Catholic Action Conference in Riccione Focuses on Educator Training and Renewed purpose
A recent national conference of Catholic Action in Riccione, Italy, underscored the organization’s commitment to training and empowering its educators, drawing 1,700 participants from across the Italian peninsula. The event, held from December 5th to 7th, signaled a renewed focus on service within parishes and dioceses, targeting children, young people, and adults alike.
The conference, dubbed “Verso l’alto” (Upward), was deemed a resounding success, despite a common tendency to gloss over shortcomings when evaluating initiatives. As one attendee noted, the event genuinely delivered on its promise, fostering a spirit of collaboration and shared purpose.
Beyond the impressive attendance figures, the conference’s true value lay in its broad portrayal. Participants spanned seven decades in age – from 18 to 88 – and hailed from 150 of the 177 dioceses within Italy,representing over two-thirds of the national Catholic Action associations.The program included a vigil, two plenary sessions, three sector-specific meetings (focused on youth, adults, and Acr – the youth branch of Catholic Action), and twelve mini-conferences featuring 24 prominent speakers.
Discussions ranged from the core vocation of educational service to critical issues such as preventing abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. The twelve mini-conferences were specifically linked to the Ac’s training project, emphasizing an educational approach that is engaging, spiritual, mobile, generative, embodied, inclusive, caring, democratic, critical, ecclesial, faithful, and creative.
“Upward” wasn’t solely focused on intellectual exchange; it also prioritized prayer, relationship building, and intergenerational connection.Participants described moments of emotional resonance and shared celebration. These essential elements, according to organizers, were crucial in overcoming inevitable logistical challenges and fostering a sense of unity within the association.
A key objective of the conference was to engage grassroots educators and animators – and it succeeded. Organizers noted that a majority of attendees were participating in their first national training experience.This influx of new faces brought a palpable enthusiasm, creating a dynamic and surprisingly cohesive surroundings. In the long history of catholic Action, this marked the first time a conference had intentionally included all age groups, highlighting the central role of training in the
