2009 Clergy Study Days

I am currently taking a "break" from my Jerusalem preparations to attend the annual Study Week of the Diocese of San Jose. The topic this year is youth and young adult ministry. The talks Monday and Tuesday were given by Mike Hayes of Busted Halo. He was very interesting. A predictable dynamic occurred: the older priests were overwhelmed and/or mystified by blogging, Twitter, podcasts and the like, when the younger guys nodded in agreement. I got no end of good natured ribbing by two of the senior fathers for bringing my laptop (as opposed to pen and paper) to the sessions to take my notes. The San Jose Diocese just revamped its website and is trying to embrace these technologies (which is good since we "are" Silicon Valley and Bishop McGrath is on Twitter!).

This group of priests is, on the whole, a very edifing one. Being a religious, I have been part of many presbyterates. They have a sense of camaraderie and unity that I have not experienced elsewhere. They hold diocesan events like these study days in high value and make attendance and participation a high value. It has much to do with the "founding fathers" and early days of the diocese (founded in 1981), the first bishop, Pierre DuMaine and its current bishop. They are welcoming of religious (some diocesan priests see religious priests as almost enemies) and of the great ethnic diversity of the people of diocese. It is no accident that they have the highest number of seminarians of the local dioceses (who are also welcomed at things like this).

So I'll be back to "things Jerusalem" this weekend with my last entry on Goodacre, Contra Q...