Catholic Evangelization Solutions 
May 2003
Dear Friend,
In stores, in schools, fly-fishing in creeks, on planes, in churches and bars, people are asking questions about life. Something has changed in the spiritual climate and the issue for you and me should be, who will answer their questions?
Catholics frequently say that to live a good life is all that is necessary to witness to their faith – not according to the Church.
Pope Paul VI tells us in Evangelization in the Modern World that “The Good News proclaimed by witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life.” (EN, 22) He further states “In the long run, is there any other way of handing on the Gospel than by transmitting to another person one’s personal experience of faith?” (EN, 46)
This month we will present a new course, Witness + Word, sharing God’s story your way. Witness + Word provides practical training to help Catholics learn how to talk about their faith. When we take time to reflect prayerfully on our lives, most of us find that we have encountered the love and mercy of God in numerous events. These ‘faith stories’ are the basis for sharing about the love God has for all people. Reflecting on God’s activity in our lives is an important part of being prepared to communicate the love of Jesus Christ with others with words and example.
"How can they believe unless they have heard of him? And how can they hear unless someone preaches to them?" Romans10:14
Please pray that Witness + Word will empower many Catholics to communicate their faith effectively!
Let’s be ready and willing to share with others!
Dave Nodar
Upcoming Events
Please join us in praying for the fruitfulness of these events.
Consider Joining us!
• May 6-June 24 Witness + Word, Personal Evangelism Training Course, ChristLife Center for Evangelization
• May 16,17 Building Evangelizing Eucharistic Communities Seminar,Utica, New York
• June 5,6 New Jersey Alpha Conference, Catholic Seminar
• July 9-12 North American Institute for Catholic Evangelization, Portland, Oregon
Please Pray...
X For all those who have never encountered the love of God through Christ
X For more Catholics to be empowered to witness to their faith.
X For Witness + Word evangelization training
X For funding needed to reproduce Life in Christ video series, Raniero Cantalamessa, OFM Cap.
Alpha in the Diocese of Venice Florida
Originally published in the Florida Catholic, by Heather Felton
They are Christians from all different backgrounds. Some are regular churchgoers; some have been away from the church for years. Some grew up in the Catholic faith; others are not yet Catholic but want to convert. Despite their differences, they all have something in common; unanswered questions about their faith.
At St. Peter the Apostle Parish, Naples, 85 men and women have come together to find the answers. They are all participating in a new program called Alpha for Catholics. “They’re looking for answers,” said Clayre Carriere, stewardship coordinator for St. Peter the Apostle Parish. “They want to know what they believe. They’re not sure what they believe.”
Alpha is a basic introductory course to the Christian faith for non-churchgoers, inactive and new Christians, as well as faithful parishioners. It is designed to bring the Gospel of Christ to people from all walks of life in a clear and non-threatening way, to help lead people to a personal relationship with Jesus within the context of the parish and is ecumenical in that it covers the basic Christian truths shared by all traditions.
“This is living out the fullness of confirmation,” Carriere said. “It’s getting in touch with God. It’s developing a personal relationship with Jesus. A personal relationship is the bottom line.”
In November 2002, Christlife presented a two-day Alpha Conference in Orlando, said Terry and Mimi Reilly, the co-directors of the diocesan Pastoral Ministries Department. The conference was attended by representatives from several parishes in the Venice Diocese. Both of the Reilly's said they were very impressed with the program and what it could do for the Catholic Church. “What happens when you have experienced this is you get so inspired, you are on fire,” Mimi Reilly said. “We believe that this parish-based Alpha Course will renew the faith of inactive or lapsed Catholics, bring the unchurched to the Lord and could renew the faith of active Catholics,” the Reilly's said.
The participants at St. Peter the Apostle Parish are about half way through the course and will go on their retreat this weekend, Carriere said. No one has dropped out and everyone is learning a lot. There were so many interested in the program, she said, the parish has two sessions – morning and evening. “They love it,” Carrier said. “They’re learning things they never knew. It’s answering questions they’ve had for years and years.” After two weeks in the course, Carriere said participants were going home to tell friends and family that they need to take it. One participant, a 55 year old woman, told her that this was what she had been looking for. Another woman in her 30s was crying and saying that she really wanted her husband to join the course. “They’re very excited because they are learning so much. They can’t wait to come back,” she said. “They’re thirsty for it.”
The Reilly's said they were overwhelmed by the response. “What is happening at St. Peter’s Church is more than we ever could have imagined,” Terry Reilly said. “We didn’t realize so many people would want to come to it,” Mimi Reilly added. “That’s what is so important. It’s all new people that are coming to these things.”
Pat Macaulay, a parishioner of St. Martha Parish, also attended the Orlando Conference. Before he went, he said he had no idea what Alpha was.“Alpha was just ‘alpha’ – the first letter of the Greek alphabet,” he said. But afterward, he said he was pleasantly surprised and was excited about what he learned. “I think it’s a terrific program,” he said. “I can’t talk enough about it.” In 1990, he said, Pope John Paul II wrote “Redemptoris Missio” calling for Catholics to evangelize the faith . “Our mission in the Church is to evangelize,” Macaulay said, “we just don’t know how. We feel sort of uncomfortable walking up to someone, saying ‘hey, you want to talk about God?’” Carriere expressed similar thoughts. “Catholics need to learn to evangelize effectively,” she said. “Alpha makes it easy for Catholics.” Through the Alpha Course, Catholics can spread their faith in a non-threatening environment. The format is relaxed, with the meal, video presentations and group discussions.
Now Macaulay is planning to launch an Alpha Course at St. Martha Parish.“What is in it for us is to help capture the soul we have just turned on to Christ and say ‘come be a Catholic,’” he said. As a result, it is an excellent feeder for Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) – the program for adult conversion to Catholicism. “I’m really enthusiastic about it,” he said, “but I’m also sort of saddened about not being able to do anything about it for a while.”
In the meantime, Macaulay said he is going to present the information on the course to the various groups and organizations at the parish in the hopes of recruiting volunteers to serve on their first Alpha course.
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Who We Are
ChristLife: Catholic Evangelization Solutions is an apostolate of the Archdiocese of Baltimore that is responding to Jesus' call to, "Go and make disciples of all nations," and to the Church's call to a new evangelization
"It appears that there are only a few Catholic ministries actually developing the means for Catholics to respond to the urgent call for a new evangelization and mission to the nations, and so I am especially grateful for this service."
William Cardinal Keeler
Archbishop of Baltimore
What We Do
ChristLife provides vision, training, and resources needed for dioceses, parishes and ministries to do the work of evangelization. We also sponsor leaders forums so that through association we are all better able to respond to the call to a new evangelization and mission to the nations.
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