2017 USCCB Convocation Participants Guidebook and Journal | Page 62

Beyond the Convocation
Beyond the Convocation
The real work of the Convocation is not what happens in Orlando
but what follows in the days, weeks, months, and years beyond
this gathering. When you return home, you will return to your
mission field, in the midst of everyday life and its struggles.
With this in mind, it is important for participants to plan for the
return home.
Here are a few suggestions on how to plan for after
the Convocation:
• Before departing for Florida, schedule at least two
post-Convocation meetings with the delegation for the
late summer or early fall of 2017. This will be a time to
more fully process any insights or ideas generated by
the event.
• Challenge the delegation to plan a few post-Convocation
meetings with other collaborators and those unable to
attend. Try to get these on the calendar right away.
• Consider convening a local event or synod (in your dio-
cese, at the parish, among several parishes, or within your
institution or apostolate, at organizational gatherings,
or during any upcoming conferences). You may simply
follow the Convocation format, walking through Evangelii
Gaudium, or you may want to adapt it to your local needs.
Begin thinking about invitations, the planning team, and
logistics. If you prefer to use the Convocation format, it
would be as follows:
1. Celebrate the unity of being together as Catholics
under the banner of Jesus Christ. Consider an
Opening Mass that unites different cultures, min-
istries, generations, experiences, and perspectives.
2. Report and reflect on the landscape and mis-
sion field of the local Church and community in
your area.
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