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2018 National Association of Vocation & Formation Directors Conference

Event Category:
Event information
Date & Time
22 April 2018, 9 h 00 min - 25 April 2018, 16 h 00 min
Venue
Sheraton Hotel
Address
116 King Street West
Hamilton, Ontario
L8P 4V3

General Information

The conference begins on Sunday, April 22, 2018. Registration is from 4:00 – 6:30 p.m. Welcome & Opening Ritual begins at 7:00 p.m. The Conference will close Wednesday, April 25, 2018 with a Ritual at 11:15 a.m.

The registration fee includes a light Reception on Sunday night; continental breakfast each morning, nutrition breaks each day, lunches on Monday and Tuesday and the banquet on Tuesday. The other meals are on your own.

Keynote Speakers

Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, Archbishop of Quebec, will make two presentations. Cardinal Lacroix’s first presentation will be Christian formation of young people relating to call and therefore consistent with NAVFD’s commitment to a culture of vocation. His second presentation will be more specifically directed to religious and priestly formation.

Sr. Nathalie Becquart is the Director of the National Service for Youth Evangelization and for Vocations at the Bishops’ Conference of France as well as the Vice President of the European Vocations Service.
Sister Nathalie’s first presentation will be on key elements for developing a culture of vocation through:

  • a vision of the church: the ecclesiology of communion
  • a vision of baptismal identity: missionary discipleship
  • a vision of pastoral care: from recruitment to accompaniment for discerning

Her second presentation will be on how to foster vocations to priesthood and consecrated life in our contemporary society: best practices, resources, and tools.

Update from our U.S. Counterparts

Sister Sharon Dillon SSJ-TOSF is the Executive Director of the National Religious Vocation Conference, U.S.A. (NRVC) who will bring us up to date on the activities of vocation ministry in the USA. Sister Ellen Dauwer, S.C. is the Executive Director of the Religious Formation Conference (RFC) and she will be on hand to give us an update on formation activities in the United States.

Workshop Session Details

  1. Praying with Young People: Meeting Them Where They Are and Expanding Their Horizons of Prayer – Erika Toffelmire, Chaplain at St. Jerome’s University, Waterloo and Marianna Worth, Chaplain at Resurrection High School, Waterloo.
  2. How to Engage Young Adults – Christina Mine, Director of Youth Ministry for the Diocese of Hamilton.
  3. Dialogue on Visibility: the habit and other ways of being visible –Brother Denis Claivez and Sister Costanza Romano, CSJ.
  4. Enculturation panel– Sister Julie Lattner, SSND talking about her experience of formation in various countries and others.
  5. Best Practices re: International Candidates-
  6. Seamless Transitions from Initial Formation to Lifelong Formation – Sister Ellen Dauwer, S.C. , Director of the Religious Formation Conference (U.S.A.)
  7. Celibate Loving– Father Sam Restivo, CR and Sister Julie Lattner, SSND.
  8. Social Media Toolkit: What You Need to Know for Today –Andrew Turski of Andrew Turski Media
  9. Why I Came. Why I Stay – a panel of four newer members sharing their thoughts of what drew them to religious life/priesthood.

Conference Fees

NAVFD Member:

  • CAD $450 (before April 5, 2018)
  • CAD $475 (after April 5, 2018)

Non-NAVFD Member

  • CAD $475 (before April 5, 2018)
  • CAD $500 (after April 5, 2018)

Please send your completed Registration Form with cheque or money order made payable to NAVFD to:

NAVFD Conference
School Sisters of Notre Dame
1921 Snake Road
Waterdown, ON L0R 2H0

Cancellation Policy: There is no penalty if registration is cancelled before April 5, 2018. Any cancellation after April 5, 2018 will not be refunded. Substitutions are acceptable at any time.

The cost of registration does not include your hotel stay expenses.

Your cancelled cheque (money order duplicate) is your receipt.

Early Bird Draw: Everyone who has submitted their registration form by February 1, 2018 is eligible for the Early Bird draw of a prize.

Hotel Information

The Sheraton Hotel at 116 King St W, Hamilton, Ontario is where the conference will be held and where all the amenities are waiting to make your stay delightful.

Reservations for hotel accommodation are to be made directly with the Sheraton Hotel and are not included in the conference registration fees.

To make your room reservations: https://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/NAVFDConference2018.

Reservations can also be made by contacting 24 hour, toll-free reservations line at 1-888-627-8161 and asking for the ‘NAVFD Conference 2018’ group block.

The conference rate is CAD $134.00 plus taxes (single/double occupancy) per night and is in effect until March 23, 2018.

For more information about this venue: http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=185&EM=VTY_SI_185_HAMILTON_PROP_OVERVIEW

Registration Form

Click the picture to download the registration form