‘Signs & Wonders’ await at Summit 2023 in Orlando

The Letter to the Hebrews attests that in the apostolic age God “bore witness by signs and wonders and various miracles” (Heb 2:4). Yet miracles still abound among us even today — such as in the miracle of life, the miracle of the Eucharist, and in the miraculous ways the Holy Spirit touches individual hearts and works within their lives.
 
To acknowledge this reality, “Signs & Wonders” is the chosen theme for Legatus’ Summit 2023, to be held February 9-11 in Orlando, FL. Registration was under way at press time, and a waiting list is being kept for latecomers hoping to attend the conference on standby.

The Summit schedule is still being finalized and some additional speakers are yet to be confirmed, but keynoters and session leaders will focus their presentations on the themes of wonders and the miraculous. What is assured for Summit participants is the centrality of the Catholic liturgy, worship, and sacraments: opportunities for daily Mass, Confessions, eucharistic adoration, and communal prayer will be available throughout the weekend.

A FESTIVE ATMOSPHERE

Summit registrants will stay at one of two hotels: the Four Seasons Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, where all Summit sessions will take place, or the nearby Waldorf Astoria Orlando, just a 12-minute drive away. A shuttle service will be available to transport Waldorf Astoria guests to and from the Summit venue throughout each day.

The Four Seasons is a AAA-rated five-diamond resort on 26 acres in a secluded residential area. Situated on a lake and surrounded by beautiful gardens and trees, it features the usual amenities of a first-rate resort hotel including the exclusive Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club.
 
Legatus’ conference planners have tailored the weekend’s evening programs around fun and colorful themes.
 
As Super Bowl Sunday approaches, Thursday night of the Summit has been designated a “tailgate theme” with a “festive casual” dress code, where legates and guests are encouraged to wear their favorite professional, school, or club team colors. Friday’s theme is Motown, where the dress is semi-formal with the option to reflect a 1960s or Motown style. Saturday’s closing dinner is part of Motor City Gala night, with the customary black-tie optional dress.

TOP-SHELF SPEAKERS

As usual, a stellar slate of speakers and presenters are on the Summit agenda. The emcee for the proceedings will be Pete Burak, director of id, the young adult outreach of Renewal Ministries. He is a frequent speaker and writer on discipleship and evangelization as well as co-founder of the Pine Hills Boys Camp in Jackson, MI.
 
In keeping with the evening’s sports theme, 
the Thursday night keynote speaker will be Lou Holtz, longtime college football coach and television commentator who coached the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to an undefeated season and a national championship in 1988. He is known for his wry wit and salient life lessons drawn from his experience in football, family life, and his Catholic faith — and has been known to pull off a magic trick or two onstage as well.
 
Friday’s events will feature four morning sessions. Michael O’Neill, the “Miracle Hunter” of EWTN fame and author of Science and the Miraculous: How the Church Investigates the Supernatural, will discuss the Catholic Church’s approval process for claims of miracles. Students for Life president Kristan Hawkins will then key off the miracle of life and the need to protect life, followed with a presentation by Steve Auth, author of The Missionary of Wall Street, on the miracle of conversion in unexpected settings. The final session before the lunch break will feature popular podcaster Fr. John Riccardo, founder of Acts XXIX ministry, and Fr. Mathias Thelen, co-founder and president of Encounter Ministries, speaking on the power of surrender as a way of encountering the true living God and seeing the signs and wonders within our lives.

For Friday evening’s Motown theme, legates can enjoy music and dancing to O Town Motown, an Orlando-based group that brings the harmonies, costumes, and dance moves of the classic Motown acts of the 1960s.
 
Saturday’s black-tie evening keynoter was not yet confirmed at press time, but the morning sessions will again feature engaging presentations. Adam Blai, an expert in demonology and author of The Catholic Guide to Miracles, will speak on the reality of demonic activity in the world and the response of good in angelic and miraculous activity. Members of The Vigil Project, who also will provide music for the weekend’s liturgies, will then discuss how music moves our spirits and its role in the life of faith. Mary Rice Hasson of the Ethics and Public Policy Center will address topics related to the current gender identity crisis, and author-theologian Scott Hahn will speak on the topic “Holy is His Name: The Transforming Power of God’s Holiness in Scripture.”
  
BREAKOUTS

Several afternoon breakout sessions will also be offered, led by presenters including Kimberley Hahn, author and podcast host; Andy Lesnefsky, president of Vagabond Missions; Nathaniel Hurd, senior fellow for public policy for the Religious Freedom Institute; Kevin Vance, director of the Center for Constitutional Liberty at Benedictine College; and Dawn Hughes, CEO of Obria Medical Clinics and the Obria Group.

And as always, annual Legatus awards and recognitions will be announced throughout the weekend, and some of our valued sponsors will happily make available their products and information about their institutions, ministries, 
and services at tables outside the convention hall.

Orlando provides an appropriately beautiful setting for Summit 2023 — and an ideal setting for facilitating growth in awareness of the signs and wonders around us.

GERALD KORSON is editor of Legatus magazine.