The 39th annual Religious Education Congress will be held Feb. 17‑20 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Sponsored by the Office of Religious Education of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, "Congress" draws more than 35,000 participants each year from around the U.S. to attend its 250‑plus workshops, and to celebrate more than a dozen liturgies and prayer services that incorporate a variety of cultural expressions of faith. Special musical and entertainment events, plus dozens of exhibits, are also presented.

Congress begins with Youth Day, with more than 12 000 high school‑age youth in attendance, followed by the three‑day Congress designed for those serving in a breadth of parish and diocesan ministries -- catechetics, liturgy, family life, social justice, spirituality and more.

The Congress 2005 theme, "Awake to Grace/ Despierten a la Gracia," is taken from the readings of Congress Sunday, Feb. 20 (the Second Sunday of Lent). "Our theme," says Religious Sister of Charity Edith Prendergast, director of the Office of Religious Education, "shakes us out of our inattentiveness, our complacency. Summoned to wake up, we discover grace in places, situations, where we would not expect it at all: around us, among the littlest, the poorest, in the still small voices, in the loud clamors for change, renewal and transformation ‑and no less in the deepest core of ourselves where the birth of Christ unceasingly repeats itself."

In keeping with the format of recent years, several general talks are being offered on Saturday and Sunday mornings. Bishop Donald Trautman of Erie, Pa., will present the keynote talk Feb. 19 on "Catechizing Contemporary Christians Through the Liturgy."

On Feb. 20, talks will be offered in English (by Dominican Sister Donna Markham), Spanish (by José Marins) and Vietnamese (by Bishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet). Sunday liturgies will be celebrated by Bishop Tod Brown of Orange (8:15 a.m.) and Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles (3:30 p.m.).

Talks, workshops and liturgies are held in the Anaheim Convention Center and in surrounding hotels. Late registration begins at 8 a.m. Friday‑Sunday. Registration is closed for Youth Day. For information on future Youth Days, call (213) 637‑7348.

Following is the schedule of principal events at Congress 2005. For additional information, call (213) 637‑7346 or visit archive.recongress.org.

Friday, Feb. 18:
8:30 a.m.: Gathering and Welcome (Arena)
10‑11:30 a.m.: Period 1 workshops
11:45 a.m.‑12:30 p.m.: Music Events
--Lasallian Youth/Vietnamese Troupe (Arena)
--Brianna, Aaron Thompson, Trevor Thomson (Hall B)
1‑2:30 p.m.: Period 2 workshops
3‑4:30 p.m.: Period 3 workshops
5:15 p.m.: Evening Prayer and Eucharistic Liturgies
8 p.m.: Concert, "Wake Up ...to Grace" (Arena)
10 p.m.: Contemplative Rosary (Ballroom AB)

Saturday, Feb. 19:
8 a.m.: Morning Praise (Arena)
8:30 a.m.: Keynote, Bishop Donald Trautman (Arena)
10‑11:30 a.m.: Period 4 workshops
11:45 a.m.‑12:30 p.m.: Music Events
--Matt Maher, Nellie Cruz & Steve Angrisano (Arena)
--Fr. Jim Marchionda and John Angotti (Hall B)
1‑2:30 p.m.: Period 5 workshops
3‑4:30 p.m.: Period 6 workshops
5:15 p.m.: Evening Prayer and Eucharistic Liturgies
8 p.m.: Concert, "Fiesta: A Moment of Grace" (Arena)
9:30 p.m.: Taize Prayer (Ballroom AB)
9:30 p.m.: Young Adult Dance (Marriott Hotel) 

Sunday, Feb. 20:
8:15 a.m.: Morning Liturgy, Bishop Tod Brown presiding (Arena)
8:30 a.m.: Morning Addresses
--Sr. Donna Markham
--José Marins
--Bishop Joseph Ngo Quang Kiet
10‑11:30 a.m.: Period 7 workshops
11:45 a.m.‑12:30 p.m.: Music Events
--Grayson Warren Brown (Arena)
Jaime Cortez, Tony Alonso and Donna Pena (Hall B)
1‑2:30 p.m.: Period 8 workshops
3:30 p.m.: Closing Liturgy, Cardinal Roger Mahony presiding (Arena)