The Religious Education Congress is sponsored by
The Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese
Office of Religious Education

Held at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 West Katella Ave., Anaheim, Calif. (just across from Disneyland)

WHAT IS CONGRESS?

• Nation's Largest – The Religious Education Congress, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Office of Religious Education, is the nation's largest annual gathering of Roman Catholics!
  

• With 40,000 in Attendance (See Congress 2008 registration statistics) – Our last Religious Education Congress, held in March 2008, brought together 40,000+ over the four-day weekend! We had 22,000 registered from across the country and as far away as the U,K. and Australia. Attendance at Youth Day 2008 topped at 15,872! 
  

• Variety of Topics – Over the three days, Congress 2008 offered nearly 200 speakers (see our list of Congress 2008 Speakers) presenting 300 sessions, from personal growth to music to spiritual topics – in English, Spanish and Vietnamese.
  

• Representing Many Cultures – Congress annually offers a number of liturgies of different character. Congress 2008 offered 13 Eucharistic Liturgies including including African Black Culture, Contemplative, Nigerian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Celtic, Jazz, and Young Adult – as well as evening prayer, prayer of peace and Lamentation prayer services.
  

• Free Exhibits (open to Registrants only) – Congress 2008 showcased 243 companies as exhibitors – ranging from religious art to music, and from publishing houses to educational institutions, in addition to our own represented Archdiocesan ministries. (See our 2008 Exhibitor Listing.)
  

• Free Entertainment for Registrants – Admission to Congress includes both free lunchtime and evening concerts – ranging from contemporary Christian music to the leading Latino composers and artists. Congress 2008 featured Matt Maher, Nellie Cruz, Jesse Manibusan, Curtis Stephan, John Angotti, David Haas, Lori True, Paul Melley, Jorge Rivera, Josh Blakesley, Mandy Bruno, Jenny Pixler, Sarah Hart, Pedro Rubalcava, Santiago Fernandez, and more – along with an evening Catholic Filmmakers' Film Festival – in addition to the annual Young Adult Dance, Sacred Space contemplative prayer experiences, and Art Exhibits

ABOUT THE RECONGRESS: •  REVIEWS Index -- See what's been written about Congress! •  Milestones of the Religious Education Congress •  CCD / RECongress history in pictures •  Congress Themes (1970-present) • "The past history of the Religious Education Congress" -- The Tidings, February 9, 2001 • "The early days: 'A certain spirit' "  -- The Tidings, February 9, 2001 • "A look back at 30 years of Congress" -- REsponse Newsletter, January 2000 • The CCD: History in the Making -- 1972 Congress Registration Guidebook

WHO MAY ATTEND?
The 3-day Religious Education Congress is open to all who wish to learn more about the Catholic faith or seek personal growth.

DATES
Dates for RECongress 2009 will be:
   February 26, 2009 (Youth Day)
   February 27 - March 1, 2009 (Congress)

COST
The registration fee covers admission to all three days of workshops (tickets are required), exhibits, concerts and liturgies. The fee for Congress 2009 will be $60 ($70 after the January 3, 2009 early price deadline).

REGISTRATION

If you would like information about RECongress or to pre-order a Registration Guidebook (available in October 2008), please contact us. Be sure to provide your name and complete mailing address:

Online:		Pre-order a Registration Guidebook
By e-mail:		congress@la-archdiocese.org
By phone:		Call (213) 637-7348
By mail:		Religious Education Congress Office of Religious Education 3424 Wilshire Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90010

VOLUNTEERING
Congress could not function without the hundreds of volunteers who give of their time. If you have attended Congress in the past and would like to find out more about becoming a volunteer for our next Religious Education Congress, please consider this your "personal invitation." See our Volunteer Information.

CONGRESS OVERVIEW

The Los Angeles Religious Education Congress continues to grow with each passing year. At Congress 2008, over 38,000 delegates attended. It remains the largest annual catechetical and liturgical gathering in the world; and it happens every year right here in Anaheim.
 
Here in the Los Angeles Archdiocese, liturgy is celebrated every Sunday in no fewer than 40 different languages. Living in the gift, promise and spirit of the Second Vatican Council, the L.A. Religious Education Congress liturgies have grown as they have embraced this wonderfully diverse church. Without exaggeration, complimentary reports and reviews come from six of the world’s seven continents. From Gregorian chant to gospel choirs; from Aztec dancers to Vietnamese and African drummers; we’ve worked diligently to inculturate the liturgy to accurately and authentically reflect the church of Los Angeles.
 
The combined talents of nearly 275 musicians comprise the group that will provide the music for the final liturgies on Sunday, March 2. Over 19,000 people attend these liturgies. Prior to 1991, the "band" consisted of piano, one percussionist, one guitar, electric bass and a synthesizer. The choir was 16 voices. Over the years, both the choir and band have grown considerably in depth and membership. Today's Congress Band/Orchestra consists of approximately 40 instrumentalists and last year's choir was the largest with over 275 members from six dioceses. Last year, we had nearly 30 students from 6 different colleges and universities singing with us. We’re working hard to include as many talented people as possible in this experience.

John Flaherty
Congress Liturgy Committee
 

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WHAT IS YOUTH DAY?
Youth Day is held annually on the Thursday as an opening to our Congress weekend. High school students from many different backgrounds from throughout the Archdiocese – and beyond – come together to participate in morning and afternoon workshops, culminating in a Youth Rally.

WHO CAN ATTEND?
Youth Day is designed for all students from public and Catholic schools, grades 9 through 12. NOTE: Students below the 9th grade are not allowed to participate in this event and will be refused admission.

COST
Adult chaperones are required for each group of 10 students (maximum), all attending the same workshop. We recommend one extra chaperone for all your groups and suggest you add the additional name to your first group registered. The registration fee for Youth Day 2009 is $20 per person ($25 per person after January 3, 2009 early fee deadline).

REGISTRATION
More information, maps, flyers and our Youth Day Registration Form will be available on our Youth Day Page.

YOUTH DAY 2007 THEME ON iTUNES!
The theme song for Youth Day 2007 can be found on iTunes! Just go to the iTunes Store and do a search for Curtis Stephan – then look for the song "LIVE OUT LOVE." A special thanks to Curtis for doing such a great job with the song! We are very excited that Oregon Catholic Press has made this possible. The artwork for the song is also the 2007 Youth Day logo!

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since Nov 21, 2002