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1)
Evangelii Gaudium, #24: “The Church evangelizes and is herself evangelized through the beauty of the liturgy.”
Suggestion: Catechesis for the faithful on the Mass needs to be central to evangelization. There are a number of resources available - A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, Dr. Ted Sri; The Lamb’s Supper, Dr. Scott Hahn; If Your Mind Wanders at Mass, Dr. Thomas Howard; etc. - with which to develop a course or program and/or retreat on the Mass that could be used for catechizing the faithful and drawing them into the beauty and wonder of the liturgy.
The role music plays in no small way can contribute to the beauty and transcendence of the liturgy. St. Paul’s does an incredible job with music ministry – not all parishes can do the same, but all parishes could do better. Perhaps, through the Office of Liturgy, have Bruce Ludwick, Music Minister at St. Paul’s, conduct training sessions for the music ministers at the various parishes so as to raise the musical bar, so to speak, at each parish, even if just a little bit.
2) Evangelii Gaudium, #26: “There are ecclesial structures which can hamper efforts at evangelization, yet even good structures are only helpful when there is a life constantly driving, sustaining, and motivating them.”
Instruction, #5: “...must make a determined missionary decision ‘capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channelled for the evangelization of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation.’”
Instruction, #28: “The various components that make up the Parish are called to communion and unity.”
Instruction, #35: “Pastors, especially parish priests...must resolutely grasp the need for a missionary reform of pastoral action.”
Suggestion: Establish, at the diocesan level, a committee of business people, along with the two Vicar Generals, and anyone else the Bishop deems fit, to review processes and structures within the Chancery and between the Chancery and the parishes. The diocesan organizational chart needs to be reviewed. Do we possibly need some re-evaluation and re-organization of existing structures to increase efficiency, communication, and effectiveness at the Diocesan level? Similar reviews need to be done at each of the parishes.
3) Instruction on The Pastoral Conversion of the Parish Community (Instruction), #12: “...evangelization is the cornerstone of all pastoral action, the demands of which are primary, preeminent, and preferential...the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers.”
Instruction, #39: “Pastors have the task of keeping this dynamic alive, so that the baptized realize that they are protagonists of evangelization.”
Evangelii Gaudium, #28: “In all its activities the parish encourages and trains its members to be evangelizers.”
Evangelii Gaudium, #120 and #121: “…it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients. The new evangelization calls for personal involvement on the part of each of the baptized. Every Christian is challenged, here and now, to be actively engaged in evangelization…We want to have better training…”
Suggestion: I don’t know of a single parish in the Diocese that actually encourages or trains its members to be evangelizers in a purposeful and systematic manner. Start an Evangelization/Apologetics Institute for the Diocese for the purpose of providing training to individuals and to parishes in evangelization.
4) Evangelii Gaudium, #31: “The bishop must always foster this missionary communion in his diocesan Church…above all – allowing the flock to strike out on new paths…In his mission of fostering a dynamic, open and missionary communion, [the Bishop] will have to…listen to everyone and not simply to those who would tell him what he would like to hear.”
Suggestion: Ask for suggestions for evangelization from the faithful, maybe in a One Voice article, or through a letter read at all the Masses. Be open to hearing and considering new ideas, no matter how off the beaten path they may be.
5) Evangelii Gaudium, #33: “I invite everyone to be bold and creative in this task of rethinking the goals, structures, style, and methods of evangelization in their respective communities. “
Evangelii Gaudium, #69: “…sparking new processes for evangelizing culture, even though these will demand long-term planning.”
Evangelii Gaudium, #225: “…evangelization, which calls for attention to the bigger picture, openness to suitable processes, and concern for the long run.”
Suggestion: What is our vision for evangelization? What are our goals, objectives? Where do we want to be in the long run? Or do we simply wander around like Alice? The Office of the New Evangelization could put together a committee to develop these goals and objectives to present to the Bishop for approval and implementation. A vision needs to be communicated not just to Chancery staff, but to all of the faithful in the Diocese.
