Dr. Ann Bezzerides, Executive Director of the CrossRoad Institute and Director of the Office of Vocation & Ministry at Hellenic College Holy Cross, and Theo Nicolakis, the Archdiocese’s Director of National Ministries, delivered the closing keynote of the 48th Biennial Clergy-Laity Congress on July 2 in Cleveland, Ohio, guiding delegates through a structured process of reflection and prioritization designed to translate the week’s learning into concrete action at their home parishes.
The session drew on the ministry training and insights gathered throughout the Congress, inviting participants to review their notes and key takeaways before identifying and prioritizing their top three “strategic bets”—the actions they most want to pursue to make a meaningful impact in their parishes—alongside a personal area for growth in Christ.
The keynote also created space for participants to share their plans with one another, fostering a sense of mutual encouragement as delegates prepared to return home. Hearing others’ priorities and perspectives offered a closing reminder of the breadth of ministry happening across the Archdiocese and the shared commitment animating it.
The session served as a practical capstone to the Congress’s “Rise & Build” theme, sending delegates home both inspired and organized, with a clear sense of where to focus their energy and how to move from the Congress into meaningful action at the parish level.
