At the conclusion of the Special Assembly for America of the Synod of
Bishops, the Holy Father gave an address on the Memorial of the Virgin
of Guadalupe which began with the citation from Luke’s Gospel of Mary
setting out on a journey after hearing the good news of the Messiah (Lk
1:39).
“The Church is always “journeying”, always on
the move. She is sent and exists to move through time and space,
announcing and testifying the Gospel to the furthest corners of the
earth…[The Great Jubilee of 2000] is certainly a point of arrival; but
even more so, a new point of departure: the Christian community, based
on the model of Mary, is journeying again, driven by the love of Christ,
to undertake the new evangelization of the American continent. It is the
beginning of a new mission.”
At Sacred Heart Parish, we have heard the call to
this mission and undertaken the task. With firm purpose and great hope,
we have launched the Commission for the New Evangelization.
This Commission will involve every aspect of our
faith. We will host a lecture series with speakers already widely
renowned for their work in ‘proclaiming Christ.’ This will lead to
further growth in our faith life with small groups in discussion, study
and prayer, involving topics from the lecture series. Guided by the Holy
Spirit, this should bear the fruit of a deeper understanding of the
Catholic faith, of Sacred Scripture and the source and summit of it all:
Jesus Christ.
“Mary,
Virgin of Guadalupe, Mother of all America, help us to be faithful
promulgators of the great mysteries of God. Help us to teach the truth
which your Son announced and to spread love, which is the first
commandment and first fruit of the Holy Spirit. Help us to confirm our
brothers in the faith. Help us to spread hope in eternal life. Help us
to guard the great spiritual treasures of the members of the people of
God…”
~Pope John Paul II, “A New Evangelization”, address to the Synod of
Bishops for
America, December 12, 1997.
©2006 Sacred Heart Parish, All
Rights Reserved
newevangelization@shclombard.org
