet (2001), CatholicWeb.com (2002-2003), and ChurchWerks.com (2004-2010). The school chats have been conducted on AOL (2001-2006), Yahoo (2007), Chatzy (2008-2012), Skype (2013-2014) and Google+ (2015-2016).

	The Exhibits
	The Faces
	The Sharing

A Look at Congress 1997!

Combined with the attendance of Youth Day, which is the prelude to the four day period, the most recent Religious Education Congress attracted nearly 30,000 people. Congress 1997 showcased nearly 150 exhibitors in the Anaheim Convention Center's main hall.

Cardinal Roger Mahony went online live from the RECongress in the first nationwide chat session hosted on America Online on Friday, February 14, 1997.