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Evangelization, Ecumenism, Inter-Faith-and the Kingdom |
By Frank DeSiano, CSP
“Evangelization and ecumenism are contradictory directions,” a bishop said to me when our committee was in the process of preparing “Go and Make Disciples” in 1991-1992. I was totally shocked by this, coming as it did from a bishop. Yet it’s a common error to find these directions contradictory. Evangelization seeks to make Catholics, ecumenism other seeks to dialogue. Aren’t they different? (St. Pope John Paul II didn’t think so in his encyclical “Ut Unum Sint.”) On top of this, since his election Pope Francis has made frequent invectives about proselytism, most recently in his remarks to Pentecostals. Is there a way to sort this out, given the demand to share faith, but the need to respect the faith of others-and the work of the Holy Spirit. |
Last month we published an article about a beer tasting event in Grand Rapids hosted by Paulist Seminarian Michael Hennessey. (To read the article click here.) We talked to Michael about his experiences hosting the event:
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By Emily Smith, PEM Marketing and Communications Associate Last week was the second class of the initiative: From Practicing Catholics to Apostles on Mission. The initiative was created by the Catholic Apostolate Center in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Washington’s Office of Young Adult Ministry The initiative’s main goals are to “assist young adults in recognizing the call to be active in their faith, discern how God is calling each person to use their unique talents and gifts, and support young adults in putting their talents and gifts into practice by creating a new evangelization start-up (apostolate), to do something new for God.” The first half of the program focuses on “Formation for the New Evangelization” through both online and on-site lectures and discussions. During the second half of the class, participants will form their own “Evangelization Start-Ups” to take the knowledge gained in the first half and apply it in a practical output. I first heard about this program through the DC Catholic email for Young Adults and was immediately interested in signing up! As someone working in evangelization, this program seems like it will be a great way to learn more about practical evangelization and young adult ministry. I also am very interested in how we can help form lay Catholics to see themselves as disciples of Christ in today’s world. Check back each month for updates on the program! |
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Fans who stream into the Navy Yard district before Nats games are now greeted with increasingly varied entertainment choices…On Sunday afternoons this summer, they’ve had another option: a Catholic church service. Or, as the local St. Vincent de Paul church calls it, “Nats Mass.” “For me, it was kind of a no-brainer,” said Rev. Andrew Royals, 34, a Montgomery County native who became the pastor at the South Capitol Street church about two years ago. “On game days we had thousands of people walking right in front of our church. I was like, ‘Well, I’m sure some of these people would like to go to church.’…And we thought there’s no reason people can’t do both.” The pastor at St. Vincent de Paul saw a unique opportunity for his parish to evangelize. Are there needs in our community like this one? Are there people who we can reach out to in an exciting way? |
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![]() The survey from Pew research on values that various groups believe they should teach their children is modestly helpful, if somewhat hard to nail down. “Conservatives” includes, of course, many Evangelical Protestants which shifts the numbers; “Liberals,” on the other hand, includes a whole bunch of folks who are not involved in church at all, which skew the numbers in another direction. I would think for Catholics, however, teaching both religious faith and tolerance would be an ideal, rather than the “either/or” posed by the survey. Near the end of the graphs we see how different religious groups feel about teaching different values. Notably, only 25% of Catholics put “religious faith” as the most important value to pass on to their children-quite below the percentage of Evangelicals. This research only reinforces the need for putting the evangelization of families near the top of our agenda. It’s a bit consoling, I’m sure, that all groups agree on being responsible and hard work as core values. If only we can have these applied to religious practice among our Catholic people! Click here to read the full report. F. DeSiano |
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Check out our new video: The Santa Fe Experience! Watch to see the impact Living the Eucharist is having in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe. Listen to testimony from Archbishop Michael Sheehan, diocesan staff, group leaders, and participants about how this ministry changes lives through personal encounters with Jesus Christ.
Click the picture below to view the video:
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