After attending last year’s conference, I was very excited about going again this year. It was fabulous! The speakers were inspiring, the schedule allowed more time to browse the vendor tables and chat with people, and the gift of the Catechism was a wonderful and much appreciated surprise! I am absolutely ignited by the truth of the Catholic Church and can’t stop talking about it! I converted to Catholicism 7 years ago rather lukewarmly, but since have truly been blessed by the Holy Spirit as my desire to become educated in the faith continues to grow stronger. The truth and beauty of the Church is something we Catholics need to be able to share with others with clarity, conviction, and charity. IBT is an invaluable resource for this. I am so grateful to Ursula Ruiz and all the godly people who were involved in the conference. I look forward to next year!
Sincerely,
Linda Gaviria
It took a bit of sacrifice, financially speaking, for my husband and I to attend the 2003 conference (between registration and babysitters for our four children). We had to figure out a way to find all day care for our children and honestly I was worried, but we were really interested and I guess inspired to find a way to make it all work out.
In hindsight, we thank the Holy Spirit for leading us to the first Ignited by Truth Conference. Together and individually we were awed and renewed by our wonderful Faith and Church. I truly don’t have the words to adequately describe how “full” our hearts and minds were when we left.
Honestly, we have spent the whole year since that first conference awaiting the 2nd annual Ignited by Truth. Now we have the privilege of serving as well since we are now a certified teaching couple for Natural Family Planning.
We are counting the days until February 14th. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate St. Valentine’s Day! If you’ve haven’t already… get ignited by His Love and His Truth!
Greg and Tara Brelinsky
The first thing that became evident during last year’s conference was a real excitement in the air amongst the participants. I believe the energy came from the Holy Spirit and the attendee’s earnest desire to hear the truth about their Catholic faith. All the speakers were excellent but the constant theme was the peace and happiness they found after their long, varied and frequently arduous trips to really discover their faith and apply in their lives. I think the conference title “Ignited by Truth” was really accurate as people were really on fire to learn more.
I was working on the tables where we were giving our free materials from The Mary Foundation. It was pleasing to be constantly asked questions about the books and tapes from people of all ages and races. In fact, the more I explained the more questions they asked and the more interested they became to take the material home. In fact, one man returned to the table 4 different times to grab more books. In each case, he would tell me about another soul he knew that would be interested in the messages found in the books and tapes. The other aspect you noticed was that while the hallways were quite crowded everyone was smiling. There was certainly ample opportunity for the usual impatient, anger and frustration we all experience when things in our society “move too slow for our liking” but that sort of negative energy just wasn’t present.
The last thing that stuck with me ever since the conference ended was the closing Mass. I felt very close to all the people packed into the Cardinal Gibbons Gymnasium. It reminded me of times I’ve gone to mass in a small chapel with a group of friends. The words of the priest really hit me as well. He mentioned how Christ’s Church marches through history undeterred by the foibles of popular culture. His Truth and Love can’t be stopped from preparing his beloved people for his return. I wish I could remember his exact words because they again amplified what we’ve been told before:
The Truth exists, it is our gift from God to know it and nothing can separate us from it once we’ve set our hearts to embrace it.
Chris Rauh
The conference, in my opinion, was a great success; it was well organized, ran like clockwork, and the speakers kept our attention. All of us were impressed (including 16 high school students who attended and were studying for Confirmation) by what we heard.
Speakers’ presentations were very orthodox, talks were faith-based and emphasized the teachings of the Church. Our youngsters easily identified with what they heard and were enriched because topics reinforced their confirmation studies.
The young mother who talked about the home being the faith development base was meaningful to me. I’m the CCD director at Dunn’s Sacred Heart Parish and we only get about an hour a week to teach these young people; so when they come to us with a cogent faith foundation we know it comes from loving parents who have a deep desire to imbue their children with the faith they grew up in as youngsters. It makes our teaching job easier.
Jan Rebman
Sacred Heart Parish, Dunn, NC
I was active in the Washington, DC archdiocese before moving to Pinehurst and had a wonderful opportunity to attend Catholic conferences and jubilee days often and I was excited about attending the Ignited by Truth Conference in Raleigh last year. I can honestly say the past conferences I attended had nothing on the Raleigh event.
It was beautifully organized, crisply run and the speakers were excellent. It was something not to be missed.
A conference like this is so meaningful because whether you’re a CCD teacher or a lay Catholic you’ll learn something
It was like going on a retreat: you didn’t spend all your time in prayer because you were listening to different speakers talking on different topics all important to our faith in this day and age. The Raleigh speakers were superb and the depth of their knowledge and experience was extensive.
The topics covered showed range of Catholic knowledge that a listener wouldn’t get unless they were in the Capital City. But the Ignited by Truth presentations were on a par with anything I’ve listened to in the past.
This was a faith-filled day where, if for no other reason, gave those attending the chance to enhance their faith and leave better prepared to live in today’s world.
I hope everyone in this diocese will go to this year’s conference; I’m going and looking forward to the event
Germaine Daly
Sacred Heart Parish, Pinehurst, NC
My primary responsibility as a husband and father is to help my wife and children get to heaven. The only way I’ll be successful in this mission is to arm myself with the resources and knowledge that lead to sanctity. Last year, I was so excited to hear of the IBT conference coming to Raleigh. What a blessing to have a gathering of guest speakers, truly godly men and women sharing their stories and solutions with hundreds of attendees. And how hopeful it was to be one of those attendees focused on that common goal of better “arming ourselves” to endure the daily struggle against sin. The speakers/topics were inspiring and a sign of hope in the face of the adversity prevalent today. There was an abundance of information available as well…booths complete with information on clubs for kids, books, resources, etc. all intended to help us ignite the fire within! A wise priest once commented that “…the source of sin is man’s heart.” Personally speaking, this conference was a beautiful witness of the gift of our Catholic faith. It worked to enflame my heart with the love that will help me and my family reach the one goal that resides deep down in every man’s heart. Eternal life with Christ.
