Arlington, VA—Five years ago hurricanes prevented the National Catholic Educational Association (NCEA) from holding its long-scheduled meeting in New Orleans. Now, both the city and NCEA are ready for a big return. The NCEA Convention & Expo convenes in New Orleans April 26 to 28, 2011. This marks the tenth meeting in the Crescent City since NCEA first met there in 1913. The 35th anniversary convocation of the National Association of Parish Catechetical Directors and the annual meeting of the Catholic Library Association will meet concurrently with NCEA.
NCEA's annual convention and expo, which draws educators, administrators, pastors and parents from throughout the nation, will offer general sessions, liturgies, departmental meetings, and development and technology sessions. The event at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center will also feature an exhibition of the latest in educational products.
Two confirmed keynote speakers are certain to inspire and inform: Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, author of “Dead Man Walking,” and Father Michael Himes, professor of theology at Boston College.
Father Michael Himes, a priest of the diocese of Brooklyn, is a widely known and respected speaker on such topics as Christian theology, sacramental principles and ethics. Before coming to Boston College, he served as professor and academic dean of the Seminary of the Immaculate Conception (from which he earned a master’s of divinity degree) and as assistant professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his doctorate in the history of Christianity from the University of Chicago and has been awarded honorary doctorates from several Catholic colleges.
Father Himes is a contributor to many scholarly journals and the author of several books, including “Fullness of Faith: The Public Significance of Theology,” written with his brother, Franciscan Father Kenneth Himes.
Sister Helen Prejean is a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph. In 1981 she became a pen pal with Patrick Sonier, who was sentenced to die in the electric chair in Louisiana. She began visiting him and ultimately turned her experiences into the book, “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States.” The book was number one on the New York Times best seller list for 31 weeks and has been translated into 10 languages.
In 1996, the book was developed into a major motion picture and also was the basis for an opera that premiered in San Francisco in 2000. Sister Prejean’s second book, “The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions,” was published in 2004.
Through her public and media appearances and leadership of Survive, a victim’s advocacy group, Sister Prejean has become the country’s most visible opponent of the death penalty
Her work has been honored by many religious and secular organizations, including more than 50 honorary degrees from institutions in the U.S., Canada, Ireland and Scotland.
NCEA, founded in 1904, is a professional membership organization that provides leadership, direction and service to fulfill the evangelizing, catechizing and teaching mission of the church. NCEA's members include elementary schools, high schools, parish religious education programs and seminaries.
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