Diocesan Congress finds room to breathe

Published online on Friday, Oct. 02, 2009

Area Roman Catholics are excited about some changes with this year's Diocesan Congress.

The annual gathering brings together hundreds of Catholics -- priests to laity -- for speakers, workshops, vendors and worship.

This year, the event has a new venue, the Visalia Convention Center, beginning with prayer at 8 a.m. next Saturday. It also adds a second day, Oct. 11, dubbed Youth Day.

Bishop John T. Steinbock of the Diocese of Fresno says the changes were made to accommodate more people and to allow for new activities.

Previous conferences were held at the diocese's Pastoral Center and San Joaquin Memorial High School on North Fresno Street. Truth is, you needed a shoe horn to squeeze in the nearly 1,200 people attending last year's 20th anniversary event.

Not lost in all the changes is the gathering's purpose.

"The Congress is designed to nurture the growth of the faithful in every aspect of their person," Steinbock says in a statement.

Details: (559) 488-7474 or dioceseoffresno.org/congress.

Building peace

Officials at Fresno Pacific University have put a lot of creative thought into this year's Build a Culture of Peace Week, which will be held Monday through next Saturday.

Many activities are designed for participants to make peace with the planet.

Participants can also ponder a Scripture for the week. It's Colossians 1:17-20: "He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on Earth or things in heaven."

So what's on tap?

Among the events, Green Worship will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday at Butler Church near the university, where participants can "sing, shout, watch, listen, chant, contemplate, bless bicycles and share the Eucharist to celebrate God's Earth," according to a news release.

And Green Movie Night will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at Strasbourg Basement, where participants can view the green-related films "The Man Who Planted Trees," "The Story of Stuff" and "The Lorax."

Details: (559) 453-3677.

At Fresno State, Stop The Hate/Build a Culture of Peace Week will feature a garlanding/flower ceremony at 10 a.m. next Saturday to celebrate the 140th birthday anniversary of Mohandas K. Gandhi, the Hindu nationalist leader and social reformer in India. He was born in 1869.

Details: (559) 435-2212.

Ah, church music

It's called the "Bachtober" concert, playing on the composer Bach and the month of October.

First Congregational Church of Fresno will present the concert at 4 p.m. Sunday in its sanctuary, 2131 N. Van Ness Blvd.

Why Bach?

Scott Horton, the church's organist and director of music, has done quite a bit of Bach research. Horton notes Bach composed music to be utilized in church services while he was assigned to the St. Thomas Lutheran Church and School in Leipzig, Germany, from 1723 until his death in 1750.

Bach composed hymns for the congregation to sing and wrote separate music for the choirs, instrumentalists and organists.

Seems fitting that Horton will be featured at the Bachtober concert on the church's Casavant pipe organ, with proceeds going to the organ's renovation fund.

Details: (559) 227-8489 or pipesonvanness.com.