Lack of Vision » Lack of Strategy » Lack of Goals » Lack of Action
6) Evangelii Gaudium, #48: “But to whom should we go first?…above all, to the poor and the sick…”
Evangelii Gaudium, #200: “…the worst discrimination which the poor suffer is the lack of spiritual care.”
Suggestion: Catholic Social Services and Family Services, are they being evangelical in their mission? Handing out rosaries, rosary pamphlets, Catholic tracts, Saint quotes, Mass times, and so on to all those who come to receive services. Are we praying with our clients at Social Services and Family Services? If not, we need to be. Maybe offer Bible studies for the poor through these ministries. We can’t just be a social services agency, we need to provide for the spiritual along with the material. Are we using the offering of material goods to offer opportunities to bring people closer to Christ in the Eucharist?
7) Evangelii Gaudium, #60: “Today’s economic mechanisms promote inordinate consumption.”
Instruction, #119: “...the importance of sensitizing the faithful is shown, so that they contribute voluntarily to the needs of the Parish, which are ‘their needs,’ for which it is good that they learn spontaneously to take responsibility.”
Suggestion: Promote a culture of tithing at the parish and diocesan levels. Develop and implement a diocesan-wide tithing/stewardship plan.
8) Evangelii Gaudium, #64: “We need to provide an education which teaches critical thinking and encourages the development of mature moral values.”
Suggestion: Based on the answers from JCCHS students to the questionnaire Pope Francis sent out a few years ago, there are holes in our Catholic education regarding at least some moral issues - such as same-sex “marriage,” for example. One way we can begin to close these holes and teach greater critical thinking skills is by introducing apologetics into the schools at an early age, and having apologetics classes, or sections of classes where apologetics is taught, in the high schools. We need to bring in speakers such as Sr. Jane Dominic (Nashville Dominicans), Jason Evert, Paul Darrow, et al – to present to our students on moral issues on a regular basis.
9) Evangelii Gaudium, #70: “It is undeniable that many people feel disillusioned and no longer identify with the Catholic tradition…There is also a certain exodus toward other faith communities.”
Suggestion: Several of the largest Evangelical/Protestant mega-churches in the Diocese have anywhere from 10%, to as high as 50%, of their congregation made up of ex-Catholics. This has caused Catholic families much trauma, grief, stress, and heartache. We need to target these ex-Catholics to bring them back and we need to keep our current Catholics from becoming ex-Catholics. One big step in that direction would be the aforementioned Evangelization/Apologetics Institute. Another step would be a continuation of the Catechism Project started a few years ago - sending a Catechism of the Catholic Church to every non-Catholic pastor in the diocese. This would encourage and embolden Catholics and possibly provide some opportunities for interfaith dialogue. There are approximately 2.8 million souls residing in the Diocese of Birmingham, and only 125,000+ are Catholic. What are we doing to reach out to the other 2.7 million?
10) Evangelii Gaudium, #102: “...a clear awareness of this responsibility of the laity, grounded in their baptism and confirmation, does not appear in the same way in all places. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities. In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making...The formation of the laity and the evangelization of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge.
Suggestion: Again, develop formation/training program through the Office of Lay Ministry and an Apologetics/Evangelization Institute
11) Evangelii Gaudium, #132: “This means an encounter between faith, reason, and the sciences with a view to developing new approaches and arguments on the issue of credibility, a creative apologetics which would encourage greater openness to the Gospel on the part of all.”
Suggestion: We have such apologetics resources. They could be disseminated in various ways – through Engaged Encounters, Cursillo, other apostolates, the schools, and through an Evangelization/Apologetics Institute.
