National Catholic Mission to air in late March

By  Sara Loftson, The Catholic Register
  • February 23, 2007
TORONTO - Vision TV will broadcast this year’s National Catholic Mission, two talks from renowned speaker and best-selling author Matthew Kelly, March 25 and 26 at 7 p.m. (E.T.)

Kelly packed St. Basil's Church in downtown Toronto Feb. 11 and 12 for this year's National Catholic Mission, an annual television event that invites Catholic Church members across the country to rekindle their faith and seek new direction for their lives. The program features reflections, readings and music. This year's musical guest was St. Michael's Choir School's junior and senior boys' choirs.

Kelly, an Australian who lives in Cincinnati, was one of the eight candidates to lead the mission that Michael McManus presented to the selection committee.

"He's an excellent speaker... He has an enthusiasm and energy level that is rare in the Catholic world, and he's very traditional," said McManus, executive director of the National Catholic Broadcasting Council.

"I personally love it because he revisits truths in the area of spirituality that he says have been lost or forgotten and I think it's very true. So in a certain sense he's old wine in new wineskin."

In the first talk Kelly asks his audience, "What do you want most in life?" Then he asks, "What does God want for us in our lives?" He makes the connection that what we want is what God wants for us: happiness.

"He believes the only avenue to real happiness is becoming the best version of yourself and that for him will bring you happiness and that for him is what God wants for us," said McManus.

In the second talk Kelly poses the question, "Is Catholicism still relevant?" outlining what he deems the seven pillars of Catholic spirituality – the genius of Catholicism.

"We have to admit that for a lot of the young people, a lot of the middle-aged people, it isn't so," said McManus.

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