February 15, 2012

Status of Implementation of Synod Initiative I

Origin of the Report

At its January 26, 2008 meeting, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council (APC) considered a proposal to offer Cardinal Mahony six reports, one on each of the Initiatives of the 2003 Synod. The six reports would outline the work done throughout the archdiocese in implementing the six Initiatives. The APC appointed an ad hoc committee1 to study the council’s ability and willingness to undertake the reports. At the May 10, 2008 meeting, the APC heard the recommendations of the ad hoc committee. It had developed an extensive template for creating the reports and urged the APC to undertake them. The APC endorsed the reporting proposal and identified the order in which the reports would be completed. It was determined that Synod Initiative I would be one of the last reports, as Cardinal Mahony’s pastoral document on evangelization, “A Fresh Encounter with Jesus Christ: Directions in Evangelization” was just being published, and the APC wanted to allow some time for the document to be received by the People of God in the Archdiocese.

Scope of the Report

In May 2010, the APC established an ad hoc committee2 to develop the report on Initiative I. The group met at Holy Family Church, South Pasadena, for its initial meeting in June 2010. Fr. Tom Rausch gave the committee a brief overview of evangelization and some general trends and directions in the US Catholic Church. The committee discussed the parameters of collecting data on evangelization in the Archdiocese. The primary purpose of the survey was to give the Archdiocese a snapshot of the successes and challenges of evangelization in our local Church to help us all in planning our evangelization strategies.

The committee concluded that it would use the four priorities developed by the San Fernando Pastoral Council’s Evangelization committee (based on Synod Initiative I). These priorities provided the basis for the goals to build a survey instrument to help us measure how the Archdiocese is proclaiming the power and presence of God in the world, and what an effective evangelizing parish might look like:  To seek out and draw in the unbelieving and the unchurched,  To foster life-long discipleship and spiritual growth,  To assist all the baptized in the discernment of their spiritual gifts (charisms) and vocations,  To equip and support extraordinary apostolates

The committee then developed a 16 question survey, including contact and demographic information, which was translated in Spanish. The original intention was to email/mail the survey to all 288 parishes, but both Cardinal Mahony and Archbishop Gomez expressed concerns that the survey might not be completed by many of the parishes because of

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“survey fatigue”. The committee shifted its strategy to approach a smaller group of 60 parishes, 12 in each region. Using Together in Mission data to ensure a representative sample of parishes from low income to moderate to affluent parishes, three parishes were selected from each deanery. Confidentiality of the parishes surveyed was stressed.

Rather than emailing/mailing the survey, the committee decided to train members of the Regional Pastoral Councils to administer the surveys face to face or over the phone. Two trainings were held in November 2010 and February 2011.

In December 2010, a copy of the survey with a cover memorandum was sent to the Auxiliary Bishops and the Deans to inform them of the survey process, and invite their questions, concerns or input.

In February 2011, a cover memorandum was sent with the instrument to the Pastors/Administrators/PLDs of the 60 target parishes. The memorandum explained that the purpose of the survey was to identify and gather information about evangelization resources that are currently available throughout the archdiocese. The memorandum stressed that the intention of the survey was to focus on identifying the parishes’ understanding and implementation of evangelization processes that have been effectively developed and used by Catholics in the Los Angeles area. The respondents were asked to provide pastoral evidence to support their responses. In addition, a clarification of each question was available if the respondent asked. The clarifications were statements from church documents on various aspects of evangelization. Development of the Report

The five Regional Pastoral Council representatives used the survey instruments to conduct the interviews between February and August 2011. They reported back the results of the survey instruments to the committee, which input the survey results into Survey Monkey. 38 of the 60 parishes took the survey. Some of the potential respondents who did not take part felt they had not been in the parish long enough to have the knowledge to answer the questions accurately. The survey was analyzed along with the pastoral evidence provided as back up to the results. A copy of the aggregate survey results and comments (the parish information is kept confidential), as well as the survey template with the clarifications, are attached.

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Summary of Responses Regarding Synod Initiative I

In brief, the highlights of the survey results are as follows:

 62% felt that 20% or less of parishioners understand themselves to be evangelizers.

 74% indicated their parish has a process that actively seeks out and draws in the unbelieving and unchurched, as well as fallen away Catholics.

 75% felt that discerning charisms is important and that they are able to do this.

 44% felt that 20% or less of parishioners recognize themselves as having a vocation.

 67% believed their parish has a formational process(es) that supports and equips the laity to transform the secular world.

 29% indicated that over 80% of parish staff had received formal training in evangelization, such that they could proclaim the Good News in such a way as to call forth a faith response in others.

 20% believed that over 90% of parish staff are effective evangelizers.

 60% felt that evangelization is the central focus of their parish activity and that everything they do in their parish community is viewed through the lens of evangelization.

 58% believed that 20% or less of their parishioners has had a personal life changing encounter with Jesus Christ.

 62% responded that they do not have a full time staff person dedicated to evangelization.

Below is a more detailed summary of the survey results for the questions concerning evangelization, including the pastoral evidence which was presented.

What is your intuitive sense of the percentage of parishioners who understand themselves to be evangelizers?

62% of respondents felt that 0-20% of their parishioners understood themselves to be evangelizers. Many respondents stated as pastoral evidence that most Catholics do not understand evangelization, even though they may be evangelizing informally through the witness of their lives. Those in ministries are more likely to view themselves as evangelizers and to understand what that means. One respondent felt that the fact that his church is full meant that the parishioners were good evangelizers. Other respondents pointed to the cultural differences between different groups and the impact that has on evangelization: Hispanic culture tends to be more embracing and accepting of evangelization, whereas Anglo culture tends to be uncomfortable with evangelization.

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Our parish community has a process that actively seeks out and draws in the unbelieving and the unchurched.