God bless,
Paul Sholtis
My experience of the inaugural Ignited By Truth Conference 2003 was profound for me. I especially enjoyed Michael Cumbie’s presentation. Michael’s inspiring talk took us on an incredible journey through his life, from the confusion of our world, to the truths of Catholicism. Overall, everything about the day gave me hope, confirmed and strengthened my convictions in my faith, and filled me with greater love for Jesus and our Church.
Sue Tracey
St. Andrew Parish, Apex, NC
My husband and I attended the conference in 2003. What a spark it has proven to be for us. The many speakers put together so many pieces for us. Since that magical day, we have had opportunities to share what we learned that day. My husband has more than once pulled from his hat information about our faith that he learned that day. People have questions about the Catholic faith. If we who are on fire for God have those answers in our possession, we can do great things for God’s Kingdom. When my husband begins answering questions from friends who trust him to answer charitibly, I pray quietly in my heart and I am amazed at his ability to expound on our faith. Not only did we get answers that day to our own questions, but we were able to purchase books and materials to learn more. It’s not always possible to retain all you hear at a conference, but then you can discern for yourself what areas you want to learn more about. I thank God for Ignited by Truth!
Carolyn Hathaway
Grand Rapids, Michigan
After attending the “Ignited by Truth Conference” in February 2003 I was inspired to see the number of people in attendance and how enthused they were by the speakers and subject matter. It was evidence of the need for faith filled informative events desired by NC Catholics. I left with a renewed sense of faith and hope for families today and look forward to attending the upcoming 2004 event.
Alice De Gennaro
Director, Discerning Women
Going to the Ignited By Truth conference gave me a clear understanding of what the Catholic Church is all about and what an awsome gift it is to be a Catholic. The speakers were inspiring, refreshing, and even witty. Even though I enjoyed the whole conference, my favorite part of the day was Mass. It was a great feeling to be among so many people that were feeling so spiritually overwhelmed by the whole day and then coming to the Lord’s table to share his love for us through the Eucharist. I am looking forward to the spiritual renewal again. Please join us and I know you will definitely go away feeling refreshened by the Holy Spirit and Loved by the Lord.
Cindy Cotton
St. Andrew Catholic Church, Apex, NC
Last year, at Ignited by Truth, I was prepared to be entertained by interesting Catholic speakers, who, at the very least, would reaffirm why I am a practicing Catholic. I was not prepared for the impact it would have on my life and the lives of my family members. My primary goal, as a parent, is to lead my children to the Lord and this conference gave me concrete ways to achieve that goal. We began using Jim Burnhams’s Beginning Apologetics which has opened the way to reading and understanding Scripture in a whole new way. I’ve watched my children learn to look up scripture and explain church teachings based on what they’ve read. We even did a lesson with the grandparents who were quite impressed with the depth of knowledge we were acquiring from our research. Although I’ve been told that there is no place on the road of faith that we can sit and rest and assume we’ve come far enough, it didn’t hit home how stagnant our faith could become without a challenge. That challenge came in the form of a fantastic Catholic conference and I can’t wait to see what’s in store for next year!
I attended the conference last year and the most exciting part for me was to spend a day being rejuvenated by my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. There was a great sense of joy and spirit of optimism on the day of the conference. Each speaker was different and had something to offer. Being a convert myself, I have much to learn about my faith. There is a great unity when we all come together for the same purpose, which is Christ. We all have the same mission. Often I have said that I could help someone who is struggling if I could explain my faith as well as this priest or that theologian. This excuse can not hold water. It is my responsibility as a Christian to educate myself so that I can witness to others. The conference offers a means to educate myself and also invite others to learn as well.
Sharon Hahn
The Ignited by Truth Conference 2003 was an unforgettable experience. Besides having a professional format and high-caliber speakers, sound Catholic Doctrine was presented throughout the conference. The presentations made my husband and I proud to be Catholic!
Mr. Jim Burnham, one of last year’s speakers, was most helpful in presenting the vital tools for Evangelization in his talk on Apologetics. In order to grow in our Faith and share it with others, Catholics need to have the Scripture passages that shed light on our Catholic beliefs at our fingertips. Mr. Burnham compiled these Scripture passages to defend our Catholic Faith and made them available to all. As Catholics, we possess the true Church of Christ. It’s historical, doctrinal continuity and unbroken line of authority can be traced from the Apostles. Mr. Burnham gave us hope that through the wonderful Gift of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible, all our beliefs can be proven and we, as Catholics, can defend our Faith!
My husband and I are looking forward to being Ignited by the Truth in 2004 right here in Raleigh, North Carolina!
John and Andrea Mueller
Our dear Holy Father entreats us to speak up in word and action for Christ in the marketplace. On February 15, 2002, in Raleigh, NC, Catholic families of all ages responded to his plea. When Catholics are called, the people … God’s people … come. They filled Cardinal Gibbons High School …and the Holy Spirit filled their hearts. The speakers proclaimed the Gospel of Life, loud and clear. The vendors displayed many spiritual texts and articles, which were available for all ages. Our box lunch was prepared and filled with nourishment by loving hands. The day was brought to a close with the celebration of Holy Mass. And in spite of a wintry weather advisory, everyone arrived home safely!
Open your heart to our Holy Father’s message and use your gifts to bring Christ to his people. Come to the next Ignited by Truth Conference on February 14, 2004, and you, or someone you love, will be ignited!
Pace e bene,
Marjorie Shaughnessy