The upcoming Mary - First Disciple National eConference is set to draw more than 30,000 participants, organisers estimate based on the number of websites that have signed on to stream the event. Participants from 15 countries including Australia will get onto 247 sites to take part in the conference that will be held on May 18, said a report by the Sydney archdiocese's Catholic Communications.
Schools, parish groups and Catholic organisations within the Sydney Archdiocese have signed on to take part in Australia's third e-Conference and account for the highest number of sites of all dioceses across Australia, the report said.
"While we are estimating as many as 30,000 people taking part, it is difficult to give an exact figure as we don't know the numbers of people who will be at each individual site," said Virginia Ryan, Adult Faith and Formation Coordinator for the Broken Bay Institute and one of the organisers of next week's conference.
"But we do know some sites will have as many as 600 or 700 as entire schools have registered with us, telling us they will be using their main assembly hall so all their students can participate," she added.
The conference, an initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Mission and Faith Formation in conjunction with the Broken Bay Institute, will be presented and led by one of the world's foremost authorities on the New Testament, Father Frank Moloney, SDB.
"Fr Moloney is an outstanding scholar on Scripture but his reflections on the Holy Mother and the answers he will give to questions emailed in as part of the conference, will be aimed at ordinary people who wish to share their experiences and deepen their faith.
"Fr Moloney will speak to them at a grass roots level so that even those who have little prior knowledge can enjoy the day and become excited by what they learn," Virginia Ryan is cited saying.
SIC: CTHAUS