74% of the respondents replied YES to this question. The pastoral evidence they cited for processes targeting the unbelieving and unchurched include: RCIA (the most popular response), Baptism, St. Vincent de Paul, Marriage Prep, going door to door (Hispanic parishioners), Charismatic groups, Come Home for Christmas, Bible Study, RENEW, Legion of Mary, visiting the homebound, Life Teen, Landings, advertising in local newspapers, bulletin and website. One parish described how it had distributed 1000 flyers at the Christmas liturgies inviting those who were unchurched to attend a follow up meeting, but had no responses.

Our parish community has a process that seeks out and draws in fallen away Catholics.

Perhaps not surprisingly, the same number of respondents (74%) as the previous question stated they had a process targeting fallen away Catholics. The pastoral evidence presented for this question was broadly similar to the previous question with some differences. There was a greater focus on the importance of the sacraments as a way to connect with fallen away Catholics, especially weddings, baptisms and sacramental preparation. Quinceaneras were also included as an effective way of reaching out to fallen away Catholics.

List some ways the parish helps individuals find their place in the community. The list included the following programs/activities/processes: Just Faith, invitation to liturgy, hospitality group, devotions, prayer groups, Adoration, lectors, Fellowship of Catholic Christian Women, Divine Mercy, El Shaddai, Eucharistic Ministers, ministries, Religious Education, Ministry Fairs, University Series, Pastoral Council, Retreats, Missions, RCIA, welcome package.

Discerning charisms is an important skill in the Church’s work for evangelization. I know how to discern charisms.

75% of the respondents felt that they knew how to discern charisms. Most of the pastoral evidence presented was subjective rather than objective. One respondent did mention involvement with Living Your Strengths and Called and Gifted.

What is your intuitive sense of the percentage of parishioners who recognize themselves as having a vocation?

44% of the respondents felt that 0-20% of their parishioners recognize that they have a vocation. Many of the respondents commented that often parishioners do not realize that they have a vocation…they think a vocation is only for priests or religious. Other respondents described how they try to instill a sense of vocation in their parishioners through: homilies, retreats, Marriage Encounter, sacraments, sacramental preparation, and involvement in various ministries.

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Our parish community has a formational process(es) that supports and equips the laity to transform the secular world.

67% of the respondents felt they had such a formational process in place. The pastoral evidence cited included the following programs/activities/processes: Just Faith, Fellowship of Catholic Women, RCIA, Religious Education, Get on the Bus, The Tidings, Preaching/Homilies, Life and Dignity Sunday, USCCB website, Bible Studies, Evangelization, Apoyo Familiar, Parent Classes, Prayer Groups, Confirmation, Social Justice Ministry and related campaigns, Retreats, Cursillo, Life Teen, Together in Mission, Knights of Columbus, ONE LA, Loaves and Fishes, University Series.

What percentage of parish staff have received formal training in evangelization and, as a result, know how to proclaim the Good News in such a way as to call forth a faith response in others.

Approximately 25% of the respondents indicated that 0-20% of their staff had received such training, while 29% indicated that 81-100% of their staff had received this training. A further 14% said 41-50% and another 14% said 71-80% had received this training.

Pastoral evidence presented included: Called and Gifted, Stephen Ministry Gift Discernment, Parish Leadership Network Los Angeles, Religious Education Congress, Other workshops, Veritas, catechetical training, Bereavement training. Some respondents listed the staff members who have received training but did not elucidate what training they had received. Other respondents just talked about training without specifying what training. One respondent commented that their staff catechized and did not evangelize.

What percentage of parish staff are effective evangelizers? The percentage ranges were fairly evenly distributed from 0-100%, although the ranges which were higher included: 0-10% (17%), 41-50% (14%), 71-80% (14%) and 91-100% (20%).

For the pastoral evidence for this question, many of the respondents identified the effective evangelizers on their staff. Predominant among the job titles listed were: Directors of RCIA, Youth Ministry and Religious Education. The Parish School was also mentioned at being effective at evangelization.

Evangelization is the central focus of our parish community. Everything we do as a parish is viewed through the lens of evangelization. 60% of the respondents replied ‘Yes’ to this survey statement.

The pastoral evidence presented supporting the central focus on evangelization included: evangelization was a consistent thread and present in everything we do, adult education, religious education, evangelization is present in every liturgy, praise and worship, the priest has opportunities at weddings, funerals and through other ministries, the Hispanic groups in the parish are very effective at reaching out.

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Those respondents who seemed more ambivalent about their evangelization focus commented: we would like to do more of this, it’s not planned, it’s not as a prevalent as we would like.

What percentage of parishioners are you aware as having had a personal life changing encounter with Jesus Christ.

58% of the respondents felt that 0-20% of parishioners had had a life changing encounter with Jesus Christ.

The pastoral evidence included comments such as: people don’t talk about their faith, many parishioners go to Mass out of obligation, very few people have this experience and it’s mainly those who have had health issues, sacramental preparation, visited holy sites and those in prayer groups. Other respondents commented that parishioners who were involved in groups such as Cursillo, Marriage Encounter, and Charismatic groups have had a personal encounter. At least two of the respondents found the question inappropriate, with one of them commenting that it sounded like a Born Again Christian question.

There is a full/part time staff member in our parish whose sole purpose is to form an evangelizing culture in our community.

62% respondents replied that they did NOT have a staff member in their parish dedicated to evangelization. Some of the pastoral evidence presented indicated the respondents considered certain ministries/jobs carried the evangelization message of the parish (RCIA, Youth Ministry, a variety of staff roles). Several respondents indicated it was the role of the pastor.

Notable Successes

Archdiocesan Successes

At the Archdiocesan level, one of the most notable achievements for this Initiative is the publication in May 2008 of a pastoral document, A Fresh Encounter with Jesus Christ: Directions in Evangelization, written by Cardinal Mahony. The document consists of examples and stories which illustrate practices and skills needed for evangelization. The Cardinal’s approach to evangelization has as its basis the call of Pope John Paul II to root our efforts in a “fresh encounter with Jesus Christ” which leads to continuing conversion (Ecclesia in America, 6, 28, 66). Cardinal Mahony identifies three common elements of a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ. These include: attention to personal experience, the sharing of this experience with another or others in a community of faith, and incorporating the Word of God to help the person and community interpret the experience in the light of the love of God proclaimed in the Scripture.

