Advance registrations are pouring in for an anticipated record-breaking 2008 Los Angeles Religious Education Congress at the Anaheim Convention Center Feb. 28-March 2.

"Three weeks before Congress, there are already more registered than this time last year," said Religious Sister of Charity Edith Prendergast, director of the archdiocesan Office of Religious Education. Registrants include participants from most states as well as international visitors from Australia, Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. Last year's overflow crowd of pre-registered and walk-in participants drew more than 40,000 youth and adults.

This year's event, with its theme, "Lift Your Gaze…See Anew!," offers attendees a choice of 276 workshops (including sessions in English, Spanish and Vietnamese), keynote talks, daily Masses, multicultural celebrations and musical entertainment. Congress will kick off with its annual Youth Day Feb. 28, currently filled to capacity with over 15,000 expected high school students and their chaperones, according to Mike Norman, archdiocesan youth ministry coordinator.

Cardinal Roger Mahony, Sister Prendergast and nearly 50 liturgical musicians and dancers will participate in Congress' opening rite and welcome Feb. 29 from 8:30-9:30 a.m. in the convention center arena. Evening arena musical entertainment will include returning Congress favorites Bob Halligan, Jr. & Ceili Rain (Feb. 29) and ValLimar and Frank Jansen with gospel "Catholic style" performers (March 1).

Several speakers will be making their debut at Congress this year, including Dr. Madonna Wojtaszek-Healy ("Everyone is called to God's table, even the ones who can't sit still in their seats," Feb. 29) and Dominican Father Charles Dahm, ("Hispanic Catholics: A blessing and a challenge for the church," March 1).

Other first-time Congress speakers include Society of the Sacred Heart Sister Carolyn Osiek ("Early Christian writings that didn't make Canon"; "Ecotheology from the future: the Apocalypse as basis for environmental responsibility," March 1) and New York Times best-selling author/poet, Kathleen Norris ("Life as liturgy, laundry included," March 2).

Popular Congress speaker David Whyte, best-selling author and poet, will substitute for recently deceased Irish poet and philosopher John O'Donohue, who died recently while on vacation in France. Whyte, a personal friend of O'Donohue's, will share remembrances of the man he has described as "a love-letter to humanity" during March 1 and March 2 workshops (sessions 4-21 and 8-17).

Cardinal Roger Mahony will conduct his 12th online chat session live, 10 a.m.-noon Feb. 29, at the newly updated and renamed "Congress Technology Innovation Center" located near the center of Hall A. Congress participants passing between between Hall A and the arena Friday through Sunday will be treated to an art exhibit featuring works by the artist Lalo Garcia in the arena lobby.

"Sacred Space," located on the third level of the convention center, will offer Eucharistic adoration in the chapel, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, a labyrinth, meditative music and art. The next phase of the St. John Bible Project --- the first handwritten, hand-illuminated Bible commissioned since the development of the printing press --- will also be displayed at Sacred Space.

For the second year in a row, the Catholic Filmmakers' Showcase will screen documentary, educational and fiction films highlighting the work of Catholic producers and directors from across the country. Coordinated by Jesuit Father Ron Schmidt and John Flaherty, Congress Choir director, the film showcase taking place at in the Hilton's Pacific AB room Feb. 29 and March 1, 8-10:30 p.m., will present films focusing on faith, spirituality and social justice.

Masses at Congress will include 14 liturgies of different character, including Nigerian, Spanish and Vietnamese (with guest homilist Vietnamese Bishop Anton Chuong) as well as contemplative, jazz, black culture, Celtic and young adult. The popular young adult dance, which last year drew 800 participants, will be held at the Marriott, March 1, beginning at 9:30 p.m.

During the day on March 1, an invitation-only special event, "Soy Catequista," will be held for approximately 300 Spanish speakers from around the state. The gathering echoes the 2006 event sponsored by William H. Sadlier in collaboration with diocesan and parish leaders and faculty at the University of Notre Dame.

Special events March 2 will include an 8:30 a.m. morning talk in Spanish by Father José-Román Flecha Andrés from Spain; an 8 a.m. arena liturgy with presider Bishop Tod Brown from the Diocese of Orange; and the closing liturgy led by Cardinal Roger Mahony featuring the 200-plus voice Congress Choir. New this year, Congress participants will be able to fill out their evaluations online at www.RECongress.org/survey.