RE Congress 2025 opens with prayers for pope, wildfire recovery
Last month’s devastating LA wildfires set the tone for the start of the 2025 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress, which kicked off Friday Feb. 21 emphasizing the theme of compassion.
“Compassion makes us brothers and sisters to those who suffer, compassion calls us to accompany the broken and the wounded,” said Archbishop José H. Gomez in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the congress, held Feb. 21-23 at the Anaheim Convention Center. “This will be our challenge in the months ahead after these wildfires.”
Several thousand people attended the opening session inside the convention center arena, which began with prayers for Pope Francis’ health as he remained hospitalized with a serious case of double pneumonia.