The document points to the opportunities for evangelization and the “new” evangelization in the sacramental life of the Church, as well as in major life events of individuals: funerals,

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First Eucharist parent preparation, bereavement support groups, etc. It is during these times that people can encounter their faith in Jesus Christ in a more profound way.

However, evangelization and the “new” evangelization are not only the fruits of life or sacramental events, but should also be infused into our every day encounters with one another. A reflection on the Gospel can be part of every meeting in which people connect through their response to a particular passage. Other places evangelization can occur include Small Christian Communities, Neighborhood Celebrations, Parish Retreats, Prayer Groups, and Parish visitation/home visits.

Another notable activity has been the initiation of the C3 (Catholic Communication Collaboration) Project in June 2010. In keeping with the six pastoral priorities of the Archdiocesan Synod of 2003, particularly Initiative I, Evangelization and the “New Evangelization,” which calls for the utilization of media and electronic technology, such as radio, television and the Internet, at all levels of the Archdiocese for the purpose of evangelization, this effort is being well received by the parishes and schools engaged in the initial pilot phase of the project.

The overall goal is to provide full and effective communications connectivity service to all Archdiocesan locations to innovate in all areas of evangelization as education, ministry and administration in, to and from the parishes and schools of the Archdiocese. The pilot phases of the program will assess and offer technology, professional development and applications and content to schools, parishes and administrative offices to the pilot locations. The pilot, expected to run until 2013, will serve as the evaluation and “test” platform for a broad technology and services launch throughout the Archdiocese.

Regional Successes The San Fernando Regional Pastoral Council, and its Evangelization Committee, have been trailblazers in raising Catholic consciousness about the importance of evangelization. The SFRPC defined four goals for evangelization in the San Fernando Pastoral Region:

 To see out and draw in the unchurched and unbelieving

 To foster lifelong discipleship and spiritual growth

 To assist all of the baptized in discerning their charisms (spiritual gifts) and vocations

 To equip and support extraordinary apostolates

27 parishes sent individuals to the regional office to be trained in offering discernment interviews through the process outlined in Called and Gifted. The pastoral and discernment

7 February 15, 2012 skills they learned were critical to the SF region’s vision of evangelization, most specifically its third priority of assisting all the baptized in discerning their charisms and vocations.

The region hosted a Regional Called & Gifted Workshop with over 100 attendees from 26 different parishes. More than 3\4 of the participants signed up for a one-on-one discernment interview and the 8 week small discernment group as a follow up to their discernment of their charisms and vocations. The region also hosted a Called & Gifted Training of Trainers. The trainers came from extensive theological, pastoral, and professional backgrounds, include bi-lingual and young adults. These Called & Gifted trainers are now offered as a resource to parishes in the region to help them create a culture of discernment and vocation by offering the whole Called & Gifted discernment process. The workshop can be offered during a weekend format or as an evening series and is designed to assist lay people discern their vocation and mission in the world. The trainers have developed a three year plan of implementation of the training program and are now offering workshops in Spanish and English.

The region also held two Making Disciples workshops over two weekends designed to help parishes build a culture of evangelization. The workshops were resoundingly successful: 24 parish teams took part with 783 people attending the first workshop and 570 people attending the second workshop. These workshops were followed up by a Training of Trainers and 14 people were trained to deliver the Making Disciples workshop to parishes locally.

At the end of 2011, Bishop Wilkerson established an Office of the New Evangelization with a director for the San Fernando Pastoral Region. Parish Successes

While a structured, formal approach to evangelization is rare in our parishes, there is nonetheless a great love and passion for the Catholic faith amongst the priests and parishioners surveyed. Although many Catholics are uncomfortable with the term “evangelization” and what that implies in terms of speaking openly about one’s faith experience to other people, this does not take away from the fact that many Catholics have an abiding faith in Jesus Christ and a deep love for their Church. In all the parishes we surveyed, there are lay men and women, as well as priests and religious, who are laboring in the vineyard of faith formation and development, and working hard to deepen the faith of their fellow parishioners, as well as striving to bring the Good News to those who are new to Catholicism or who are returning Catholics, through ministries such as RCIA, Remembering Church, etc.

At least two parishes (not among the parishes surveyed), Blessed Kateri and St. John Eudes, have appointed lay ecclesial ministers as Directors of Evangelization. Many parishes among those surveyed expressed a strong desire to commit more of their energies and focus to evangelization.

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The field is ready to be plowed but there is a need for more training and resources among both the ordained and the laity to help reap what promises to be an abundant harvest.

Challenges & Possible Future Directions

The following analysis finds its inspiration and direction from several different sources, including the theology of evangelization developed by Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, the US Catholic Conference of Bishops’ document, Go and Make Disciples, Cardinal Mahony’s document, A Fresh Encounter with Jesus Christ: Directions in Evangelization, and Archbishop Gomez’s pastoral vision and leadership, as well as his document, You Will Be My Witnesses.

Based upon reading the survey results and interpreting those results through the living wisdom and tradition of the Church, 12 challenges and difficulties in transmitting the faith have emerged.

These challenges can be divided into three categories: 1. Personal spiritual obstacles 2. Ecclesial cultural obstacles and 3. Ecclesial structural obstacles.

Personal Spiritual Obstacles

. First challenge: There appears to be a loss of the centrality of Jesus Christ and the meaning, understanding, and significance of discipleship lived in the midst of His Church.3

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: There is a strong tendency to equate ecclesial belonging, active participation, mass attendance, and stewardship with discipleship and spiritual maturity. While disciples do all these things because they are disciples, the 2008 US Religious Landscape Survey tells us that nearly 30% of Catholics don’t believe in a personal God4 and that many people are active in our congregations for all kinds of other reasons other than faith.

