Bishops’ meeting amazes Florida priest

Posted: 11.12.08

BALTIMORE | Father Art Venezia of the Diocese of Palm Beach got an eye–opening experience this week as one of the official “observers” selected to sit in on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ meeting in Baltimore.

“I was amazed by the number of committees,” he told the Florida Catholic on a morning while the bishops were meeting in executive session, during which observers, other staff and experts and media are not allowed into the meeting room. Father Venezia was representing Region XIV as observer; the region encompasses most of the southeast Atlantic coast from Washington, D.C., to Florida.

His time at the meeting revealed that many of the committees, which are made up of bishops, and USCCB staff work and plan all year to make reports to the bishops.

“They work in so many different areas. I guess I’m getting more of a heightened awareness of what it means to be a bishop, their work with clergy, those in consecrated life and laity in their diocese, and national and international affairs,” Father Venezia said.

Topics covered at the Nov. 10–13 meeting included liturgy, sacraments and theology that affect the life of the church today. “In the midst of everything, they appear to be men of holiness.”

“God bless our bishops,” he said.

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