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| “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; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” Matthew 28: 19-20 |
MADISON — The Diocese of Madison, under the leadership of Bishop Donald J. Hying, is launching a bold new initiative called “Go Make Disciples” in order to renew our commitment to the mission of evangelization.
One part of this initiative includes the addition of two new regular pages in the Catholic Herald, one dedicated to evangelization and another to catechesis (see Pages 10 and 11).
Go make disciples
The last words Jesus spoke to his apostles before leaving this earth to ascend into heaven were to go out into the whole world and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).
And since Pentecost Sunday in the year A.D. 30 or 33, that’s what the apostles and their successors have been doing throughout the ages. As modern-day followers of Jesus Christ, the same mission is entrusted to us.
As we approach the 75th Anniversary of the establishment of the Diocese of Madison, which we will celebrate in 2021, Bishop Hying is calling all of us in this beautiful diocese to answer that call in a new and deeper way by re-committing ourselves to the life-giving mission of evangelization, that is, to proclaim — by our words and by the testimony of our lives — the reality and the love of Jesus Christ and the gift of salvation offered to us through faith in Him.
Four phases
As Bishop Hying mentioned in his column last week, the plan is to roll out a new wave of evangelistic zeal in four phases. Phase One is officially underway as of May 31 (Pentecost), with a focus on the deeper formation of our priests and lay leadership at every parish.
Phase Two begins this coming Advent with a focus on the deeper formation of all active Catholics.
Next Pentecost, 2021, initiates Phase Three, in which each parish will work on drawing up their own individualized plans for reaching out to the broader community in their own area.
The implementation of those evangelization plans will launch us into Phase Four, which will last from Advent 2021 until the whole world is Catholic or until our Lord Jesus returns to earth, whichever comes first!
Focus in Catholic Herald
The Catholic Herald will be participating in this renewed emphasis on evangelization by the introduction of two new regular features. In every issue from now on you will find a whole page dedicated to evangelization and another page dedicated to catechesis.
On the evangelization page, you will find conversion stories and testimonies from people whose lives have been transformed by the Gospel, success stories of local evangelization efforts from parishes around the Diocese of Madison, inspiring stories of the saints, reviews of books and other resources about evangelization, and much more!
The catechesis page will break open the U.S. Catholic Catechism for Adults (www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catechism/us-catholic-catechism-for-adults/index.cfm) one chapter at a time.
In today’s issue, you will find a reflection on the human quest for God, which is so eloquently expressed in Psalm 42: As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.
John Joy, STL, is marriage and family coordinator for the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis, Diocese of Madison.