ROCKVILLE CENTRE, NEW YORK, March 2, 2006 -- The Diocese of Rockville Centre’s Secretariat for the New Evangelization has invited Christopher West, Catholic theologian and expert on Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, to conduct a two-day conference entitled, “God, Sex and the Meaning of Life.” The seminar will be held Friday, March 31 (7:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.) and Saturday, April 1 (9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.) at Kellenberg Memorial High School, Uniondale, N.Y.

“The gift of one's self is trivialized when sex is reduced to merely a recreational act that is absent any commitment and denies the truth that life is a gift from God,” said Father Richard M. Figliozzi, director of the Secretariat for the New Evangelization, Diocese of Rockville Centre.  “Attending the conference will help you rediscover the beauty and excitement that is human love when it is wedded to God's love."

“Pope John Paul II devoted the first major teaching project of his pontificate to providing a profoundly beautiful vision of human embodiment and love. He gave this project the working title, ‘theology of the body,’” said West.

“By helping us understand this profound inter-connection between sex and the Christian mystery, John Paul’s theology of the body not only paves the way for lasting renewal of marriage and the family; it enables everyone to rediscover the meaning of the whole of existence, the meaning of life,” said Christopher West.

West will explore the following topics during the course of the seminar:
● Theology of the Body: An Education in Being Human
● Created as Male & Female: God's Original Plan
● Redeemed as Male & Female: Christ Restores God's Plan
● The Heavenly Marriage & the Joy of Christian Celibacy
● The Two Become "One Flesh": Living the "Great Mystery" of Marriage
● Authentic Chastity: From Legalism to Liberty
● Theology in the Bedroom: Love, Sex, & Fertility
● "Put out into the Deep": The New Evangelization

“It is an illusion to think we can build a culture of human life if we do not accept and experience sexuality and love and the whole of life according to their true meaning and their close inter-connection,” said Pope John Paul II, in ‘The Gospel of Life.’

George Weigel, author of, “Witness to Hope: The Biography of Pope John Paul II,” calls this papal study of human sexuality, “one of the boldest reconfigurations of Catholic theology in centuries.”

Registration is $25 until March 17 and $30 per person after March 17. For registration information, contact the Secretariat for the New Evangelization at
516-678-5800, ext. 309 or 616 or rfigliozzi@drvc.org.

About Christopher West
Christopher West is a fellow of the Theology of the Body Institute and holds visiting faculty appointments at Creighton University in Omaha and the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in Melbourne, Australia. His books include Good News about Sex & Marriage, Theology of the Body Explained, and Theology of the Body for Beginners. West’s ability to present John Paul II’s profound insights in a language everyone can understand has helped created an international groundswell of interest in the theology of the body and made West one of the most sought after speakers in the Church today. For more information on Christopher West, visit: www.ChristopherWest.com


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EDITOR’S NOTE: “United in Heart and Mind” may be downloaded from the diocesan website, www.drvc.org  The Office of Public Information can also fax or mail you a copy.

About The Diocese of Rockville Centre
The Diocese of Rockville Centre was formed in 1957 and covers 1,222 square miles in Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The diocese serves approximately 1.4 million Catholics (total population in both counties is approximately 3.3 million). There are 134 parishes in 115 towns. Last year over 20,000 baptisms, 18,000 confirmations, 20,000 first communions and 5,000 marriages took place in the diocese. There are 2,137 students in Catholic kindergarten, 23,825 in primary or elementary school, 12,628 in secondary school and 3,300 in higher institutions. There are 76 Catholic elementary and high schools and one Catholic college in the diocese. Catholic Health Services of Long Island consists of five hospitals, three nursing homes, two home-care agencies, two senior housing complexes, a community-based home for those with special needs and a hospice. Last year, Catholic Charities assisted more than 80,000 individuals who are poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged on Long Island. For more information, visit www.drvc.org.

For more information Contact:
Sean P. Dolan
Director of Communications
516-678-5800, ext. 625
sdolan@drvc.org
 

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