Sharing ideas & Evangelization Workshop

On Nov. 9, the Parish Renewal and Evangelization (PRAE) Committee, Diocese of Worcester, hosted an online workshop, “Help ‘Missing’ Catholics Come Home to Jesus & the Mass.” The guest speaker was Allan F. Wright, an evangelizing Catholic school principal. Following is a short Q&A crafted by John Boucher, a PRAE member, in which Mr. Wright shares ideas about evangelization. 

 

CFP: How did you become  
interested and involved in Catholic evangelization?   

When I first made a commitment to Christ during my senior year of high school, I developed a hunger and thirst for Scripture and then was involved in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, which put flesh on the word “evangelization.” I was involved in “Young Life,” an interdenominational youth outreach to the unchurched, which was the best training for incarnational ministry that I’ve experienced.  

 

CFP: What roles in evangelization and missionary discipleship do you play at this time?  

I am currently a principal of a Catholic school where we pray the rosary as a school each Monday, sing praise and worship songs on Tuesday, have “Witness Wednesday” where people share their encounter with Christ, eucharistic adoration on Thursday and Mass on Friday, so our foundation is rooted in our Catholic Traditions. I see myself as a witness first and foremost and then as a catalyst for the Holy Spirit to operate within the students. I try to set up appointments so the students can be attuned to the voice of Jesus. 

  

CFP: Can you tell us more about yourself? 

I am a husband to a wonderful wife and father of four children, three girls, ages 18, 14 and 12, and a little boy who is 7 years old. A lifelong New Jersey resident, former academic dean for evangelization for the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, an adjunct professor at Seton Hall University, and frequent speaker and presenter in parishes and dioceses. I love old diners and travel.  

  

CFP: How detrimental have pandemic restrictions been to Catholic parishes and schools?   

Any time people are restricted from receiving the Eucharist, the faith will suffer. However, parishes have done remarkably well, in my opinion, in switching to virtual Masses and drive-through confessionals. The nominal Catholic will be further marginalized by lack of personal contact with other Catholics and the sacraments, but I believe that this provides opportunities to share the Gospel in new and innovative ways.  

   

CFP: What will bring back Catholics who stopped going to Mass? 

Short answer, prayer. Longer answer is a prayer which asks God to provide opportunities to share the faith; for God is not so concerned with our ability, but with our availability. The power of personal invitation is key to getting them back. Jesus spent three years with his apostles before he celebrated the Last Supper. Being willing to accompany people on their journey is important. If people “blow off” our invitation we do not dismiss them but continue to love them and witness to them through our care.  

  

CFP: What book are you working on at this time related to daily missionary evangelizing?   

I’m finishing up a Catholic youth Bible for the Catholic Book Publishing Company. It’s a regular Bible but there are 25 or so inserts dealing with the basics of the faith and some issues that teens in particular deal with, such as how to deal with anger, depression, family relationships, sharing the faith and a host of other issues. Each insert has similar headings like, “What does the Scripture say? Why does it matter to me? How can I live this ‘theme’ out and be a better disciple? and How can I encounter God in the midst of these issues?” My hope is that it will answer questions young people have as they relate to the faith and spur them on to share their faith. I also hope they see that the Church is reasonable in their approach to real life issues and that our faith can provide answers to their questions.  

 

CFP: Who are the greatest influencers in your approach to lay evangelization ministry?  

My mind consistently goes to my Young Life leader who reached out to me 40 years ago. His kindness, patience and acceptance of me and his willingness to share, “not only the Gospel, but his very life as well,” continues to impact me. That verbal witness is so needed today in an age where we are told to witness without words. Service is important, but there comes a time when words are necessary. 

 

 

Evangelization grants available 

 

Through the generosity of an anonymous donor, 25 grants of $1,000 each will be available to parishes in the Diocese of Worcester. The grants will fund efforts to invite/invite back people to the practice of the faith, including training, retreats, speakers and outreach. If there are more than 25 requests, Bishop McManus will decide which proposals are funded. 

The grant application can be found at worcesterdiocese.org/evangelization. The deadline to submit an application is Jan. 28. For questions contact Elizabeth Marcil at emarcil@worcesterdiocese.org or call 508-929-4306.

 

Evangelization workouts

BY JOHN J. BOUCHER

With this article we begin a series of “Evangelization Workouts” that Catholics can use for reaching out to inactive Catholic family, friends, and acquaintances. 

The first step is always to move and be moved. Both the person who shares the Good News about Jesus and the one who receives this life-giving message are moved by the Holy Spirit. So “getting in shape” and “keeping fit” for the evangelizing mission of Jesus Christ and the Church means “working out” on a regular basis! 

These exercises can be done by individuals, families, or small groups who want to bring people to deeper faith, and by large groups interested in parish-wide spiritual calisthenics. The goal in any setting is to stretch our capacity to reach out to others with the Good News of Jesus in everyday life.  

 

Who is God for you? 

 

Beginning with a Baylor University Institute for Studies of Religion more than 15 years ago, many of us were surprised to realize that American Catholics seem to have four different preferred images of who God is. Although we cannot change their preferred image(s), we need to understand their thoughts and the story of how they came to believe in them.  
We always try to listen in a non-judgmental way and without giving advice. At some point we might ask, “How is that image working for you?” If someone says, “I don’t believe in God” then we might ask, “Can you tell me about this God that you don’t believe in?” At some point in our conversation, we also hope to share who God is for us and how we came to believe this way. 

 

“Who is God for YOU?”  

Individual Activity (5 min.) 

 

Here are short descriptions of the major images of God that surfaced in the Baylor University study. In silence, reflect on your preferred image of God, the one that usually arises when you pray, study, worship, or speak to others about the Lord. Keep in mind that many of us slide from one image to another quite easily. 

Circle the description of God that is closest to your image. 

 

• Authoritative God: highly involved in personal decision-making and world affairs; responsible for economic problems, earthquakes, tsunamis; sends down punishment to unfaithful people now and in the future. 

 

• Benevolent God: highly involved and active in our daily lives, but not in angry and wrathful ways; positive influence upon, and deeply engaged in, our world. 

 

• Critical God: does not interact directly with the world, but views it and us unfavorably. God’s displeasure with us will be felt in divine justice after we die. 

 

• Distant God: does not “do” things in the world nor hold any opinions about us or world events. God is a cosmic force that set the laws of nature in motion and walked away. 
 

Share with a family member, friend, or in a small parish/ 

neighborhood group  

(3 or 4 people – 10-20 min.)  

 

Each person explains which of these major images is “God for YOU.” Why did you choose that image(s)? 

Next go back over the four images and put the initials of three people from your everyday life next to what you would guess is their primary image of God. 

Share about the similarities and differences that you and one of these people have about the image of God. 

Why is it important to understand what people’s operative image of God is when we try to reach out to share faith, to evangelize, and to invite others to come back to Jesus and the Mass? 
 

People-Homework Challenge 

 

Use this exercise to informally survey other people one-by-one from your everyday life about “Who is God for YOU?” You might begin by asking for help with your homework from The Catholic Free Press. 

 

– John J. Boucher is a frequent contributor to The Catholic Free Press and a member of the Parish Renewal and Evangelization Committee of the Diocese of Worcester.