Pastor’s Page – “Go out to all the world and tell the Good News” Part 1

Our fundamental mission as Catholics is to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to
the world. We who have come to know the truth about God’s self revelation in sending His
Son have the responsibility of making Christ known by word and action.

Most of us are comfortable with a ‘passive evangelizing’ thinking that our love for one
another and for others will draw people to Jesus. While this is true to some extent, the
fastest growing Christian churches globally are the ‘active evangelizers’ which involves not
only the witness of love but a direct appeal, invitation, and engagement of the non-Christian
and the lukewarm Christian.

Despite being buttressed by the immigration of Hispanic Catholics, United States Catholic population growth, now at 67 million, increased less last year than the Mormons or the Assemblies of God; both active evangelical communions. According to Pew research, another 30 million baptized Catholics no longer identify themselves as Catholic. They have simply disappeared from church life!

One formerly Protestant man I know completed the RCIA journey to full communion and the Eucharist, and became a Catholic after many years of worshipping in the Catholic Church with his Catholic wife and family. Why? Someone finally asked him! Reluctance to ask is likely the result of Catholics taking a low profile in what was for Catholic immigrants in many years past, a hostile Protestant environment. But that prejudice is mostly gone, thank the Lord! So why the hesitation about asking?

Next Week: Part Two

Peace,
Father Bruce