New Evangelization is integral part of the Year of Faith

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WASHINGTON D.C. (USCCB) — In his last words to the apostles, Jesus gave them a mission:

"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you." (Mt 28:19-20)

Thus, the teaching mission of the Church comes from Christ himself. The responsibility for fulfilling that mandate passes on unchanged to the bishops and to all Catholics.

Within each Catholic diocese, the diocesan bishop is its principal teacher. He is assisted by clergy, religious, and lay men and women who serve as educators and catechists in Catholic institutions, including elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities, seminaries and parishes.

Catechesis is the act of handing on the Word of God intended to inform the faith community and candidates for initiation into the Church about the teachings of Christ transmitted by the Apostles. It also involves the lifelong effort of forming people into witnesses to Christ and opening their hearts to the spiritual transformation given by the Holy Spirit.

The teaching authority of the Catholic Church, called the Magisterium, lies with all of the bishops who are led by the pope and guided by the Holy Spirit. The pope and bishops are the authoritative teachers in the Church. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ website offers much information about many forms of Catholic teaching.

What is the New Evangelization?

The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel. The focus of the New Evangelization calls all Catholics to be evangelized and then go forth to evangelize. In a special way, the New Evangelization is focused on ‘re-proposing’ the Gospel to those who have experienced a crisis of faith. Pope Benedict XVI called for the re-proposing of the Gospel "to those regions awaiting the first evangelization and to those regions where the roots of Christianity are deep but who have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to secularization."(Pope Benedict XVI, "Homily of First Vespers on the Solemnity of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul," The Vatican, http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/homilies/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_hom_20100628_vespri-pietro-paolo_en.html.

The New Evangelization invites each Catholic to renew their relationship with Jesus Christ and his Church.

Why do we need the New Evangelization?

The New Evangelization offers hope. Jesus grants all people rest and comfort from the world’s burdens (Mt. 11:28) by offering us the hope of salvation and eternal life. Through the "re-proposing" of the Gospel, the Church seeks to comfort all those who are burdened. The New Evangelization offers the gifts of faith, hope, love and new life in Christ.

The New Evangelization in the United States

The Church in the United States can be likened to the mustard seed. The Church has been present in the Americas since the first missionaries arrived in the 15th Century. Over the past five centuries, the Church’s foundation has sprung up and taken root in the U.S., spreading her branches and offering shade to the weary. This can be seen simply by looking at the work of Catholic Charities on behalf of the poor, the network of Catholic schools offering education to millions, and the commitment of U.S. Catholics to the Church’s social justice teachings. However, there is still work to do.

The 2008 Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate study "Sacraments Today: Belief and Practice Among U.S. Catholics. . . ," provides a glimpse into the beliefs, practices and attitudes of U.S. Catholics. According to the study, only 23 percent of U.S. Catholics regularly attend Mass once a week, while 77 percent self-identify as proud to be Catholic. These statistics point to the need for the New Evangelization.

The seed of the Church is present, but the message of Jesus Christ needs to be re-sown and watered for those who have already heard Christ’s call, but who have not been fully evangelized or catechized. Truly, the seed of Christ’s message has taken root and yielded much fruit in past seasons. In the spirit of the New Evangelization, it is our hope that the resources on this page will yield even greater harvests for Christ in the future so that all people can dwell in the shade.

To learn more about the New Evangelization, please explore these resources:

Pope Benedict XVI and the New Evangelization:

Announcement of the Year of Faith Oct. 11, 2012 – Nov. 24, 2013: Porta Fidei (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/motu_proprio/documents/hf_ben-xvi_motu-proprio_20111011_porta-fidei_en.html)

Migration and the New Evangelization: Message for the 2012 World Day of Migrants and Refugees (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/migration/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20110921_world-migrants-day_en.html)

Family Life and the New Evangelization: Address to the Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family (http://en.radiovaticana.va/articolo.asp?c=542493)

Pontifical Council For Promoting The New Evangelization: Address To Participants in The Plenary Assembly Of The Pontifical Council For Promoting The New Evangelization (http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/speeches/2011/may/documents/hf_ben-xvi_spe_20110530_nuova-evangelizzazione_en.html)

USCCB:

Advent and Christmas Resources (www.usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/liturgical-resources/advent/index.cfm)

Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States (www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/evangelization/go-and-make-disciples/go-and-make-disciples-a-national-plan-and-strategy-for-catholic-evangelization-in-the-united-states.cfm)

The Intellectual Tasks of the New Evangelization (www.usccb.org/about/doctrine/intellectual-tasks/index.cfm)

United States Catholic Catechism for Adults (www.usccbpublishing.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=1182)

Diocesan Resources:

Archdiocese of San Antonio – Office of Evangelization (www.archsa.org/Evangelization/)

Archdiocese of Washington – Living the New Evangelization (http://site.adw.org/archdiocese-of-washington-living-the-new-evangelization)

(Source: http://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/how-we-teach/new-evangelization/index.cfm)