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<\/a>During the Synod on the New Evangelization, I\u2019ve been greatly enjoying the frequent newsy blog posts from Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas<\/a>. His \u201cInside the Synod\u201d reports give us a true look into the important work being undertaken at the outset of the Year of Faith.<\/p>\n Yesterday\u2019s missive<\/a> was no exception. One particular section hit me with great impact:<\/p>\n In our Diocese of Tucson as in so many dioceses, most Catholics are at best Sunday observers. They do not bring their faith into daily and active involvement in proclaiming Christ in their homes, places of work, and in the community. How can we engage them in their responsibility to make their faith central to their lives? How can we get Catholics more engaged in the social mission of the church?<\/p>\n A challenge for the synod fathers is to understand how we might better catechize the people, deepen their knowledge of the faith and their understanding of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. All of us struggle with this challenge. So few people take part in adult faith formation. We have so little time with young people in religious education classes and in our Catholic schools. Can we find more effective ways of communicating the faith, especially with the young?<\/p>\n Cardinal Wuerl reminded us of what we know so well, that \u201cparishes \u2026 are the recognized place where \u2026 the life of the church unfolds.\u201d Archbishop Daniel Pilarczyk wrote a book in which he said the parish is the place where our people live. I see this in our diocese. Some feel their faith is deeply nourished by their parish and some feel their spiritual lives are left barren in their parish. \u00a0If only we could make every parish alive and thriving.<\/p>\n Within the parish, the role of the catechist, the family, the laity and the priest are preeminent. Cardinal Wuerl raised the question whether this is the time to give the catechist an instituted, stable ministry in the church? \u201cHow might the church better support and guide the family in its crucial ministry in their responsibility for the transmission of the faith and human values?\u201d \u201cHow can the church more fully integrate the laity in the organization of the local church?\u201d \u201cHow can the church foster a renewed missionary imperative to the ministry of priests?\u201d How can seminaries form a generation of priests intent on evangelization?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n My reading of this particular report was colored by two recent experiences. The first was my lunch just yesterday with the RCIA director at our parish. Our conversation ranged from how we can get more parishioners out to mid-week faith formation events to my defense of the fact that one\u2019s faith can truly<\/strong><\/em> be fostered and nurtured through online measures (obviously not as a replacement for frequent reception of the Eucharist or participation in a parish community). That\u2019s a topic I\u2019ll take up on another day, but our frustration was echoed rather eloquently by Bishop Kincanis\u2019 report.<\/p>\n The second, and perhaps more compelling thought I had was of my experience last weekend in San Antonio at the Archdiocesan Catholic Formation and Leadership Conference<\/a>. The photo I\u2019ve shared above was taken during our Friday night Speakers\u2019 Dinner with Bishop Oscar Cant\u00fa, S.T.D. At the end of a day full of teaching, worship and networking, we\u2019d come together to enjoy an evening of conversation and friendship. That night, we prayed together, laughed together, shared a great meal, and pondered \u201cwhat\u2019s working\u201d in our own apostolates around the country. When I look now at this photo, I see the Faces of the New Evangelization<\/strong>. Each of us \u2014 in our own unique ways and our own particular mission fields \u2014 are responding to those \u201cHow can we???\u201d<\/em> questions asked by Bishop Kicanas.<\/p>\n Bishop Oscar Cant\u00fa<\/strong><\/a>, pictured in the center of the photo, impressed me beyond measure. With San Antonio\u2019s own Archbishop The Most Reverend Gustavo Garc\u00eda-Siller at the Synod (and sending back daily video messages for his flock on their Facebook page<\/a>), Bishop\u00a0Cant\u00fa presided over the liturgies for the weekend, but also interacted in an incredibly open and personal fashion with all of those in attendance. Clearly beloved by the people he serves, Bishop\u00a0Cant\u00fa also seems to really have his pulse on the work of the New Evangelization.<\/p>\n Let me tell you just a bit about some of the other faces (mine excluded) pictured above. From left to right they are:<\/p>\n While work continues at the Synod and our Holy Father, Cardinal Wuerl and the assembled Synod fathers and auditors continue to grapple with such questions as those listed above, I am thrilled to have met firsthand a committed and diverse group of the faithful who are on the front lines of the New Evangelization. And the great news is that this small cluster represents only a tiny fragment of those of us \u2014 you included \u2014 who cherish our faith and desire to share it with others. The challenges are great, but the potential is phenomenal too.<\/p>\n Today, I invite you to use the comment box to share your nominations for more \u201cFaces of the New Evangelization\u201d. Who would you point to as a wonderful example of someone who\u2019s put faith into action and who\u2019s at work spreading the good news? They can be big names or well kept secrets \u2014 or you can even share with us ways that you<\/strong> are a \u201cface of the New Evangelization\u201d. I hope to take many of your suggestions and do future profiles here on the blog, making \u201cFaces of the New Evangelization\u201d a regular feature here at A Good Measure.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" During the Synod on the New Evangelization, I\u2019ve been greatly enjoying the frequent newsy blog posts from Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas. His \u201cInside the Synod\u201d reports give us a true look into the important work being undertaken at the outset of the Year of Faith. Yesterday\u2019s missive was no exception. One particular section hit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":142,"featured_media":107,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,8],"tags":[25,967,971,13],"class_list":["post-106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-measures","category-new-evangelization","tag-faces-of-the-new-evangelization","tag-new-evangelization","tag-speaking","tag-synod"],"yoast_head":"\n\n