12) Evangelii Gaudium, #’s 135-159: “The Homily.” “Laity and ordained ministers suffer because of homilies – the laity from having to listen and the clergy from having to preach them,” (#135) “The homily cannot be a form of entertainment…the Lord, more than his minister, will be the center of attention,” (#138). “…it should not be used to expound various theological opinions,” (#146). “The spiritual reading of a text must start with its literal sense,” (#152). “…not letting themselves be challenged,” (#155). “Some people…pay no attention to how it should be said, that is, the concrete way of constructing a sermon,” (#156). “We need to ensure, then, that the homily has thematic unity, clear order, and correlation between sentences,” (#158). “How good it is when priests, deacons, and the laity gather periodically to discover resources which can make preaching more attractive!” (#159).
“In survey after survey over the past years, the People of God have called for more powerful and inspiring preaching. A steady diet of tepid or poorly prepared homilies is often cited as a cause for discouragement on the part of laity and even leading some to turn away from the Church,” (USCCB, 2012).
Suggestion: All of the problems the Pope mentions in regard to homilies exist in our diocese. There are precious few priests/deacons in this diocese who can consistently give good homilies that can keep a person’s attention and bring them to a deeper understanding of the faith. Homilies that teach, explain, and challenge and that accomplish the purpose of sacred preaching as stated by Vatican II’s decree on the ministry and life of priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis - “conversion and holiness.”
Have a homiletics training session at least once a year where you bring in excellent speakers to teach the priests/deacons. Give all of the priests/deacons a DVD of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech and ask them to watch it. Find a good book, or books, on preaching and give a copy to each of the priests and deacons. Help them to better understand the purpose and importance of a well-delivered and well thought out homily. This, again, is where the Diocesan Office of Liturgy could be used to great effect.
13) Evangelii Gaudium, #167: “Every form of catechesis would do well to attend to the “way of beauty” (via pulchritudinis). Proclaiming Christ means showing that to believe in and to follow him is not only something right and true, but also something beautiful, capable of filling life with new splendour and profound joy, even in the midst of difficulties. Every expression of true beauty can thus be acknowledged as a path leading to an encounter with the Lord Jesus. This has nothing to do with fostering an aesthetic relativism which would downplay the inseparable bond between truth, goodness and beauty, but rather a renewed esteem for beauty as a means of touching the human heart and enabling the truth and goodness of the Risen Christ to radiate within it.
Suggestion: Use the arts, church architecture, nature itself in the process of evangelization. This would be particularly applicable in the schools and PSR classes at the parishes, but also in evangelizing those who identify themselves as “Nones” - i.e., belonging to no religion.
14) Evangelii Gaudium, #174 and #175: “The Sacred Scriptures are the very source of evangelization…Evangelization demands familiarity with God’s word, which calls for dioceses, parishes, and Catholic associations to provide for a serious, ongoing study of the Bible, while encouraging its prayerful individual and communal reading.”
Instruction, #21: “Perusing the Acts of the Apostles, one realizes the transformative effect of the Word of God, that interior power that brings about the conversion of hearts. The Word is the food that nourishes the Lord’s disciples and makes them witnesses to the Gospel in the various circumstances of life.”
Suggestion: Promote Bible studies at the diocesan and parish levels. Train deacons/laity to lead Bible studies. Provide Bible study resources to the parishes. Office of Lay Ministry; Evangelization/Apologetics Institute.
15) Evangelii Gaudium, #198: “For the Church, the option for the poor is primarily a theological category rather than a cultural, sociological, political, or philosophical one…The new evangelization is an invitation to acknowledge the saving power at work in their lives and to put them at the center of the Church’s pilgrim way.”
Suggestion: Merge the Office of Peace and Justice and Pro-Life Office into a “Life and Justice” Office (or some such similar title) under the Office of the New Evangelization. It makes no sense to keep peace and justice issues, which are pro-life issues, and pro-life issues, which are peace and justice issues, separate one from the other. And they are both vital parts of the new evangelization.
16) Evangelii Gaudium, #204: “…a better distribution of income, the creation of sources of employment, and an integral promotion of the poor which goes beyond a simple welfare mentality.”
