"Reasons To Believe" Conference

I attended the "Reasons To Believe" Conference at Kellenberg HS on Long Island on Saturday. It was the first time I heard Dr. Scott Hahn speak and he was excellent. He gave three talks. (Fr. Anthony Stanganelli gave the opening talk and he was very good too.) Scott Hahn, who was formerly a Presbyterian minister before converting to Catholicism spoke about his faith journey and conversion. He used humor, at times, which was uplifting and he also used stories to convey that it seems all his studying, learning and knowledge of Scripture brought him to the Catholic religion. He explained that he read the Sunday homilies of the Early Church Fathers as a Presbyterian minister to help him write sermons. It was through those studies that he came to see and believe in Catholic truths. He came to see that the understanding of the Bible and the homilies that the Church Fathers wrote, explaining how the Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament was a revelation for him. It was an understanding and explanation of biblical truths that he couldn't dismiss. He began to see Catholic rituals in a different light and the truths of the Catholic faith became evident to him. Over time, after attending Mass (while he was still a Presbyterian minister), he came to appreciate the beauty, depth and the sacredness of the Catholic Mass and it transformed him. He was astounded by connections he saw to the Mass and the Book of Revelation. He felt like he was experiencing the heavenly Jerusalem described in the Book of Revelation. He began to see and experience the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist and there was no turning back. He was married to a Presbyterian woman, the daughter of a minister and so he had a lot of explaining to do to his wife. Ultimately, she converted too, but it took some time. They have six children. It's a great story of faith and the complexities of belief and conversion. 

He had many good stories of how God worked in his life and brought him to where he is today. He's a best selling author, lecturer and he has an amazing understanding of Scripture, (he learned much from the Church Fathers), and years of studying, which he conveyed very well.

All in all, it was a successful day. There were hundreds of people in attendence, all there trying to deepen their knowledge of God, the Bible and Catholicism. 

There were some vendors at the Conference as well.  I purchased a CD, titled, "Unlocking the Book of Revelation," from Lighthouse Catholic Media. I'm very impressed that they sell CD's for the reasonable price of $3.00. They even have a CD of the month club. Their website is-www.LighthouseCatholicMedia.com. I've bought their CD's before and given them as gifts. 

The ticket price of $10.00 was a real bargain. Though you had to bring your own lunch, it was still a great value (4 excellent talks for $10.00). And as always, the "staff" at Kellenberg HS ensures that everything runs smoothly. 

Offering Catholic conferences (with dynamic speakers) at low cost is great for evangelization and for building faith and knowledge. "If you build it, they will come." 

NJA

Reasons To Believe

Dr. Scott Hahn the best-selling Catholic author and a convert to Catholicism is coming to Long Island, NY for a one day conference (comprised of three talks). The title of the conference is “Reasons to Believe,” and will take place on Saturday, Sept. 12^th at Kellenberg High School in Uniondale. If you are interested in attending, call Toti Conforti at (516) 385-8963 or e-mail him at toticon@aol.com. 

Scott Hahn  entered the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil in 1986. In his powerful account of what led to his conversion, described in his book, he tells of going to a Catholic Mass, though he was a Protestant minister. In chapter one in,  The Lamb’s Supper-The Mass As Heaven On Earth, he describes how he slipped into Mass in a Catholic chapel in Milwaukee to witness his first Mass as an “academic exercise." He tells that he was impressed with the concentration in prayer that the congregants had. What started as an academic exercise became a revelation for him. I will quote from the book, because it’s a very powerful account and I was very moved by it when I first read it. "As the Mass moved on something hit me. My Bible wasn’t just beside me. It was before me-in the words of the Mass. One line was from Isaiah, another from the Psalms, another from Paul. The experience was overwhelming. I wanted to stop everything and shout, ‘Hey can I explain what’s happening from Scripture? This is great.’ Still I maintained my observer status. I remained on the sidelines until I heard the priest pronounce the words of consecration, ‘This is my Body…This is the cup of my blood’………Then I felt all my doubt drain away…………..In less than a minute the phrase ‘Lamb of God’ had rung out four times. From long years of studying the Bible, I knew immediately where I was. I was in the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is called the Lamb no less than 28 times in 22 chapters. I was at the marriage feast that John describes at the end of that very last book of the Bible. I was before the throne of heaven, where Jesus is hailed forever as the Lamb. I wasn’t ready for this, though – I was at Mass!"

That’s a great story of conversion, revelation, epiphany all in one. I’m excited to hear Scott Hahn speak. It will be the first time I’ve attended one of his conferences. I told Toti (though I’ve never met him) that I would help publicize the event.  So if you’re reading this Toti, I’ve kept my promise.

NJA