Indeed recent studies indicate that there are many people involved in our parishes who are assumed to be Catholic simply because they are present but who don’t consider themselves to be Catholic at all.5 Further, it is often assumed that most “active” Catholics are already conscious disciples without asking if that is, in fact, the case.

Pew studies show that less than half of Catholics are certain that one can have a personal relationship with God. We hardly ever seek to understand what truly motivates the presence and activity of people and we seldom seek to seriously evaluate the spiritual fruitfulness of the activities taking place in our parishes. Pastoral leaders often struggle with articulating the Church’s teachings on discipleship as the Church understands it. The survey data indicates that we often overlook the pre-discipleship stages of faith.6

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. Second challenge: There is a need to have a better understanding of the power and necessity of the proclamation of the kerygma7 in order to call people to initial Christian faith.

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: As a community of faith we are frequently uncomfortable talking openly with one another or those outside the Christian community about our relationship with God, or Jesus. We are unsure how best to proclaim the basic kerygma to awaken a Christian faith in others.

We instead revert to catechesis as our first pastoral response. However, the Church teaches that catechesis is a second stage of the ministry of the Word whose purpose is to foster the maturity of those who are already disciples.8 The Church tells us that to be fruitful, catechesis must follow the initial proclamation of the Gospel9 and the individual’s decision to follow Christ as a disciple.

We hold back the proclamation of the kerygma because we feel we don’t have the proper language or words. It is also, difficult for many to distinguish the proclamation of the kerygma from faith sharing.

. Third challenge: We have not tapped into the full power and gift of the pastoral office and its role in the Church’s mission of evangelization.

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: Practically, the focus of the priesthood is on the celebration of the liturgy and sacraments and administration.10 As a result, the understanding of pastoral governance11 is often limited to administration. The calling of governance of the Christian community to unite around its first and primary mission to evangelize and to call forth the charisms,12 and vocations,13 of all the baptized for the sake of the mission is often neglected.

. Fourth challenge: The discernment of charisms14 has diminished.

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: Many of the baptized need to learn how to discern their charisms. Pastors and pastoral leaders often struggle in finding ways to assist others in the discernment of their spiritual gifts and mistake natural talents with charisms. Further, many charisms don’t fit into the normal structures of parish life and so they go unnoticed or undeveloped, and are not called forth from the Christian Community, while others emerge quite easily and naturally that are focused inward on the maintenance of the parish. This situation can severely diminish the evangelizing capability of the Church.

. Fifth challenge: Many of the baptized live an impoverished sacramental life.

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: Many parishioners often view sacramental preparation as an end, in and of itself and divorce it from discipleship.15 They would benefit from an ongoing discussion and formational experience that would lead them to a better understanding of their faith journey and the spiritual disposition16

10 February 15, 2012 necessary for the full efficacy of our sacramental and liturgical celebrations. We utilize the Sacraments as a bargaining tool to get individuals to come to Church or Religious Education. RCIA is too often made up of individuals who want to enter the Catholic Church solely “to unify an ecumenical or interchurch marriage."17

Ecclesial Cultural Obstacles

. Sixth challenge: There is little to no trust and freedom in sharing our personal relationship with Jesus with one another,18 much less with those who don’t believe.19

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: Pastors, priests, staff and parishioners often find it difficult to share with one another their own personal relationship with Jesus.20

. Seventh challenge: There is a limited21 understanding of vocation in our pastoral practice, resources, and formational outreach.

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: We do not normally ensure that the first foundation (discipleship)22 required to discern that a vocation is in place. Ideally, a thorough understanding of the concept of authentic discipleship by the faithful is the foundation upon which one’s vocation is discerned and identified. However, currently, a formation process and the resources to discern vocations other than priesthood, diaconate, and religious life are non- existent or limited at best. At all levels there is a lack of support and formation for a Catholic discerning a vocation within the secular world as a layperson. We normally don’t articulate the inseparable union that exists between the discernment of vocation23 with the Church’s mission of evangelization.

. Eighth challenge: In practice, the teaching and application of the social doctrine of the Church is often divorced from evangelization24

This is manifested in the following ways: Often, the faithful don’t know how to connect the proclamation of the gospel with their ongoing witness and service to the community. Contrary to Church teaching, many Catholics believe that being a witness of the gospel through service is all that is required in the Church’s work of evangelization.25 Service to others often tends to be an end in and of itself. We tend to minimize the social doctrine of the Church to solely acts of charity, overlooking the issue of justice, while not seeing the social doctrine of the Church within the evangelization process. Evangelization gets reduced to social service and we neglect the transformation of cultures and societal structures which would serve to advance the dignity of the human person.

. Ninth challenge: In many places, the apostolic role of the laity and their secular character26 (mission to the world) is diminished.27

This is manifested in the following ways: The laity’s apostolic identity is still understood in many places as simply “the non-ordained”28 and not, as has been proclaimed by the Second Vatican Council and in Pope John Paul II’s Post Synodal Apostolic Exhortation,

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“Christifideles Laici”, as the People of God who fully belong to the Church.29 Many if not all of our formational experiences and resources are focused on intra-ecclesial service with little attention given to equipping and supporting the laity in their secular vocations and evangelizing missions in the larger world.

Ecclesial Structural Obstacles

. Tenth challenge: Structures for evangelization planning and implementation need to be developed at an archdiocesan, regional and parish level.

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: the pastoral structures we currently have were not designed to foster initial evangelization. There are very few structures dedicated to pre-evangelization and the initial proclamation of the gospel that exist at all levels. Many existing initiatives could be easily “re-framed” to foster the journey to discipleship at all levels if we have the vision and perseverance to make it a priority. Further, current pastoral practices and priorities reveal that there is a lack of knowing the spiritual needs of those who are the unchurched and the unbelieving and how to begin to reach out to them in effective ways.

. Eleventh challenge: The role of the parish in evangelization is often minimized

This challenge is manifested in the following ways: Many parishioners and pastoral staff consider the parish as a place where the faithful are merely recipients of the spiritual goods of the Church. Parishes often tend to be maintenance driven,30 and to focus their efforts on “keeping the trains running” and on recruiting volunteers rather than on making disciples.

