Family Conference to offer Catholic focus for all ages
July 29, 2019 at 12:37 p.m.
By Christina Leslie | Correspondent
Domestic Church Media Foundation is sponsoring “Embrace the Family of God: The 2012 East Coast Catholic Family Conference” July 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Sun National Bank Center, Trenton. The all-day event features speakers, musicians, vendors and a Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., aimed to empower Catholics to be an evangelizing force in the modern world.
“We will make this a multi-faceted event with something for everyone,” said Jim Manfredonia, co-founder of DCMF. “It’s a great prelude to the diocese’s Eucharistic Congress in October.” Manfredonia, along with his wife Cheryl, started the Catholic lay apostolate in 2003 with the goal of using the airwaves to evangelize. DCNF operates local radio stations WFJS 1260 AM and 89.3 FM; Bishop O’Connell’s interactive radio program “The Shepherd’s Voice” is broadcast on the station each first Friday.
With a target audience of Catholics in their teens up through adulthood, the conference aims to engage attendees with witness and testimony from inspirational presenters. Scheduled speakers include Father Andrew Apostoli, a founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and spiritual director; Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception Father Donald Calloway, an author who underwent a radical conversion back to the Catholic faith; radio personality Dr. Coleen Kelly Mast, host of EWTN’s “The Doctor Is In” advice show; and bilingual radio show evangelist Jesse Romero, host of Global Catholic Radio’s “Reasons for Faith Live”.
Musical guests at the conference will include Danielle Rose, featured at World Youth Day 2011; the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and the WFJS Voices, a regional choir consisting of representatives from parish choirs of the diocese and surrounding area.
During program breaks, attendees can browse the vendor area to purchase Catholic goods and services, learn about faith-filled ministries and organizations, and attend book signings by conference presenters. Refreshments will be available for purchase or attendees may leave and return to the arena for meals.
The Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet will be recited during the conference; rooms will be set aside in the arena for Confession and Eucharistic adoration. The event will conclude with a Holy Mass with celebrant and homilist Bishop O’Connell.
The Manfredonias’ first evangelical family conference, held in Newark’s Prudential center in 2010, was smaller in scale yet reinvigorated their fervor in spreading the word of God. Cheryl Manfredona remembered, “The Newark conference brought together over 8,000 people and by the end of the day, no one wanted to leave. It’s a little piece of heaven on earth to be with like-minded people, praying and singing together.”
“The [upcoming] conference is more for evangelizing and building a closer-knit Catholic community,” she continued. “The Trenton Diocese is so large; how often do we mix and mingle with people from other parishes? Here is an opportunity to all be together.” Manfredonia encouraged parish music ministers to contact her in order to join the WFJS Voices choir on the day of the conference.
“Anyone is welcome, devout or not,” stressed Jim Manfredonia. “If you have a non-Catholic friend you think might be moved, bring them along. We will try to create in [the Sun National Bank Center] a true Catholic culture.”
Noting the event’s family-friendly roster of events, Cheryl Manfredonia asserted, “This conference is for singles, for religious, for families, for everyone. We are all the family of God.” Her husband and co-founder promised, “We will celebrate our faith in wide and varied ways. We want people to be happy to be Catholic.”
The Sun National Bank Center is located at 81 Broad Street, Trenton. Admission to the conference is $25 for floor level-seating, $20 for all other seats. Group rates for 10 or more people are available. For further information on the conference, to purchase tickets, or to join the WFJS Voices choir, visit www.DomesticChurchMedia.org or call 609-882-9357.
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By Christina Leslie | Correspondent
Domestic Church Media Foundation is sponsoring “Embrace the Family of God: The 2012 East Coast Catholic Family Conference” July 28 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Sun National Bank Center, Trenton. The all-day event features speakers, musicians, vendors and a Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., aimed to empower Catholics to be an evangelizing force in the modern world.
“We will make this a multi-faceted event with something for everyone,” said Jim Manfredonia, co-founder of DCMF. “It’s a great prelude to the diocese’s Eucharistic Congress in October.” Manfredonia, along with his wife Cheryl, started the Catholic lay apostolate in 2003 with the goal of using the airwaves to evangelize. DCNF operates local radio stations WFJS 1260 AM and 89.3 FM; Bishop O’Connell’s interactive radio program “The Shepherd’s Voice” is broadcast on the station each first Friday.
With a target audience of Catholics in their teens up through adulthood, the conference aims to engage attendees with witness and testimony from inspirational presenters. Scheduled speakers include Father Andrew Apostoli, a founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal and spiritual director; Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception Father Donald Calloway, an author who underwent a radical conversion back to the Catholic faith; radio personality Dr. Coleen Kelly Mast, host of EWTN’s “The Doctor Is In” advice show; and bilingual radio show evangelist Jesse Romero, host of Global Catholic Radio’s “Reasons for Faith Live”.
Musical guests at the conference will include Danielle Rose, featured at World Youth Day 2011; the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, and the WFJS Voices, a regional choir consisting of representatives from parish choirs of the diocese and surrounding area.
During program breaks, attendees can browse the vendor area to purchase Catholic goods and services, learn about faith-filled ministries and organizations, and attend book signings by conference presenters. Refreshments will be available for purchase or attendees may leave and return to the arena for meals.
The Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet will be recited during the conference; rooms will be set aside in the arena for Confession and Eucharistic adoration. The event will conclude with a Holy Mass with celebrant and homilist Bishop O’Connell.
The Manfredonias’ first evangelical family conference, held in Newark’s Prudential center in 2010, was smaller in scale yet reinvigorated their fervor in spreading the word of God. Cheryl Manfredona remembered, “The Newark conference brought together over 8,000 people and by the end of the day, no one wanted to leave. It’s a little piece of heaven on earth to be with like-minded people, praying and singing together.”
“The [upcoming] conference is more for evangelizing and building a closer-knit Catholic community,” she continued. “The Trenton Diocese is so large; how often do we mix and mingle with people from other parishes? Here is an opportunity to all be together.” Manfredonia encouraged parish music ministers to contact her in order to join the WFJS Voices choir on the day of the conference.
“Anyone is welcome, devout or not,” stressed Jim Manfredonia. “If you have a non-Catholic friend you think might be moved, bring them along. We will try to create in [the Sun National Bank Center] a true Catholic culture.”
Noting the event’s family-friendly roster of events, Cheryl Manfredonia asserted, “This conference is for singles, for religious, for families, for everyone. We are all the family of God.” Her husband and co-founder promised, “We will celebrate our faith in wide and varied ways. We want people to be happy to be Catholic.”
The Sun National Bank Center is located at 81 Broad Street, Trenton. Admission to the conference is $25 for floor level-seating, $20 for all other seats. Group rates for 10 or more people are available. For further information on the conference, to purchase tickets, or to join the WFJS Voices choir, visit www.DomesticChurchMedia.org or call 609-882-9357.
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