by Father Mark Goldasich
If you want to get through airport security quickly, leave me at home. I have a special knack for setting off the alarm. It happened most recently at MCI as I was leaving for the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress the day after Ash Wednesday.
I had high hopes. I’d set off the alarm a couple of weeks before when leaving for Rome, but this time I was sure I’d get through without incident. Dutifully, I put my Kindle and a phone battery in a separate bin, removed my watch, belt and jacket, and emptied everything from my pockets. I stepped into the body scanner . . . and set it off.
There was some “anomaly” near my right hip. The TSA agent had me step aside, asked if there was anything in my pockets, did a thorough pat down, then surprisingly had me take off my shoes. (What that had to do with the anomaly on my hip is anyone’s guess.) So, the shoes had to go on their own, without a bin, through the X-ray scanner. Finding nothing nefarious, I was allowed to pass.
Jennifer and Nancy, my religious ed directors at the parish and travel companions, looked on with great amusement. (I don’t even want to think about all the germs adhering to my stockinged feet as I retrieved my shoes to put them back on.)
But it’s the congress that I want to write about. It was my first time attending and the experience was magnificent. Though “people-y” with thousands and thousands of attendees from 49 states, folks were courteous and hospitable. It was the 70th year of the congress and I was amazed at the caliber of speakers. The overriding theme was: “Wrapped in Mercy, Hope Renewed.”
From the opening ceremony on Friday morning to the closing Mass on Sunday afternoon, it was an inspirational celebration of what being a Catholic means. Three languages were heard throughout the congress: English, Spanish and Vietnamese. It was an honor to experience what a slice of the global church feels like.
Here are some snippets of my congress experience:
• I finally got to meet — in person — one of my favorite authors, Jesuit Father Jim Martin. Although we’ve been friends for years by email and phone, and he’s done several Zoom sessions at Sacred Heart in Tonganoxie, this was the first time we saw each other face to face. He was an inspirational speaker and a humble, welcoming person.
• I’ve been wearing a Homeboy Industries stocking cap for three years, a gift from Jennifer and Nancy’s previous visit to the congress. It was therefore a special honor to hear Jesuit Father Greg Boyle speak of his incredible ministry at Homeboy with gang members in Los Angeles. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed his books that have opened my mind and heart to the “stories behind the stories” of gangs.
• Although I’d never heard of him, it’s certain that I’ll never forget this Black Creole priest. Father Tony Ricard is from the Archdiocese of New Orleans and the most animated speaker I’ve ever seen. His presentation on helping the faithful find hope was what I imagine a revival meeting looks like. He had the audience laughing, crying and ultimately on fire to walk together, trusting that, after we do our part, God will take care of the rest. He said, “We don’t know what the future holds, but God holds our future.”
I’m still digesting all the congress’ input and will sprinkle some future columns with it. But I’ll leave you with two final snippets:
• The temperature in Anaheim was a sunny 75 degrees last Sunday.
• I did set off the alarm at LAX coming home and (sigh) off came my shoes again.