. Twelfth challenge: Pastoral staff and volunteers are often overcome with a sense of fatigue and a loss of apostolic zeal.31

This is manifested in the following ways: Many parishioners and pastoral staff sense there is too much to be done and easily become discouraged and freeze in routine. With the pressing demands of parish life it has become increasingly difficult to discern priorities in parish life, such less make evangelization and mission our first concern as the Church asks us to do. There is often very limited guidance as to how a parish can take the initiative in the area of evangelization. It has become the norm for evangelization committees to become responsible for “doing” evangelization by hosting, for example, evangelization retreats and events, while other aspects of parish life go on with little to no awareness or connection to evangelization.

With these challenges in mind, we propose the following possible Future Directions:

“THE COURAGE TO FORGE NEW PATHS”

“…The new evangelization is not a matter of redoing something which has been inadequately done or has not achieved its purpose, as if the new activity were an implicit judgment on the failure of the first evangelization. Nor is the new evangelization taking up

12 February 15, 2012 the first evangelization again, or simply repeating the past. Instead, it is the courage to forge new paths in responding to the changing circumstances and conditions facing the Church in her call to proclaim and live the Gospel today. (Lineamenta, The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith 5).

The approaches described below embrace the spirit of the words of the Bishops as we seek to respond to “the signs of the times” here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and find new ways to proclaim and live the Gospel.

A Vision for Evangelization

In her wisdom the Church proposes to us a vision that touches on all of the vocational and pastoral realities of individuals and whole communities. This vision is one that an individual can take on as their personal mission and can easily be applied to every parish community despite its mixed ethnicity, economic reality, or the number of people on staff. This vision touches on the universal call and faith experience of every man and women and journeys through the stages an individual would travel on their road to God. Each person, each parish, each small faith community and ministry is called to the following:

1. Seeking out and drawing in the unbelieving and unchurched 2. Fostering life-long discipleship and spiritual growth

3. Discernment of gifts (charisms) and vocations

4. Equipping & Supporting extraordinary apostolates

A New Apostolic Formation is required To assist the ministerial priesthood32 and laity33 in these paradigm shifts, a clear and direct apostolic formation centered around the Church’s vision of evangelization is required.

We propose a formation directed to pastors, priests, deacons, seminarians, pastoral staff and laity, in order to respond to the 12 challenges identified above. Such a formation could consist of:

- allowing individuals to hear the kerygma. As they respond to its proclamation more deeply, forming them in learning how to make a proclamation of the gospel. 34

- a clear understanding of pre-discipleship stages of spiritual development and what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and to follow him in the midst of his Church.

- understanding the nature of charisms and how to discern them,35 as well as, articulate the impact36 charisms have in the life of the individual, parish, and world.

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- understanding pastoral governance and its vital role to the Church’s evangelizing mission, and assisting pastoral leaders in knowing how to create an environment of apostolic creativity and innovation in the life of the Christian community.37

- understanding the mission of the laity, their secular character and their apostolic mission to sanctify the world through their work, as taught by the Decree on the Apostolate of the Laity, Christifideles Laici, and Archbishop Gomez.38

- growing in ministerial skills in reaching the unchurched and the unbelieving.

- understanding of the Sacraments and their relationship to discipleship and how to prepare individuals for their reception by cultivating a proper spiritual disposition39 for the full efficacy of the grace they bestow on individuals and the whole community.

- learning how to evaluate secular culture and its impact on evangelization, and how to transform and heal cultures and societal structures.

- teaching leaders how to evaluate ministry and parish organizations in light of making disciples.

- learning how to form evangelization retreat teams and how to put on evangelization retreats,

- learning how to form others in being evangelizing companions to new disciples emerging in parishes.

A Note on Synod Initiative I and its connection to the Other Synod Initiatives

The Synod chose six Pastoral Initiatives, nine Pastoral Priorities, and fourteen Pastoral Strategies for implementation. As the first Pastoral Initiative, Evangelization and “The New Evangelization” is the governing concern—the central focus— of the Archdiocesan Synod and its implementation. This means, quite concretely, that Evangelization and “The New Evangelization” is the gauge for all judgments and decisions involved in the other five Pastoral Initiatives.

The challenges outlined in this report, as well as the future directions and recommendations, have a correlation to the other Synod Initiatives:

Synod Initiative II: is brought up in challenges 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11

Synod Initiative III: is brought up in challenges 2, 5, 6, 8, and 12

Synod Initiative IV: is brought up in challenges 2,3, 7 and 9

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Synod Initiative V: is brought up in challenges 2, 5, 6 and 8

Synod Initiative VI is brought up in challenges 2, 6, 8 and 9

In the same way, recommendations made in the other Synod Reports are connected to Synod Initiative I.

Recommendations

1) Establish an Office of the New Evangelization40 We recommend that the Archdiocese establish an Office of the New Evangelization based upon the fiscal feasibility as determined by the appropriate archdiocesan entities. The committee is convinced that in order to create a Church culture in which evangelization is infused into everything we do, then such an Office is essential to help make that a reality. We understand that a serious study of the costs involved in establishing such an office would need to be undertaken by the appropriate staff at the Archdiocesan Catholic Center before any further action can be taken on this.

In anticipation of the establishment of such an office, we would also further recommend that the collaboration engendered by the Synod continue to be encouraged and deepened in order to embrace the totality of what the Church understands evangelization to consist of41. The Office would obviously need to work collaboratively with other Archdiocesan Offices42 to enable common sharing so that the work of evangelization can be the work of all. As indicated by the Bishops, in their document Lineamenta, ongoing collaboration is essential to help avoid “the danger that the full weight of fulfilling such an important and fundamental activity might fall exclusively upon catechists, who are already feeling the burden of the task entrusted to them and the loneliness in doing it.” The document goes on to state that “the culture climate and the general state of fatigue in many Christian communities in our local Churches is endangering the proclamation of the faith, its transmission to others and instruction in the faith.” (Lineamenta, The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith 15).

