2025 Virtual Convocation
August 5-7, 2025
Our Convocation time this year will focus on the work of a Liaison – with a great scholar Dr. Mark Giszczak, S.S.L., Ph.D. He will be giving 4 presentations during the Convocation (see Topics below).
Each participating diocese will receive a Zoom link once you register. We look forward to being together virtually this year so that more of us can gather in person next year in St. Louis August 9-13 at Pallotine Retreat Center, St. Louis, MO. Mark your calendars to attend.
Speaker
Dr. Mark Giszczak, S.S.L., PhD
KEYNOTE
Dr. Giszczak specializes in Old Testament Wisdom Literature as well as biblical theology and Catholic biblical interpretation. He joined the Augustine faculty in 2010. Dr. Giszczak has a passion for Scripture and loves helping Catholics read, pray, and understand the Bible.
He authored Light on the Dark Passages of Scripture(Our Sunday Visitor Publishing, 2015), Wisdom of Solomon, Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture Series (Baker Academic, 2024), and Suffering: What Every Catholic Should Know (Augustine Institute and Ignatius Press, 2024).
He has also published scholarly articles titled “The Rhetoric and Social Practice of Excommunication in 2 Thessalonians 3:6—15,” in the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, the “The Canonical Status of Song of Songs in m. Yadayim 3.5,” in the Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, and “The Quest of the King in the Wisdom of Solomon,” in the Journal for the Study of the Pseudepigrapha.
To learn more about Dr. Giszczak and follow his writings, visit his blog CatholicBibleStudent.com.
Join Us Virtually This Year For:
- Expert Presentations
- CHARIS Update
- Praise & Worship
- Fellowship
Convocation Topics
St. Elena Guerra
We will examine the life, writings, influence, and canonization of St. Elena Guerra as “apostle of the Holy Spirit, drawing lessons from her life to guide our own missions as apostles of the Holy Spirit.
Prophecy and the Prophetic Today
A brief overview of the history of Christian prophecy, into which St. Elena fits very well. Also discussing the theology, rhetoric, and psychology of prophecy, concluding with a discussion of the recent DDF statement on discerning supernatural phenomena (May 17, 2024).
Suffering and Healing
Drawing upon the recent book “Suffering: What Every Catholic Should Know”, the Catholic theology of redemptive suffering and how it aligns with our belief in divine healing will be explored. While easy to over-emphasize healing or suffering, this talk hopes to present a balanced view.
The Sacred Fire of the Temple Altar
New biblical theology material will be presented (based on Dr. Griszczak’s forthcoming book), tracing the origin, preservation, and development of the sacred fire that the Levitical priests were required to keep perpetually burning on the altar of sacrifice (Lev. 6), including:
- How God lit the fire
- How it was kept burning in the tabernacle and temple for hundreds of years
- How it was miraculously re-kindled in the Maccabean era and
- How the fire of God’s presence was ultimately transferred to the new temple of living stones at Pentecost