“Parish Life from Maintenance to Discipleship”

Byzantine Spirituality Conference set for Nov. 10

The disciples walked with Jesus for three years, shared meals with him, were present during his most difficult moments and yet Peter denied Jesus three times. Disciple-making is a process, quite often a long one that requires
constant patience and abandon to the grace of God.

This year’s Byzantine Spirituality Conference is designed to help participants identify where God is already present in their lives and how to engage others in their parish community to articulate their Byzantine Catholic faith.

What you need to know

The Conference is scheduled for Nov. 10 at St. John the Baptist Cathedral, 210 Greentree Road, Munhall, Pa. The title of this year’s Spirituality Conference is: “Parish Life from Maintenance to Discipleship.” Deacon John Evancho will present “The Immigrant Disciple” and “Being a Disciple of Christ Today” and Christopher Russo will present “The Challenge of Discipleship for the Future.”

Meet our presenters

Deacon John Evancho earned a Master’s Degree from Harvard Divinity School and Bachelor’s Degrees in Theology
from Duquesne University and the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. He serves at Annunciation Church, Homer Glen, Ill. Deacon John has been a cantor, choir director and catechist for many years.

Currently, he serves as the Chief Compliance Officer for the insurer, OSF HealthPlans which is owned and operated by the Sisters of the Third Order of Saint Francis in Peoria.

Christopher Russo was selected by Archbishop William Skurla to represent the United States Byzantine Catholic
Metropolia at the Pre-Synod for Youth in Rome, March 2018. He graduated from Penn State University in 2016 and
works as a research technologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

Christopher helped create a program for young adults entitled “Theosis in Action”. He is the son of Deacon Stephen and Heather Russo of Southbury, Conn. They are members of St. Nicholas in Danbury, Conn.