Mount Saint Mary's Name Change
On January 1, 2015 Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles officially became Mount Saint Mary’s University. For the past 20 years, the college had been classified as a university under the Carnegie classification system. The official delineation between college and university rests on the number of graduate degrees granted, with university status applied to institutions granting 50 or more graduate degrees per year. (The Mount awarded 180 graduate degrees in 2012.) The University will continue in its history in the charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Read some FAQs about the name change
See our Congress Updates »

Youth Day T-Shirts
Official Youth Day 2015 T-shirts – with the theme “Talk Jesus with Me!” –  are now available for pre-order. Customize your Youth Day shirt with your youth group or parish name on the back for only $2 additional. All orders with payment must be received by February 16, 2015 to get the pre-order discount rate:
T-shirts: $13; V-Neck: $16; Sweatshirts: $25
Adult sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL, 4XL
(2XL - 4XL sizes are $2 extra for T-shirts and $5 extra for hoodies.)
Order online at www.seraph7.com or by email seraph7clothing@gmail.com.
Go to the Youth Day page »

Youth Day Speaker Feature: Ansel Augustine
Both Tracks at Youth Day are set to see the Youth Day Arena speaker and one additional workshop, including this one and 11 others whose sessions are held in the Convention Center meeting rooms.

Dr. Ansel Augustine has worked in ministry for over 15 years around the country and in his hometown of New Orleans, La., where he is Director for the Office of Black Catholic Ministries for the New Orleans Archdiocese and serves on the faculty at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Augustine, who also serves on the board for the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, has presented at various national conferences and has written for several publications related to ministry.

Session B - "Real Talk: The Power of Prayer"
Youth Day, Thursday, March 12, 2015
In this workshop, we will look at the importance of prayer: communicating with God. Why do we find it hard to pray at times? What can we do when we know we need to pray but don’t know how? How do we handle the times when it seems like God is not listening to our prayers? How do we wait on Him?
See the Youth Day Workshops »

RECongress Spotlight: Continuing Education Credit
Friday through Sunday
Both Loyola Marymount University and (the newly named) Mount Saint Mary's University offer Continuing Education Units (C.E.U.) for attending workshops and keynotes. Programs are handled through Loyola Marymount's Center for Religion & Spirituality and through Mount Saint Mary's Religious Studies Department. Download the Information section of the Guidebook for information, contacts and forms.
See other 2015 RECongress Spotlights »

Speaker Feature: Terry Hershey
Over the three days, Congress 2015 will offer 309 workshops presented by 202 speakers. Topics range from personal growth to music to spiritual topics – in English, Spanish and Vietnamese. Each Emailing we spotlight one of those speakers:

Rev. Terry Hershey is an inspirational speaker, humorist, author, dad, Protestant minister and landscape designer on Vashon Island in the Puget Sound near Seattle. He is a nationally and internationally renowned speaker and retreat facilitator. His gardens and books have been featured in magazines and newspapers of the Pacific Northwest, and his work has been featured on CNN, PBS and NPR. Hershey is a regular contributor to The Hallmark Channel’s “New Morning” show, and regularly speaks throughout the United States and Canada.

Permission to Be You – The Freedom to Shine (*)
Session 1-11, Friday, March 13, 2015 - 10:00 - 11:30 am
There will always be some voice telling me that whoever I am today is not enough. The challenge is accepting that every one of us has the capacity for bounteousness. Yes, we want to love other people without holding back. We want to feel authentic. And yet, we listen to inner voices that keep our life small. We live stuck. But what if we are truly the light of the world – as Jesus said – and we are meant to shine? What if, as children of God, there are resources to draw upon – a reservoir of kindness, compassion, hope and resilience? Can we return to the truth of who we really are – to lovingly accept the humanity entrusted to us? Am I willing to be loved for being this me?

Find Your Sanctuary – Creating Places of Rest, Renewal and Refuge (*)
Session 4-09, Saturday, March 14, 2015 - 10:00 - 11:30 am (Arena)
Everyone has a sanctuary. It is a place where you do not owe anyone and where no one owes you. We are wired to need grounding and renewal and less hurry. And yet, we make choices – with our time and with our days – that are detrimental to our emotional and spiritual well-being. In sanctuary we let this life in. In sanctuary we can be wholehearted. We make space to see and to be seen. We make space to welcome, to offer comfort and hope in a world of disruption and misgiving. We make space for God’s invitation to dance. Accept this invitation to begin a journey, to find – to embrace your sanctuary places – and to visit them often. You will be glad you did.
See the other Congress Speakers »
 

Speaker Throwback: 2011 Workshop
See Terry Hershey's Period 4 Arena workshop from Congress 2011. Did you know you can still order the recordings from his Congress 2011 workshops:  #1-12: "Work It In: Finding Beauty in Life’s Imperfections"; and #4-13: "Stop. Look. Listen: An Invitation to Pay Attention Every Day." Find all the recorded sessions from Congress 2011 at RECongress 2011 Recordings page.

Disney Tickets Offer
Religious Education Congress attendees can purchase specially priced Disneyland resort tickets prior to your arrival. There are discounted rates for Twilight Convention tickets (after 4 pm), 1-day 1-park, multi-day and park hopper tickets. This offer is only available online at www.disneyconventionear.com/ZMRC15A and not available at the Park. Tickets are valid Tuesday, March 10 through Sunday, March 22, 2015. The online ticket store closes 9:00 PM PST on Tuesday, March 10, 2015.
Check online for restrictions and bulk ticket orders.

See the Updates page »

Special Hotel Rates
Don't forget to make your travel arrangements now. We have secured special rates for Congress attendees at a number of hotels with pricing to meet everyone's needs. Make sure when making your reservations you mention the Religious Education Congress so that you receive our special contracted rates.

See the Listing of Hotels »

Just for Southern Californians
Ralphs Grocery Company, a major supermarket chain in the Southern California area, supports schools, churches and other non-profit organizations with annual contributions. The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress is a member of Ralphs Community Contributions Program. Simply by using your Ralphs rewards Card a portion of eligible purchases are contributed to the RECongress. This is an annual program that must be renewed each year. The current term just began last month. If you were part of the program last year, we thank you and encourage you to re-enroll again for this year's term.

We encourage all Ralphs shoppers to sign up for the free Ralphs rewards Card and register their card with the Community Contributions Program. It’s easy! Every time you shop for groceries and scan your card at Ralphs, RECongress will automatically earn up to 5% of all eligible purchases per enrolled card. Sign up now! It’s never been easier to contribute to the RECongress.

Organization Name: Archdiocese of Los Angeles - Religious Education
Organization Number: 90658

Find step-by-step instructions and information online and

Read about the Ralphs program »

RECongress.org
You can always find the latest Congress information and updates online. Though our Congress Emailings feature some of our Congress Speakers, Spotlights, Entertainment and Liturgies, you can find the complete listing online at www.RECongress. And check our updates pages updates and announcements.
See the 2015 Updates page »

RECongress Emailing
Be sure to sign-up for this twice-a-month Emailing about the latest Congress updates and information. You may opt out from our Congress Emailing at any time from the "Manage Your Subscription" link below.

See past Emailings »

© 2014  Los Angeles Religious Education Congress   //   Online at  archive.recongress.org