Catholic evangelization can be described simply as “sharing our joy.” As Pope Francis explains, “. . . It would be wrong to see our evangelization efforts as a heroic individual undertaking, for it is first and foremost the Lord’s work. Jesus is the first and greatest evangelizer. In every activity of evangelization, the primacy always belongs to God, who has called us to cooperate with Him and who leads us on by the power of His Spirit.”
We invite; we welcome; we listen; we embrace, and as the pope explains, we must reach out: “We cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings; we need to move from a pastoral ministry to a decidedly missionary ministry.”
THE MISSION OF ST. MARY’S EVANGELIZATION COMMITTEE:
The Parish Evangelization Committee assists the parish in discovering ways to deepen the faith, share the faith and invite others to the faith. The commission works directly with the pastor, pastoral staff, parish council, parish ministries and committees to ensure that evangelization is the parish priority and is integrated into all areas of parish life. They act as a catalyst for evangelization to happen in the parish. They also assist and enable others to evangelize.
The committee meets monthly, September through June and new members are always welcome. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or contact the Rectory at 630.969.1063.
Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization; indeed, anyone who has truly experienced God’s saving love does not need much time or lengthy training to go out and proclaim that love.—Evangelii Gaudium