Don’t forget Msgr. Barry
• Jun 01, 2026
Your article about Congress left out a key figure in the growth of the Religious Education Congress: Msgr. John F. Barry, the director from 1973-1983. During his time, Congress experienced its greatest growth and the most changes. He offered the first workshops and liturgies in Spanish. He also introduced liturgies that represented various ethnic groups. The greatest changes in Congress occurred during his directorship. In 1983, he left the Office of Religious Education to become pastor of American Martyrs Church in Manhattan Beach, where he is still serving.
— Msgr. David Sork, Long Beach