The Valley Catholic November 21, 2017 | Page 10

10 SANTA CLARA FAITH FORMATION CONFERENCE November 21, 2017 | The Valley Catholic Santa Clara Faith Formation Conference Sets Record Attendance By Liz Sullivan For two days the first weekend of November, faithful from all over Northern California traveled to the Santa Clara Convention Center. There they focused on “Word, Worship and Witness” aligning with the Catholic Church’s focus on where Christ is made known for the renamed Santa Clara Faith Formation Conference (SCFFC). And come they did. Offi cials an- nounced the attendance as 3,018. “The Spirit was very present,” said Father John Hurley, CSP, Vicar for Evangelization for the Diocese of San Jose. “This was a great collaboration on the part of so many who brought hard work and passion.” The conference was held in partner- ship with the Leadership Roundtable. Joining the Diocese in sponsoring it Church personnel from numerous dioceses across California and the West gather during the Leadership Roundtable session on Nov. 3. was the Diocese of Monterey, in col- laboration with the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Dioceses of Stockton and Oakland. This year, the conference featured keynote speeches in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Manda- rin, along with a keynote for teachers. Attendees had the option of participat- ing in more than 90 sessions during the two days. The Leadership Roundtable was by invitation only and it involved Bishops and Executive teams for an all-day session on Nov. 3 addressing vari- ous needs. Also that day, pastors and principals came together to collabo- rate. On Saturday, pastors, along with their pastoral councils and principals with their school boards, met for two intensive workshops for collaborative leadership for their respective groups. A collection was held on the second day of the conference for the Diocese of Santa Rosa, to be used in rebuilding projects from the devastating North Bay fi res, and $6,822 was donated. It is not too early to think about SCFFC 2018. The conference will again be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Visit our website to learn more, SCFFC.org. Authentic Encounter in Love: Good for the Youth, Good for the