Possible responsibilities

In order to give a flavor of the work of this potential office, we have included some possible areas of responsibility for consideration:

- assist parishes in establishing guidelines for hiring Directors of Evangelization,

- form evangelization formational teams, and evangelization retreat teams at regional levels to put on trainings and assist parishes to form their own teams,

- establish evangelization conferences,

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- review resources and create a plan of implementation on the vision for evangelization,

- host regional and archdiocese gatherings,

- review and evaluate the use of media and evangelization,

- provide apostolic formation,

- assist collaborating offices in creating new structures for apostolic formation,

- lead renewal and transformation efforts through new prayer initiatives such as an annual 9 days of prayer and fasting for a new Pentecost throughout the Archdiocese

2) Initiate a process to position the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as the leader in the Catholic world in the effective use of digital media for evangelization.

Our world is in the midst of unprecedented technological change which is happening at a faster pace than we can analyze its meaning for our society. What is undeniable is the exponential growth in our ability to communicate in ways scarcely imaginable a few years ago. Blogging, Twitter, You Tube, texting, web pages, and Facebook are new ways of communicating which are readily available to individuals and organizations. Teens and young adults in their 20s and 30s have been raised as “digital natives” and interact with complete ease in this new world of social media. For many young people, this new world constitutes a large part of their communications universe. This can create a cyber generation gap, which makes it difficult for many older adults to understand how differently teens and young adults view the world, their expectations, and how they receive and respond to communication.

This world of digital media will only continue to expand its reach—the genie will not return to the bottle. If the Church’s evangelization efforts are to be successful with teens and young adults (as well as older adults who must increasingly use communications technology to keep pace with our changing times), then we must embrace these new ways of communicating, seamlessly integrating them into our evangelization strategies. One example of how important the new technology is in our lives is the way in which we increasingly make our first contact with any organization through some kind of web, Face Book or other social network presence. Recently, a young adult who was initiated through the RCIA process stated that he judged an organization depending on the level of sophistication and creativity of its website. If the website did not engage him, he basically wrote it off. It is not hard to imagine that this is a common attitude amongst “digital natives” (and even “digital immigrants” such as the members of the committee!). A strong, compelling Catholic digital media presence is a critical component of a 21st Century evangelizing culture.

The C3 Project has already established the Archdiocese’s interest and commitment towards building an infrastructure for connectivity and access to 21st Century technology to enable

16 February 15, 2012 state of the art evangelization, formation, catechesis and education. The groundwork has been laid upon which to take the next step which is to envision an implementation plan for how digital media can be used effectively as an evangelization tool in all archdiocesan locations, particularly parishes and schools. The archdiocesan vision also includes strategies for developing replicable and sustainable programs to enable access to content and resources so that each location can maintain a compelling digital media presence.

Given that Los Angeles is considered by many to be the “entertainment capital” of the world, as well as a major hub for digital media efforts (and the professionals that create those efforts, many of whom are Catholic), and that the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Communications Committee has strongly emphasized the importance of digital media in evangelization, there is a promising synergy of resources and opportunities available to our local Church that could uniquely position the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to lead the way in digital media evangelization efforts.

3) Initiate an Evangelization Convocation to provide intensive formation for the entire Archdiocese ( lay, religious and clergy)

An Evangelization Convocation, modeled after the world-wide "Eucharistic Congress", would be developed to provide a three year archdiocesan-wide formation process which would seek to imbue the local Church with a stronger sense of evangelization that would enable each Catholic to:

- Live out the central mission and identity of the Catholic Church.

- Improve his/her understanding and pastoral practice of evangelization and “the new evangelization.”

– Motivate others to transform the secular culture with the light and saving power of the Gospel.

The climax of the Evangelization Convocation would be three months of intense evangelization efforts reaching out to people in a wide number of creative, artistic, media- driven, “seeker friendly events,” put on by parishes, regions, and deaneries.

Conclusion

The preparatory document for the Synod of Bishops for the New Evangelization in 2012 provides some timely advice for our local Church as we ponder the recommendations in this report which seek to revitalize and renew discipleship and faith:

“An initial reaction to these changes can easily be confusion and fear, because these moments of transition lead us to question our identity and the very foundations of our faith. At such times, however, the reasonable thing would be to follow the often-voiced appeal of Pope Benedict XVI to engage in a critical discernment of the situation and reread

17 February 15, 2012 the present moment in light of the Christian gift of hope.” (Lineamenta, The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith 7)

In the book “Almost Christian”, theologian Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary, quotes the nineteenth-century architect Daniel Burnham:

“Make no small plans. They have no magic to stir humanity’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work…Remember that our sons and daughters are going to do things that will stagger us….Think big.”43

As the overarching Synod Initiative in which the other five initiatives interrelate, the importance of Evangelization and “the New Evangelization” cannot be overstated. It is in the spirit of Christian hope and love, as well as with faith in the infinite possibilities that God gives to those who trust in him enough to “think big”, that we offer this report to the Church of Los Angeles.

1 Cathy Brudnicki, Loraine de Jesus, Deacon David Estrada, Mark Fischer, Anita Ford, Kathy Hamrock, Kathleen Schwartz, and Cambria Smith.

2 Edward Arno, Dn Dave Estrada, Frank Luciano, Caitlin Morais, Fr. Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Cambria Smith, and Bobby Vidal.

3 “Even with all our programs, the vitality of our ministries, vibrant worship and a strong outreach, no matter how hard we work, so often it seems that something is missing. What is that? It is my sense that many of our people feel that they lack that personal encounter with Christ which transforms one’s life, and the language in which to talk about it with others” (Cardinal Roger Mahony, A Fresh Encounter with Jesus Christ (2008)).

4 US Religious Landscape Survey, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2008, Religious Beliefs and Practices, 27

5 US Religious Landscape Survey, Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, 2008, Religious Beliefs and Practices, 39.

