The National Catholic Register recently interviewed Tim Busch, founder of the Napa Institute:
suspect you were already active in your faith before you read Archbishop Chaput’s article. Was there ever a time when your faith played a less significant role in your life — and, if so, what was the turning point for you?
Well, I’ve always been committed to the faith. I was a cradle Catholic, and I started attending daily Mass in third or fourth grade — continuing through college to go occasionally during the week. I returned to daily Mass when I became involved in Legatus, and Legatus became the next critical step of formation for me. I’ve been involved for about 21 years now.
The idea of the Napa Institute hit me like a ton of bricks while I was vacationing in Hawaii. I felt there needed to be an intellectual Catholic apologetics conference on the West Coast. Archbishop Chaput’s article came as both an encouragement and a nucleus of thought that inspired some of the content of the conference.
Did you then further develop the conference idea with Archbishop Chaput?
Yes, and he also came up with the tagline: “Equipping Catholics in the ‘Next America.’” I also spoke to Mark Brumley, the president of Ignatius Press, about bringing a conference to Napa, where he lives. I started writing and creating this conference in August of 2010 — and we were blessed to hold our first conference at the end of July 2011.
Busch, who operates a vineyard and other businesses, was asked about how to integrate faith and business life:
Now, I’m assuming you have non-Catholic people who work for you. Do you invite them to Mass and to other religious activities — or do you feel like the presence of these things is the invitation?
The presence is the invitation. Often, when we have a Mass in the chapel for a mother or father who is sick or recently deceased, Catholics and non-Catholics both attend out of respect for their fellow employee.
The Holy Spirit does a much better job of inviting than we can, so all we need to do is celebrate our faith, and people will respond. People regularly comment to me, “Your courage in commitment to your faith has changed my life” — and I’m not even saying anything! They want the faith, and the Holy Spirit inspires the faith. Each of us, especially people like your readers, have the opportunity to push it up a notch. Don’t be afraid. It’s not going to be a negative. People aren’t going to think you’re silly. People will respect you.
Read the entire interview.
The 2012 Napa Institute Conference will be held July 26 – 29, 2012 at the Meritage Resort & Spa in Napa, California. Speakers will include Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (Archbishop of Philadelphia), Fr. Robert Barron (founder of Word On Fire Catholic Ministries), and Peter Kreeft (Catholic philosopher and apologist). Other speakers and presenters include Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Bishop Robert Morlino, Dr. Tim Gray, Hugh Hewitt, Frank J. Hanna III, Fr. Joseph Fessio, Rev. Norbert Wood, O.Praem, and Elizabeth Yore.
The Conference is being sponsored this year by FOCUS, Fellowship of Catholic University Students. A PDF of the event's brochure can be downloaded from this page on the Napa Institute website.
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