By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic
More than 900 parish leaders and volunteers gathered Oct. 3 at Bishop Lynch High School with a common question: How can we better help others encounter Christ and grow in faith?
That question shaped the Diocese of Dallas Parish Leadership Conference 2026, “Missionary Discipleship: Called and Sent Forth.” The annual gathering brought together clergy, parish staff members, ministry leaders, and volunteers for presentations, breakout sessions, and panel discussions on evangelization, catechesis, worship, faith formation, youth ministry, communications, and parish leadership.
For Peter J. Ductrám, senior director of Ministries for the Diocese of Dallas, the conference was a visible expression of the faith, fellowship, and shared mission that sustain parish life throughout the diocese.
“The conference this year was an example of the vibrancy of the Catholic community in the diocese,” Ductrám said. “We began with a beautiful opening Mass, with the liturgical space full, and people continuing to arrive.”
As he walked through Bishop Lynch High School, Ductrám said, he saw this spirit of community in the conversations, shared meals, and opportunities for learning that brought parish leaders together.
“It gave me great hope to see people eating together, engaging in dialogue, having deep conversations, and discovering resources at the exhibit venues,” he said. “It was truly a blessed gathering.”
The conference focused on equipping Catholics to deepen their own relationship with Christ and accompany others on their journeys of faith.
Keynote speakers included Father Rafael Capó, a priest of the Archdiocese of Miami who serves as the interim president of St. Thomas University, and Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress. Speakers from communities throughout the diocese and across the country offered participants practical ideas and perspectives to take back to their parishes.
Ductrám suggested that the conference was about more than exchanging ideas or developing ministry skills. It offered parish leaders an opportunity to gather in prayer, receive spiritual nourishment, and renew their commitment to serving their communities.
“The conference is an intentional space for gathering with our shepherd, praying as a community of faith, being nurtured spiritually, sharing meals, and being sent forth to continue the great ministry each leader carries out within their local parish,” he explained.
Encountering Christ
For Mike Serapio, director of ministry and evangelization at Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Parish in Irving, the conference was a reminder that effective ministry begins with making room for God to work.
“I came here to learn,” Serapio said. “Although I’ve been serving in ministry for the past 10 years, I believe that every opportunity to learn is an opportunity to be able to grow not only in skill but also in spirit, for me to be able to give more.”
Serapio said he was particularly struck by Shanks’ message that God’s work is not limited by human limitations.
“When we serve, we are not the ones who are transforming people, but God does the transforming,” Serapio said. “So, all I need is to be present, to be there, to plant the seed, and let God do the rest.”
That understanding shapes how Serapio approaches his ministry.
“My role is to simply open spaces so Jesus can encounter his people,” he said.
For Natalia Thompson, a parishioner of Holy Spirit Catholic Parish in Duncanville, the conference was an opportunity to learn how she could better serve her parish’s children’s and youth faith formation ministry.
A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Thompson became involved in children’s faith formation after moving to the United States three years ago and finding a parish home at Holy Spirit. She later was recognized as the parish’s Catechist of the Year.
“I’m looking to see how I can be fed and how I can navigate and lead within my children’s and youth faith formation ministry,” Thompson said. “How can I use what I’m learning here today and take it back to my parish, and how can it impact the ministry that I serve in?”
For Liliana Cruz, a parishioner of Good Shepherd Catholic Parish in Garland, the conference offered a chance to learn new ways to serve the young people she encounters and those she seeks to evangelize.
“I enjoy attending, because I like to stay up to date and learn new things that I can bring back to the young people and to those we are evangelizing,” Cruz said.
The conference also reminded Cruz that missionary discipleship begins with recognizing and responding to God’s call.
“We don’t always stop to think about the fact that we are called,” she said. “Many times, we’re afraid to respond, but God calls us and prepares us for it. We just have to let God lead us so that we can do what he wants us to do and bring others to him.”
A community of faith
For Sandra Vanegas, a parish catechetical leader at St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church in Irving, the conference was a chance for parish leaders from faith communities throughout the diocese to renew their faith together while continuing their formation.
“It is a great opportunity for us to grow in our faith and in our encounter with Christ, on this journey that we are all walking together as Christians,” Vanegas said.
Father Capó’s keynote presentation particularly resonated with Vanegas. His testimony about encountering Christ reminded her of the importance of experiencing Christ’s love in order to share that love with others.
“The way Father Capó shared his own personal encounter with Christ motivates us as leaders and as people who serve in different ministries,” she said. “It is so important to feel loved, to experience the love of Christ, so that we can reflect that love to others and strengthen the calling we have received through our baptism.”
For Vanegas, responding to that call also means recognizing that faith is lived in community.
“We cannot reach Christ alone,” she said. “We need to walk together, and events like this are one of the best ways to do that. They bring all of us together in our diversity but united in one faith.”
The conference also highlighted how every area of parish life can contribute to evangelization, including communications and emerging technologies.
Lo Schubilske, associate director of communications and parish engagement at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Parish, attended the conference to learn new ways to support parish communications.
“I came here today to just learn about communication tactics within the world of AI that we live in,” Schubilske said. “I do communications and want to learn how to share information with our parish.”
Schubilske said the gathering also gave her a broader appreciation for the number of people throughout the diocese working toward the same goal.
“Being here has just been really amazing to see how many people from the diocese are here and all having the same desire to bring people to Christ,” she said.
Whether serving in youth ministry, adult ministry, sacramental preparation, communications, or another area of parish life, Schubilske said, the underlying purpose is the same.
“Everyone that works at a parish is evangelizing and has the goal of bringing people to Christ,” she said.
The gathering also reflected the collaborative work of the diocese’s Ministries Office, with departments working together to provide a meaningful experience for attendees.
As participants returned to their parishes, Ductrám encouraged them to carry the spirit of the conference into their daily ministry, building welcoming communities and inviting others to share in the Church’s mission.
“I hope attendees will continue creating Christ-centered hospitality, listening attentively to the voice of the Spirit of God, and encouraging others to share in the responsibility of witnessing Christ to the world,” he said.
Cutline for featured image: Francisco Gracia, a parishioner of St. Edward Catholic Parish, holds his hands in prayer during the opening Mass for the Diocese of Dallas Parish Leadership Conference 2026, “Missionary Discipleship: Called and Sent Forth,” held Oct. 3 at Bishop Lynch High School. (MICHAEL GRESHAM/The Texas Catholic)
