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Events for adults, teens to attract more than 3,200

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More than 3,200 adults and teens are expected to take part in activities sponsored by the Green Bay Diocese Oct. 3-4 at St. Norbert College, De Pere.

During the day Friday and Saturday, adults from Wisconsin and surrounding states will hear nationally recognized speakers, build professional skills and deepen their faith at the 20th annual The Gathering.

Teens in grades 6-12 will pick up the beat Saturday evening at Youth Jam 2003. The event will include live music, dance and food.

Both events are funded in part through the annual Bishop's Appeal.

Some 200 speakers will make presentation at the hundreds of workshops scheduled for The Gathering, which is open to school or parish leaders, ordained or professed religious members, lay people or people of other denominations.

Opening ceremonies for The Gathering begin at 9 a.m. Friday in Schuldes Sports Center, followed by four rounds of sectionals. The day closes with Eucharistic Exposition at Old St. Joseph Church on campus. On Saturday, there will be morning prayer at 8:45 a.m. in Walter Theatre, followed by five rounds of sectionals. The event will close at 4 p.m. with Mass in Old St. Joseph Church.

Friday at lunch, the St. Mary Catholic Central Jazz Band from Menasha will perform Big Band music in Sensenbrenner Union Cafeteria. On Saturday, the Rhapsody Ringers handbell choir from St. Bernard Parish in Appleton will entertain over the lunch hour in VandenHeuvel Family Center.

Keynote speakers at The Gathering are:

• Dcn. Michael Cullen, the parish director for six parishes in the Rib Lake area.

• Fr. John Cusick, the Chicago Archdiocese's director of young adult ministry, who also teaches at Loyola University's Niles College, the college seminary for the Archdiocese.

• Bobby Fisher, musician, composer, author and the music director at St. Agnes Parish in Fort Wright, Ky.

• Sharon Hueckel, director of administration at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in Claremont, Calif., and is the author of Three Little Books on stewardship. She has worked for 10 years in stewardship and development.

• Mike McCoy, former Green Bay Packer and the national director of Champions for Today, which lines up former National Football League athletes to speak in school assemblies on topics relevant to life issues.

• Sr. Glenn Ann McPhee, OP, secretary for education at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C., and an experienced educator at the elementary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels.

• Fr. Bruce Nieli, CSP, former director for evangelization at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, D.C.

Headlining acts at Youth Jam are:

• Chris Padgett, lead singer of the band Scarecrow and Tinmen and solo performer and speaker.

• Scarecrow and Tinmen, which has appeared at Youth Jam several times and has performed at World Youth Day in Toronto, the National Catholic Youth Conference, and the National Conference on Catholic Youth Ministry.

• Concentus, winners of Appleton's Battle of the Bands competition held in May. These Xavier High School students are Eric Noll, Nick Tseffos, Russ Oleszko and Patrick Wilz.