Evangelization Articles

April 2012

Bob Valiente writes "The centrality of the work of evangelization, proclamation and transmission needs to be clearly stated in our Churches, Its priority in the activities of individual communities also needs to be reassessed so as to consolidate energy and forces in the shared project of a "new evangelization"." He shares some points from the Lineamenta.

From the preface:

1.The gift of the Holy Spirit, abundantly poured out by Jesus Christ, was the beginning of the Church which is missionary by nature.

2. "Among the affairs of the general concern, should give special consideration to missionary activity, which is the greatest and holiest task of the Church." (Ad gentes.)29 3. The New Evangelization is primarily addressed to those who have drifted from the Church in traditionally Christian countries.

From the Introduction:

1. Ever since the Second Vatican Council, the new evangelization has increasingly presented itself as an appropriate tool in addressing the challenges of a rapidly-changing world.

2. Paul VI, "people can gain salvation in other ways besides our preaching the Gospel to them; but as for us, can we gain salvation, if through negligence, fear, shame, what Saint Paul called shrinking from the Gospel - or as a result of false ideas, we fail to preach it?"

3. As an evangelizer, the Church begins by evangelizing herself.

4.  Proclamation first requires moments of listening, understanding and interpretation.

5. In a word, the situation is requiring the Church to consider, in an entirely new way, how she proclaims and transmits the faith.

From Chapter 1.  TIME FOR A "NEW EVANGELIZATION"

1.  A commitment not of re-evangelization, but rather of new evangelization; new in  its ardour, methods and expressions.

2.  The new evangelization is primarily a spiritual activity capable of recapturing in our times the courage and forcefulness of the first Christians and the first missionaries.  Consequently,it requires, first of all, a process of discerning the vitality of Christianity and a reconsideration of its accomplishments and the difficulties it has encountered...in facing these challenges, the Church does not give up or retreat into herself; instead, she undertakes a project to revitalize herself.  She makes the Person of Jesus Christ and a personal encounter with him central to her thinking, knowing that he will give his Spirit and provide the force to announce and proclaim the Gospel in new ways which can speak to today's cultures.

3. The means of social communications, which, while today providing great possibilities for the Church, also represents on of her greatest challenges.

4. The Church must not fail to be seen as a "Domestic Church" and "The People of God."

5.  According to Pope John Paul II, the "new evangelization" means to remake the Christian fabric of human society and the fabric of Christian communities themselves. and to assist the Church to continue to be present "in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters" so as to animate their lives and guide them to the Kingdom to come.

PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

1.  A personal encounter and communion with Christ, the goal of transmitting the faith.

2. Concern for young people calls for courage and clarity in the message we proclaim ...young people need witnesses and teachers who can walk with them, teaching them to love the Gospel and to share it.

3. It is not a matter of preaching a word of consolation, but rather a Word which disrupts, which calls to conversion and which opens the way to any encounter with the one through whom a new humanity flows.

4.  As Christians, we are to learn an new manner of responding in "gentleness and reverence and a clear conscience" (1 Pt. 3:15,16) with the gentle strength which comes from union with Christ in the Spirit and with the conviction that our goal is a personal encounter with God the Father in his Kingdom.

Chapter III  INITIATION INTO THE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE 1.  We can easily see that initiation in the faith is an essential part of the task of evangelizing.

2.  The programs of catechesis and introduction in the faith might benefit from putting greater emphasis on the proclamation of the gospel.

3.  "Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses." (Pope Paul VI)...there is no escaping the fact that people's lives give force to their efforts at evangelization.

4.  The centrality of the work of evangelization, proclamation and transmission needs to be clearly stated in our Churches,  Its priority in the activities of individual communities also needs to be reassessed so as to consolidate energy and forces in the shared project of a "new evangelization".

January 2012

Irish Missionary to Speak at Conference

The 45th Anniversary Conference in Philadelphia, June 1-3 will bring together several streams of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to hear Fr. James Kelly, an Irish missionary ministering in Venezuela for most of the 34 years of his priesthood. Fr. Kelly was ordained to the priesthood in 1977 in the Congregation of the Sacred Heart whose motto is “May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be loved everywhere.”

Fr. Kelly has been active in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal for many years and serves as an Advisor to the Renewal in Maracaibo, Venezuela. He is the Vice-Advisor to the Renewal on the national level in Venezuela. He is gifted in the area of healing and deliverance prayer.

Fr. Kelly began his missionary work in the city of Maracaibo and then became the founder of an evangelization center called Mary at Pentecost. He is a Lumen television and radio producer. The radio station transmits 24/7 365 days of the year through much of Western and Central Venezuela. Among the most listened to programs is “Jesus doctor without equal.” His mission is to bring peace to all patients both in body and spirit through a personal encounter with Jesus the doctor.

Another project executed by Fr. Kelly is Casa Hogar Jardín de Belén (House Home Garden of Bethlehem) where abandoned children and adolescents are cared for.

In addition to his local and national ministry, Fr. Kelly travels internationally to bring God’s word throughout Latin America and the United States.

Fr. Kelly will speak Saturday evening at the Conference and lead a time of Healing Prayer. He will also speak in the Spanish and English Tracks.

For more information about Fr. Kelly visit his website http://www.lumenvenezuela.com.ve (in Spanish) or search for him on Facebook as Padre Jaime Kelly. For more information on the Irish Provence of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart visit http://www.mscireland.com.

For more information on the 45th Anniversary Conference click here.

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December 2011

Praise Rally

Ignites Fire in Harrisburg

The National Service Committee team of Jim Archer, Caroline Gambale-Dirkes and Walter Matthews, joined by Diocesan Liaison Fr. Frank Karwacki led a powerful Praise and Teaching Rally at the Annual Diocesan Day of Renewal in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania September 17. Yvonne Staub one of the attendees serving on the Music Ministry wrote on Facebook, “This was the best Day of Renewal in Harrisburg. So many people were touched.”

The theme of the NSC’s Praise and Teaching Rallies is “Jesus Lives! Pour Out Your Spirit Anew!” Talks focused on Holiness (Jim), Prayer (Fr. Karwacki), Living Communion (Walter), and Proclamation (Caroline). Bob and Linda Metz of the Diocesan Renewal shared a powerful witness.

In his talk on Holiness Jim shared about our being seized by God’s affection and that we are “chosen, blessed, broken, given.”

Fr. Karwacki led us in the Celebration of Holy Mass and in his homily shared challenging on the Parable of the Seed: the story ground are those who take the word for granted because of familiarity, and shallow ground is attracted to warm fuzzies. In his talk on Prayer Fr. Karwacki share about the complexity of the universe and that the God who created it desires us to know Him and to show up in prayer. He spoke of the need for perseverance.

In her closing talk on Proclamation, Caroline called us to boldness and the willingness to take risks. The people are ready what stops us is fear. She asked, do we have the fire in us?

In feedback afterwards one attendee wrote, “I came feeling dry and I left like a wet sponge filled with God’s love and urgency to spread his love and his mission.” Another wrote, “I experienced a reawakening and a direction to follow Jesus more closely through the scriptures.” A third, “WOW!! What a wonderful day of praise and teaching. I experienced God’s Presence in so many ways-the National Service Team speakers were wonderful and yet so down to earth, the praise was so uplifting and it is always such a blessing to be with brothers and sisters who have been freed by the power of the Holy Spirit to enter into worship and who share their Faith.”

For more information on NSC Outreach Events click here and to bring an NSC Team to your Diocese call 800-338-2445 or write us at chariscenter@nsc-chariscenter.org. Put Outreach Event in the Subject line.