A response to the Church's call
We believe we represent a response to the Church’s
call to spread the “Good News” issued through Vatican
II (Ad Gentes) and Pope Paul VI’s document "Evangelii
Nuntiandi" (Evangelisation in the Modern World).
In the same way we hope we are also answering Pope John Paul II's call to evangelise in his Encyclical "Redemptoris Missio" (The Mission of the Redeemer).
Mission work has always been central to the Catholic Church but we in Ireland sometimes saw our responsibilities in terms of overseas activities. Quite rightly, we poured money, resources and personnel into these "Mission Fields". However, it could now quite reasonably be said that we ourselves are in need of re-evangelisation.
Our hope therefore, is that every day we are conscious of our privilege and duty to announce Jesus Christ to all people, by what we say, what we do, the lives we lead and even the kind of people we are.
In the same way we hope we are also answering Pope John Paul II's call to evangelise in his Encyclical "Redemptoris Missio" (The Mission of the Redeemer).
Mission work has always been central to the Catholic Church but we in Ireland sometimes saw our responsibilities in terms of overseas activities. Quite rightly, we poured money, resources and personnel into these "Mission Fields". However, it could now quite reasonably be said that we ourselves are in need of re-evangelisation.
Our hope therefore, is that every day we are conscious of our privilege and duty to announce Jesus Christ to all people, by what we say, what we do, the lives we lead and even the kind of people we are.
Is it Catholic to evangelise?
The word at the heart of this vision of the Church,
"evangelisation," has often been misunderstood. Not
so long ago, it was not considered a Catholic word,
and had overtones of fundamentalism.
We Catholics were more at home with "convert." Now though we can see that we are not merely converting someone to the Church but primarily bringing them into a relationship with Jesus.
Indeed, the word "evangelisation" simply means to announce the Good News - of Jesus. This is achieved through a way of life that is surrendered to God so that once a person has accepted the message of the Good News it cannot be contained within, but it must overflow to all those around them.
We Catholics were more at home with "convert." Now though we can see that we are not merely converting someone to the Church but primarily bringing them into a relationship with Jesus.
Indeed, the word "evangelisation" simply means to announce the Good News - of Jesus. This is achieved through a way of life that is surrendered to God so that once a person has accepted the message of the Good News it cannot be contained within, but it must overflow to all those around them.