Suggestion: Again, promoting tithing. Perhaps develop a job training program. We did this when I worked for the Salesians. Lots of Catholic business owners. Quite often they have intro level job openings. Train people in the trades – brick laying, carpentry, plumbing, etc. Develop a job bank through the Catholic Business and Professional Network.
17) Evangelii Gaudium, #214: “It is also true that we have done little to adequately accompany women in very difficult situations [crisis pregnancies].”
Suggestion: Her Choice Women’s Center is doing amazing work and impacting the lives of thousands of women. Perhaps offer them more support, monetarily and otherwise.
18) Evangelii Gaudium, #227 and #228: “But there is also a third way, and it is the best way to deal with conflict. It is the willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process…In this way it becomes possible to build communion amid disagreement, but this can only be achieved by those great persons who are willing to go beyond the surface of conflict…”
Evangelii Gaudium, #238: “Evangelization also involves the path of dialogue…and dialogue with other believers who are not part of the Catholic Church.
Suggestion: Do not be afraid of “stirring the pot” when it comes to evangelization (see homily on “Paul is a nuisance...” by Pope Francis). Yes, it may result in some conflict, but if it does, we can face it head on and build communion amid disagreement. That conflict will allow us to engage others in dialogue and move beyond the conflict and forge deeper relationships.
19) Evangelii Gaudium, #240: “Based on the principles of subsidiarity…”
Suggestion: We need to encourage teaching and training on the topic of subsidiarity. This is a very important, yet oft overlooked Catholic principle, that can appeal to folks of all religious traditions and of no religious tradition. It will especially appeal to political and economic conservatives, as well as libertarians. We can use this principle as a path through which to introduce others to Catholic teaching – social and doctrinal.
20) Evangelii Gaudium, #244: “The credibility of the Christian message would be much greater if Christians could overcome their divisions and the Church could realize ‘the fullness of catholicity proper to her in those of her children who, though joined to her by baptism, are yet separated from full communion with her.’”
Suggestion: We cannot seek “the fullness of catholicity” with our Protestant/Evangelical brothers and sisters in Christ if we’re not talking to them. The Catechism Project can spur such conversations.
21) Evangelii Gaudium, #251: “What is not helpful is a diplomatic openness which says ‘yes’ to everything in order to avoid problems, for this would be a way of deceiving others and denying them the good which we have been given to share generously with others.”
Evangelii Gaudium, #259: “Spirit-filled evangelizers means evangelizers fearlessly open to the working of the Holy Spirit…The Holy Spirit also grants the courage to proclaim the newness of the Gospel with boldness in every time and place, even when it meets with opposition.”
Instruction, #3: “If something should rightly disturb us and trouble our consciences, it is the fact that so many of our brothers and sisters are living without the strength, light and consolation born of friendship with Jesus Christ, without a community of faith to support them, without meaning and a goal in life. More than by fear of going astray, my hope is that we will be moved by the fear of remaining shut up within structures which give us a false sense of security.”
Suggestion: We need to reach out to all, even if we meet with opposition. We have to be bold. We have to be fearless. If it was easy, we wouldn’t need courage and grace from the Holy Spirit. We have to be bold in our methods. We cannot be afraid of offending others when the truth, by its very nature, offends many. The only way not to offend is to not speak the truth. Are we sharing the good which we have with the 2.7 million non-Catholic Alabamians in our Diocese? Are we doing what we can to bring them to Christ in the Eucharist?
22) Instruction, #63: “Regarding the presence and mission of priests in the Parish community, the common life deserves special mention.”
Suggestion: Would it be possible to buy houses in strategically located areas between 2 or 3 parishes, in Birmingham and Huntsville, in particular, that would allow the priests from different parishes to live together in community as opposed to living at the parishes by themselves?
23) Instruction, #124: “May [Mary] intercede for us so that we can acquire the holy audacity needed to discover new ways to bring the gift of salvation to every man and woman.”
Suggestion: “Holy audacity.” Foster boldness in our people - clergy and laity alike.
Are we the Church Militant, or the Church Milquetoast?