6 Results from the Synod I Evangelization survey support this statement: according to 58% of the respondents, 20% or less of parishioners have had a personal life changing encounter with Jesus Christ, while 44% of the respondents estimated that 20% or less of parishioners have a sense of a personal vocation.

7 “We must admit in all humility that we do not really know how to share the Good News effectively.” (2003 Synod of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Gathered & Sent, 12).

8 “...within the whole process of evangelization, the aim of catechesis is to be the teaching and maturation stage...the period in which the Christian, having accepted by faith the person of Jesus Christ as the one Lord and having given Him complete adherence by sincere conversion of heart, endeavors to know better this Jesus to whom he has entrusted himself: to know His ‘mystery,’ the kingdom of God proclaimed by Him, the requirements and promises contained in His Gospel message, and the paths that He has laid down for anyone who wishes to follow Him.” (Catechesi Tradendae, 19).

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9 “This form of the ministry of the word is directed toward non-believers, those who have chosen not to believe, those who follow other religions, and the children of Christians. In our age it may also be addressed to those who may have been baptized but have little or no awareness of their Baptism and who consequently live on the margins of Christian life.” (National Directory for Catechesis, 49).

10 “Every act of ecclesiastical governance, consequently, must be aimed at fostering communion and mission. In view, then, of their common purpose and aim, the three munera of teaching, sanctifying and ruling are clearly inseparable and interpenetrating: "when the Bishop teaches, he also sanctifies and governs the People of God; when he sanctifies, he also teaches and governs; when he governs, he teaches and sanctifies." (Pastores Gregis, 9; cf. Lumen Gentium, 20, 27). Address of John Paul II to the Bishops of the ecclesiastical regions of Pennsylvania and New Jersey (USA) on their “Ad Limina” visit, Saturday, September 11, 2004.

11 “Pastoral governance is directed both to gathering the flock in the visible unity of a single profession of faith lived in the sacramental communion of the Church and to guiding that flock, in the diversity of its gifts and callings, toward a common goal: the proclamation of the Gospel to the ends of the earth.” (Bl. John Paul II, Ad Limina address to the bishops of Pennsylvania and New Jersey 2004).

12 Pastors/Administrators/Parish Life Directors (including those who share in the pastoral office by delegation) are called to “recognize,” uncover with faith, acknowledge with joy, foster with diligence, know, appreciate, judge and discern, coordinate, put to good use, and have a heartfelt esteem for the charisms of the laity. (Lumen Gentium,30, Presbyterorum Ordinis,9, Pastores Dabo Vobis,40, 74, Christifideles Laici,32.)

13 “This munus regendi (governance) represents a very delicate and complex duty which, in addition to the attention which must be given to a variety of persons and their vocations, also involves the ability to coordinate all the gifts and charisms which the Spirit inspires in the community, to discern them and to put them to good use for the upbuilding of the Church in constant union with the Bishops.” (Pastores Dabo Vobis,26).

14 “The charisms are received in gratitude both on the part of the one who receives them, and also on the part of the entire Church. They are in fact a singularly rich source of grace for the vitality of the apostolate and for the holiness of the whole Body of Christ, provided that they be gifts that come truly from the Spirit and are exercised in full conformity with the authentic promptings of the Spirit. In this sense the discernment of charisms is always necessary.” (Christifidelies Laici, 24).

15 “On the other hand, authentic practice of the sacraments is bound to have a catechetical aspect. In other words, sacramental life is impoverished and very soon turns into hollow ritualism if it is not based on serious knowledge of the meaning of the sacraments, and catechesis becomes intellectualized if it fails to come alive in the sacramental practice.” (Catechesi Tradendae, 23).

16 “From the moment that a sacrament is celebrated in accordance with the intention of the Church, the power of Christ and his Spirit acts in and through it, independently of the personal holiness of the minister. Nevertheless, the fruits of the sacraments also depend on the disposition of the one who receives them.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,1128).

17 Journey to the Fullness of Life, 7, USCCB, 2000, Executive Summary

18 “I began to meet with small groups of priests to discuss evangelization. These meetings were for me very deep encounters, opportunities to know my brother priests better. During these meetings, I was able to open up more than usual, telling some of my own story, sharing some of my struggles, my disappointments, my frustrations, and my hopes for the people entrusted to my care. I was challenged to talk about my own relationship with Jesus and how that relationship has deepened during these last few years of tremendous difficulty. I found that as I shared about who Jesus is for me over and over again, my relationship with Him deepened.” (Cardinal Roger Mahony, A Fresh Encounter with Jesus Christ (2008).

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19 “Friendship with Jesus will also lead you to bear witness to the faith wherever you are, even when it meets with rejection or indifference. We cannot encounter Christ and not want to make him known to others.” (Homily of Pope Benedict XVI, Closing Mass of the 26th World Youth Day, Cuatro Vientos Airbase, Madrid, 21 August 2011).

20 “To know Jesus Christ and his love causes us to want to share that knowledge and love with everyone we meet.” (Archbishop Jose Gomez, You Will Be My Witnesses (2010), 4).

21 “Each one of us—clergy, religious, layperson, married, single, adult, child—has a personal vocation. God intends each one of us to play a unique role in carrying out the divine plan.” (United States Catholic Catechism for Adults).

22 "The discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God's call." (Pope Benedict XVI, Response to questions by the bishops of the United States in Washington, D.C., 2008).

23 “The Church fulfils her mission when "she guides every member of the faithful to discover and live his or her own vocation in freedom and to bring it to fulfillment in charity"…Each one, therefore, must be helped to embrace the gift entrusted to him as a completely unique person, and to hear the words which the Spirit of God personally addresses to him.” ((Pastores Dabo Vobis,40).

24 The Church's social doctrine “is itself a valid instrument of evangelization.” (Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, 67).

