St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell will host the 2011 National Catholic Bible Conference on July 22 and 23. The annual conference has been designed to equip Catholics with the knowledge and skills needed to read, understand and proclaim Sacred Scripture.

This year’s conference draws its theme and inspiration from Pope Benedict XVI. In his Apostolic Letter, Verbum Domini, Pope Benedict XVI wrote, “There is no greater priority than this: to enable the people of our time once more to encounter God.” In response to this profound statement, the theme of the 2011 conference is “The Great Conversation: Encountering God’s Word.”

Events on Friday, July 22, will include Mass, a keynote presentation by Dr. Tim Gray, president of the Augustine Institute and professor of Sacred Scripture at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver, as well as four sessions on various topics including the Psalms, women in Scripture and an introduction to Lectio Divina, among others.

On Saturday, July 23, Dr. Edward Sri, author and professor of theology and Scripture at the Augustine Institute, will give the keynote address before two breakout sessions. Other speakers include Dr. Mary Healy, author and professor.

“We can enter into a ‘great conversation’ with God through an encounter with the Scriptures, and by doing so, we can further the Church’s mission in the world,” said Jeff Cavins, conference host for the 2011 gathering. “This year’s National Catholic Bible Conference aims to accomplish this by helping people discover the importance of making the Bible a part of their daily lives. We want Catholics to come away from the conference with a better knowledge of how to read the Bible and share its riches with the world.”

Last year in Denver, more than 800 people gathered to attend the event. At the conference participants had an opportunity to spend time with and learn from gifted Catholic speakers and Bible study experts, including Cavins, Gray, Sri and others.

The conference is open to clergy, religious or lay members interested in learning more about the Catholic approach to the Bible. Registration is $165 for lay individuals and $150 for clergy or religious. To register online, visit www.CatholicBibleConference.com or call (888) 842-2853. Register by mail at National Catholic Bible Conference, P.O. Box 1990, West Chester, PA 19380. Registration forms can be found on the website. Information is also available at www.stpeterchanel.org.