An Invitation to Christ Our Life from Bishop Joensen
by Bishop Joensen | August 6, 2024
Dear Friends in Christ:
I can’t recall a summer quite like this one for folks in the Diocese of Des Moines. And God keeps giving: the Eighth Biennial Christ Our Life Conference fast approaches!
At the end of June, we were privileged to host a segment of the Serra Route of the National Eucharistic Procession, kindling a burning love for Jesus in the hearts of thousands of people in Council Bluffs, Glenwood, Imogene, and Shenandoah while welcoming pilgrims from our state and across the country.
Then, just a little more than two weeks ago, about 300 pilgrims from our Diocese joined a gathering of 50,000+ Catholics at the epic National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. I’m still reflecting on both the high profile and humble witnesses we encountered, and absorbing the high-octane Spirit energy that enveloped us.
One particularly inspiring witness was Sister Josephine Garrett, a member of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth. She shared her story of a heart-wrenching, early-childhood trauma and ensuing questions why God allows that memory to surface on occasion. Yet she knows that in embracing personal brokenness -- in admitting we hurt, we sin, and we hunger for healing -- we can press on with deepened trust mingled with consolation, joy and hope in God’s unceasing love for us.
As summer transitions into fall, we will again have an exceptionally graced opportunity in our Diocese with the upcoming Christ Our Life Catholic Conference Sept. 28 & 29 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Sister Josephine and several other speakers from the National Eucharistic Congress will be at this eighth biennial conference right here in our own backyard! This year’s Christ Our Life (COL) will again assemble world-class speakers, celebrate opening and closing Masses, offer numerous opportunities for adoration and reconciliation, and supply inspiring music for many thousands of in-person attendees and those who follow on livestream. For the first time in COL history, all young people age 23 and under are invited to attend free of charge, thanks to generous donors who sponsor them. High school and college students are invited to a special lunchtime breakout session exclusively for them. By whatever means, I encourage you to secure your ticket and join us! Go to ChristOurLifeIowa.com to learn more and get your ticket plus one for a friend.
As we mark the Feast of the Transfiguration, I think Sister Josephine is right: God is present and ready to reveal himself to those poised to perceive him. These weekends, we have been following Jesus’ Bread of Life discourse in the Gospel of John Chapter 6. May Jesus, the Bread come down from heaven, open our senses and hearts to grasp how ordinary and simple encounters among the Body of Christ can be profoundly blessed.
As we continue to sow seeds of God’s Spirit and cultivate connections in Christ, I look forward to encountering you around the Diocese, and at the Christ Our Life Catholic Conference next month. Live Jesus!