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Catholics Gather En Masse In Downtown Tampa

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

The Rev. J-Glenn Murray gave an animated talk at the Tampa Convention Center during a gathering called the "Living Eucharist.” The daylong conference drew thousands from Catholic schools and churches.

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By NEIL JOHNSON | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 4, 2008

TAMPA - The first phase of a three-year effort to teach the Tampa Bay area's Catholics about the core elements of their faith started today with about 3,000 people attending a daylong conference.

The conference sprang from a meeting of Bishop Robert Lynch and the 137 priests in the Roman Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg 18 months ago.

About half said he should do more to teach the congregations about the Eucharist, Lynch said today.

The Eucharist, Holy Communion, is the most important sacrament in the Catholic Church.

The conference was attended by all the teachers and staff members of the 38 Catholic schools in the diocese as well as parish workers. Students were given the day off.

It's the first time all school faculty and staff have gathered in one location, said Frank Murphy, spokesman for the diocese.

After the morning opening session and keynote address, the conference members split into workshops ranging from history of the Mass to understanding the Psalms.

Not everyone at the conference was Catholic.

Linda Hayine is in her first year as media specialist at Bishop McLaughlin Catholic High School in Pasco County and is not Catholic.

For her, the conference was a day of education. She planned to attend the session on the history of the Mass and a session on the Eucharist for non-Catholics.

"I'm just coming to learn," she said.

Carolyn Blethen of Tampa came for religious refreshing.

"It is rejuvenation to find a greater purpose in worship," she said. "Christians always need that."

Blethen, 67, is a Eucharistic minister who helps the priest at St. Joseph's parish with the sacrament.

Middle school religion teacher Tracey Burns wants to share lessons from the day's program with her classes at Espiritu Santo in Safety Harbor.

"I hope to pass along information I get today to the students," Burns, of Palm Harbor, said.

And the day wasn't just for her students.

"For myself, maybe get a better knowledge of the Mass," she said.

During the opening session, the Rev. J-Glenn Murray from the Archdiocese of Washington told the conference members to embrace church rituals and do nothing in half measures.

Lynch said he hoped faculty members would leave the conference with a desire to do a better job of educating students and the public and that parish staff members would learn to be more open and accommodating.

The next conference will be Feb. 21, 2009.

Reporter Neil Johnson can be reached at (813) 259-7731 or njohnson@tampatrib.com.

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