June 15, 2016

By Marika Donders
Diocesan director of evangelization

Registration is well on its way for INSPIRE: Called to Love.  We are three months out from the deadline for registering and already around 650 people have registered for this awesome opportunity to be inspired by world renowned speakers about how to live out our universal call to holiness.

People from surrounding dioceses are also starting to hear about our Summit in Lake Placid and many are planning to organize buses to take the long journey to our magnificent Adirondack mountains from as far away as Montreal, Kingston, Syracuse, Burlington and Albany. 

There are folks from as far away as South Carolina, New Hampshire and New York City planning to attend.
Have you registered yet?  You don’t want to miss this amazing opportunity to be part of this great event in our own diocese of Ogdensburg!

INSPIRE: Called to Love will be a day long summit featuring a keynote by Bishop Robert Barron, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, the creator and host of the Catholicism  series.  He is an amazing speaker about how to boldly live out our faith whether we are married, single, consecrated religious or ordained deacons and priests. We are all called to a deeper relationship with Jesus no matter what our state in life. 

The other speakers include Bishop Christopher Coyne, the new bishop of Burlington, Vermont.  Bishop Coyne is a member of the Committees on Evangelization and Lay Ecclesial Ministries and the is the Chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Communications.

The second break-out speaker is Jennifer Fulwiler, a prolific author and radio show host.  She is a convert from atheism and has spoken at many conferences like the Atlanta Eucharistic Conference and the World Meeting of Families and has appeared on shows like EWTN’s The Journey Home and Life on the Rock.  She is married and a mother of six kids under the age of 12 and a wonderful story teller.

Our third break out speaker is George Weigel.  Most might know him as the author Witness to Hope, the Biography of Pope (now Saint!) John Paul II.  He is one of America’s leading theologians and public intellectuals who often speaks about faith in the public square, religious freedom, evangelization and the mission of the Church.

In addition to this great opportunity to listen to amazing speakers, we will start the day praying together with Bishop LaValley and all our priests, deacons and the whole North Country Catholic Family of Faith and end the day with the celebration of Mass, the source and summit of our faith. The guest homilist for the Mass Will be Bishop Paul-André Durocher,Archbishop of Gatineau, Québec

The annual Youth Rally for teens from sixth to twelfth grades will be a component of the summit and to make the event even more family friendly there will be child care available for children ages 3 up to 5th grade. 
Also, normally the diocese recognizes  married couples in the annual Marriage Jubilee held at the Cathedral in September.  This year we will be celebrating all vocations at the Inspire Summit and we will recognize married couples there.

Many parishes are arranging buses to help parishioners attend this unique event.  Parishes are adjusting their Mass schedules so that all people can attend.

For more information about how to register shead over to www.inspirecalledtolove.org. 

We look forward to see you in Lake Placid on September 25. Doors open at 9 a.m.