Bishops and Catholic Leaders to Gather in Napa to Discuss the Church and 'Next America'
The upcoming third annual Napa Institute Conference will discuss the sanctity of work and how to build Catholic culture in a secular society.
Leading Catholics will gather in California's Napa Valley this August for the third annual Napa Institute Conference to discuss the sanctity of work and how to build Catholic culture in a secular society.
“The conference will bring Catholic leaders together from around the nation to meet, learn and share ideas about the future of the Church in the 'Next America,'” Tim Gray, president of the Denver-based Augustine Institute, said in a June 3 invitation.
Gray invited all those interested in attending “to take advantage of experiencing this intellectually and spiritually engaging weekend in the heart of the Napa Valley's famous wine country.”
The conference will take place Aug. 1-4 at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, Calif.
Gray will deliver a keynote speech on the sanctity of work, as will Dominican Father Brian Mullady and Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angeles.
The conference will hold breakout sessions where participants can engage with the year’s speakers in an open discussion. These discussions can continue during conference meals and social activities.
Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer, the head of the Magis Center of Reason and Faith in Irvine, Calif., will moderate a panel on building a Catholic culture through the New Evangelization. Panelists include Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia, Archbishop Samuel Aquila of Denver, Archbishop John Nienstedt of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Archbishop Gomez and Bishop Robert Morlino of Madison, Wis.
Other speakers and attendees include Catholic University of America's president, John Garvey, Catholic Relief Services' president, Carolyn Woo, writer Kathryn Jean Lopez, Boston College philosophy professor Jesuit Father Ronald Tacelli and Baylor University philosophy professor Francis Beckwith.
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco and retired Seattle Archbishop Alexander Brunett will attend, as will Bishop Robert Vasa of Santa Rosa, Calif., and Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, Calif.
Masses will be celebrated daily, and there will be regular opportunities for confession.
More information about the conference is available at the Napa Institute website.
