Direct Evangelization at Gateway Moments

Blessed John Paul II spoke of the New Evangelization as “new in ardor, methods and expression.” The goal of Disciples in Mission is to build the parishes of the Archdiocese into centers of the New Evangelization.

Therefore, part of the action of building such centers will be to embrace the work of evangelization and catechesis with a new ardor – a new passion – that flows from our ongoing conversion as disciples of Jesus Christ.

We will need to scrutinize the strategies we are currently employing (or not employing) in order to embrace new methods that help us to engage those Catholics who are currently attending Mass each week but have not been evangelized and to offer outreach to baptized Catholics who are not with us regularly.

Additionally, we must form disciples who have the gifts, experience and training that assist them in expressing the beauty, truth and goodness of the Catholic faith to an increasingly secular society.

On February 5 the Office of the Episcopal Vicar for the New Evangelization sponsored a presentation entitled: Direct Evangelization at Gateway Moments: A Proposal. Our speaker was Don Smith.

Though raised in a Catholic family, Don fell away from his faith in his teen years. After a powerful conversion experience in a Protestant setting in college, he and his wife, Hollis felt called to ministry. After completing their training and doing short mission stints in Puerto Rico and Mexico, Don pastored a non-denominational church for ten years before accepting the chaplaincy at a residential facility for at-risk teens where he served for nine years. Through the witness of faithful Catholics, Don and Hollis were drawn back to the Church and “reverted” in 2005. He is now the Director of Faith Formation at Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, Maine. Don will be featured on EWTN’s “The Journey Home” on Monday, March 4 at 8p.m.

Don’s presentation offers a proposal regarding how a parish community can engage or re-engage those who present themselves to the Church at gateway moments – specifically preparation for the Sacraments of Marriage, Baptism, First Eucharist and Confirmation.

Don can be contacted at [email protected].