He said the way to combat this is to show people the beauty of the Catholic Church in its cathedrals and music, the good works of its people and its great intellectual tradition.

The bishop told the delegates who filled the hall for the final session that those who have heard him over the years know how much he hates "dumbed-down Catholicism."

"We need to pick up our game intellectually if we are going to evangelize effectively today," he said, adding that when religion isn't expressed in a smart way people fall away because "superficial Catholicism is not enough to sustain people."

Another speaker, Patrick Lencioni, an author and management consultant, gave the delegates plenty of practical information to take home with them stemming from business models that also can be applied to parishes and dioceses.

He told the delegates that the great ideas they bring home with them from the convocation will only succeed if they are working together with their church, diocesan or ministry groups.

He also said if they don't have holiness or inner peace, "all your efforts to change the world won't work."

The business consultant, who co-founded the apostolate Amazing Parish, also told delegates that they had to be willing to face conflicts and challenges. He urged them to hold others in ministry accountable to do their best work, just as one would of a business employee.

And Bishop Richard J. Malone of Buffalo, New York, similarly urged the group to move forward but not in a rushed way. "Let's take a long view of our work, ourselves, our mission," he said.

He also urged the convocation delegates to remember they are not required to go forth and do the work of spreading the Gospel message alone.

"We're not lone rangers," he said. "We are part of a community. We are there to support each other."

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Follow Zimmermann on Twitter: @carolzim.