25 “…even the finest witness will prove ineffective in the long run if it is not explained, justified--what Peter called always having "your answer ready for people who ask you the reason for the hope that you all have" --and made explicit by a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the Lord Jesus. The Good News proclaimed by the witness of life sooner or later has to be proclaimed by the word of life. There is no true evangelization if the name, the teaching, the life, the promises, the kingdom and the mystery of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God are not proclaimed.” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 22).

26 "What specifically characterizes the laity is their secular nature." (Lumen Gentium,31).

27 “Every disciple of the Lord Jesus shares in this mission. To do their part, adult Catholics must be mature in faith and well equipped to share the Gospel, promoting it in every place of work, and in every public forum.” (Our Hearts Were Burning Within Us, 2).

28“ The laity are apostles in their own right.” (Apostolicam Actuositatem , 3)

29 The Synod Fathers have rightly pointed to the need for a definition of the lay faithful's vocation and mission in positive terms, through an in-depth study of the teachings of the Second Vatican Council in light of both recent documentation from the Magisterium and the lived experience of the Church, guided as she is by the Holy Spirit. In giving a response to the question "Who are the lay faithful", the Council went beyond previous interpretations which were predominantly negative. Instead it opened itself to a decidedly positive vision and displayed a basic intention of asserting the full belonging of the lay faithful to the Church and to its mystery. At the same time it insisted on the unique character of their vocation, which is in a special way to "seek the Kingdom of God by engaging in temporal affairs and ordering them according to the plan of God."(CL 9).

30 “Recognizing the need for evangelization as well as the “new evangelization” of active and nonparticipating Catholics, can we any longer assume that we will reach them primarily by inviting them to join in our current parish activities and programs?” (Gathered & Sent, 2003)

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31 “We exhort all those who have the task of evangelizing, by whatever title and at whatever level, always to nourish spiritual fervor. This fervor demands first of all that we should know how to put aside the excuses which would impede evangelization.” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 80).

“…After decades of significant activity, catechesis is showing signs of fatigue and weariness, above all, in persons called to plan and sustain the Church’s activity in this field.” (Lineamenta, The New Evangelization for the Transmission of the Christian Faith, 17, Question 6).

32“Ongoing formation helps priests, within the Church as "communion," to deepen their awareness that their ministry is ultimately aimed at gathering together the family of God as a brotherhood inspired by charity and to lead it to the Father through Christ in the Holy Spirit.” (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 79).

33 “Since the laity share in their own way in the mission of the Church, their apostolic formation is specially characterized by the distinctively secular and particular quality of the lay state and by its own form of the spiritual life.” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 29).

34 “In regard to the apostolate for evangelizing and sanctifying men, the laity must be specially formed to engage in conversation with others, believers, or non-believers, in order to manifest Christ's message to all men.” (Apostolicam Actuositatem, 31).

“[Priests are]… to dedicate themselves to what is most closely tied to the encounter with and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, and thus to represent better within the community the presence of Jesus who draws his people together.” (Ecclesia in America, 39).

35 “It is in this sense that discernment of charisms is always necessary. No charism is exempt from being referred and submitted to the Church's shepherds. "Their office [is] not indeed to extinguish the Spirit, but to test all things and hold fast to what is good," so that all the diverse and complementary charisms work together "for the common good." (CCC 801). “Lay ecclesial ministers should help the faithful discern their gifts and charisms, affirm those gifts, and nurture their call to generous service.” (Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, 48).

36 “Human formation, meant to lead lay ecclesial ministers toward greater maturity as adults and as ministers of the Church, includes the following…Knowledge of one’s personal gifts and special charisms and their relationship to particular ministries.” (Co-Workers in the Vineyard of the Lord, 36).

37 “The hoped-for renewal of parishes cannot only result from pastoral initiatives, albeit useful and timely, nor even less from programs worked out theoretically. Inspired by the apostolic model as shown in the Acts of the Apostles, parishes ‘rediscover’ themselves in the encounter with Christ.” (Benedict XVI to the 22nd Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council on the Laity, September 2006).

38 “That’s a topic that’s always close to my heart. The sanctification of work is the key to the mission of lay people in the world. Promoting that mission has been an important priority in my pastoral ministry for many years, back to the days when I was a priest.” ( Legatus of Pasadena, Pasadena, California May 4, 2011).

39 "These dispositions [faith, conversion, loyalty to the Father's will] are the precondition both for the reception of other graces conferred in the celebration itself and the fruits of new life which the celebration is intended to produce afterward." CCC 1098. Cf.CCC 1128, 1131.

40 “The response of the Synod delegates to the pastoral challenges of the Archdiocese indicates a deep desire to seek new ways to evangelize that go beyond the present structures….Where Church structures do not aid in the

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fulfillment of its mission, they are to be renewed or new ones established”. (emphasis added) (Gathered & Sent, 2003)

41 “The missionary mandate of Jesus to evangelize has various aspects, all of which, however, are closely connected with each other: "proclaim", (Mk 16,15) "make disciples and teach", "be my witnesses", "baptize", "do this in memory of me", (Lk 22,19) "love one another" (Jn 15,12) Proclamation, witness, teaching, sacraments, love of neighbor: all of these aspects are the means by which the one Gospel is transmitted and they constitute the essential elements of evangelization itself. Indeed they are so important that, at times, there is a tendency to identify them with the action of evangelization. However, "no such definition can be accepted for that complex, rich and dynamic reality which is called evangelization". There is the risk of impoverishing it or even of distorting it. Evangelization, on the contrary, must develop its "totality" and completely incorporate its intrinsic bipolarity: witness and proclamation, word and sacrament, interior change and social transformation. Those who evangelize have a "global vision" of evangelization and identify with the overall mission of the Church”. (General Directory for Catechesis, 46).

42 “A collaborative effort is to be initiated among the pastoral offices of the Archdiocese, pastoral regions, and the parishes in designing new, simple, and effective models for the “new evangelization.” (Gathered & Sent, 2003)

43 Dean, Kenda Creasy. Almost Christian: What the Faith of our Teenagers is Telling the American Church. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010) 192.

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