EWTN’s Jim and Joy Pinto lead diocesan RCIA Summer Conference

EWTN radio personalities Jim and Joy Pinto led the Diocese of Knoxville’s annual RCIA Summer Conference June 21 with discussions on bolstering the domestic Church and the family.

About 50 people attended the conference at Holy Trinity Church in Jefferson City. Joining the Pintos in delivering a keynote address was Father David Carter.

The Pintos are featured on the Catholic broadcast network EWTN, where their weekly radio show, “At Home With Jim and Joy,” reaches 258 million people worldwide. Their morning topic at the RCIA conference was “The Domestic Church.”

Father Carter, vice chancellor for canonical affairs for the Diocese of Knoxville and rector of the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga, gave the afternoon keynote at the conference on “RCIA Canonical Concerns.”

Breakout sessions included “Building and ‘Weather Proofing’ the Domestic Church,” led by the Pintos. Deacon Jim Lawson presented a session on “Expediting Annulment Requests” and there was a panel discussion on “Adult Learning: Models and Modes.”

Sister Mary Timothea Elliott, RSM, director of the diocesan Office of Christian Formation, led a breakout session on “U.S. Bishops’ Conference Norms for RCIA and Diocesan Forms.” Sister Timothea’s office sponsored the RCIA conference.

The conference, focusing on aspects of programs for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults that directly concern the families of those seeking to enter the Catholic Church, was held in anticipation of the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops in Rome on Oct. 15-19.