encounter

Continuing the mission entrusted to him by Pope Francis, Cardinal Michael Czerny visited Slovakia and a Ukrainian border town to convey the pope’s closeness to victims of Russia’s war against Ukraine.

Through sharing the Catholic faith, exploring culture and praying with Scripture, those who attend this Zoom discussion group will foster cultural humility to engage with differences as disciples of Christ.

A synod calls on everyone to become experts in “the art of encounter” in a way that is uplifting and transformative, Pope Francis said, formally opening the process leading up to the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

While a Synod of Bishops is not a parliament and its preparatory process is not “an opinion poll,” Pope Francis insisted that involving as many people as possible in the process and prayerfully listening to all of them is the only way to recognize the call of the Holy Spirit.

“How can everyday encounters teach us about Jesus? Where and when can we speak about faith with the young people in our lives?”

In the age of instant communications and fake news, journalists — like everyone else — need to recover the practice of going out and verifying information before they share it, Pope Francis said.

The Diocese of St. Cloud will have its diocesan Encuentro on Sept. 24 at the River’s Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud. Nearly 400 people from around the diocese were registered to attend as of Sept. 19.

Encuentro organizers hope the process will yield an increase in vocations of Latinos to the priesthood, religious life, permanent diaconate, an increase in the percentage of Latino students enrolling at Catholic schools, and create a group of Latino leaders for the church, as well as an increase Latinos’ sense of belonging and stewardship in the U.S. church.