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Shlomo Lkhoolkhoon,

I know that this has been brought up before, but I was wondering if any people here were interested in having a pan Eastern Catholic Convention within the next few years. What I am hoping for is that maybe every 3 years all of the lay Eastern Catholic Organizations would have one massive convention.

I feel that this would not only show our strength, but would also help in cross pollenization of ideas. It would also help those Eastern Catholic Churches that are too small to have national conventions, have a fellowship with others that share in the same faith.

Not only could we tie in the national organizations, but we could also maybe tie this into the Orientale Lumen Conferences [olconference.com], as well as the meeting of the Eastern Catholic Eparchs.

What do you all think?

Fush BaShlomo Lkhoolkhoon,
Yuhannon

You'll never get all (or even most) of the hierarchy to give their blessing, without which your chances of success are very slim.

Shlomo Stuart,

I have to disagree with you. Especially since the hierarchs themselves have a national organization and they have stated that they want for the Churches to work together. Already you have the Byzantine Churches using the same matterials for basic faith formation. Further, at the clerical level there are already organized efforts. This is just in the same vein, the only difference would be that the lay organizations would be doing it.

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon

I am 1000% in support of this Br. Yuhannon! I have been trying to do this (with very little success) at the local level...

I have suggested this in the Bay area, as a memeber of the Eastern Catholic Pastoral Association of Northern California, but will little success. I did arrange a small workshop in our parish on Eastern History, Theology and Spirituality.
With the Divine Liturgy in place of the normal Saturday Vigil Mass.

Shlomo Abun Stephanos,

Since we are within the same geographic area, I think we can make it happen. I know the Roman Archbishop of San Francisco is very supportive of the Eastern Churches, and Vegas is the convention capital of the World. What I will try to do is talk to the Catholic college here in Vegas (Regis University) about taking on such a conference. I will also suggest that they look at becoming an Eastern Catholic hub, so to speak, of the West Coast.

I will ask that you pray for me, since I do have trouble with follow through because of my illness. But I can see that if we do this right we can have a great conference and a great chance of Eastern Catholic Unity.

Further, the owners of the Palms Casino (the Maloofs) here in Las Vegas is an Eastern Christian from Lebanon, and if I can talk to the administration of the University, they maybe able to come up with a campaign to have them start a chair on Eastern Christian Studies. One great selling point is that they are related to a Catholic saint (St. Sharbel Maloof). Also, the local Maronite Church here is named for that very same saint.

This all maybe a dream, but I think this is a dream that can become reality. What do you think?

Fush BaShlomo,
Yuhannon