Two members of the diocesan Department for Catechetical Services were in Rome recently to attend the International Meeting on the Pastoral Plan of Evangelii Gaudium. The meeting — which began on the afternoon of Sept. 18 and ended around midday on Sept. 20 — was overseen by the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelization. It was held in Paul VI Audience Hall in Vatican City.

Carlos Tejeda, director of the Office for Marriage and Family Life, and Kyle Holtgrave, associate director for Youth and Young Adult Ministry, were among the almost 2,000 people who attended from 60 different countries. Tejeda said that only 60 of those individuals were from the United States or Canada. It was the first trip to Rome for both of the men.

The meeting reflected on the central themes of Pope Francis' first apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of Announcing the Gospel), with specific regard to the pastoral renewal of the Catholic Church. Speakers included a cardinal and number of archbishops, including Archbishop Octavio Ruiz Arenas, who organized the event, and lay people as well.

Topics included listening to the poor, pastoral ministry in the city, the family, popular piety, pastoral conversion, the spirituality of evangelizers, social media, and the dynamism of joy in the Christian life. They participated in a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Altar of the Chair of St. Peter, with Archbishop Rino Fisichella celebrating.

Tejeda and Holtgrave agreed that the information they received made them anxious to come back to the Springfield diocese and share what they learned. Holtgrave feels particularly moved by this quote from Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium: "If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life."

"There was so much information from very good resources," Holtgrave said. "The biggest challenge came from listening mostly through a translator."

As the director of the Marriage and Family Life office, Tejeda said he was especially interested in the focus on the family in light of the New Evangelization. He said that he was honored that the group had an audience with Pope Francis. The Holy Father had a script, but didn't particularly stick to it, Tejeda said and then added, "He seemed genuinely interested in meeting with us."

While in Rome, Holtgrave met up with diocesan priest, Father Daren Zehnle, who is doing his graduate studies in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and with diocesan seminarian Dominic Rankin, who is studying at the Pontifical North American College. "We took a walking tour of the city," Holtgrave said. "It was nice to see some familiar faces."

Jonathan Sullivan, director of Catechetical Services, said it was important to have members of the diocesan curia travel to the event. "Evangelii Gaudium is a remarkable document that outlines the challenges facing the Catholic Church — and the Christian faith — in the 21st century. I was very pleased that Carlos and Kyle were able to attend the meeting in Rome so that they could bring back to Illinois a unique perspective on what the Holy Father is calling us to do to reach our brothers and sisters for Christ."

Holtgrave and Tejeda will be taking part in a webinar called A Joy Ever New – Reflections on the Evangelii Gaudium. The one-hour webinar will begin at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 11. The URL for registration for the webinar is http://bit.ly/EGWebinar. Anyone with internet access can participate.