The Parish As An Evangelizing Community
By Monsignor Vincent J. Grimalia, V.G. 

When a parish community is developing or revising its Parish Mission Statement in light of the Diocesan Mission Statement, it can be assisted in various ways. “Go and Make Disciples,” a plan and strategy for evangelization authorized by the United States Catholic Bishops, identified three general principles for evangelization. This document offers valuable insights on how a parish should and can be an evangelizing community. 

Evangelization Through Public Witness

The first principle is: “To bring about in all Catholics such an enthusiasm for their faith that, in living their faith in Jesus, they freely share it with others.”

In his Apostolic Exhortation on Evangelization, Pope Paul noted: “Above all the Gospel must be proclaimed by witness. Take a Christian or a handful of Christians who, in the midst of their own community, show their capacity for understanding and acceptance, their sharing of life and destiny with other people, their solidarity with the efforts of all for whatever is noble and good. Let us suppose that, in addition, they radiate in an altogether simple and unaffected way their faith in values that go beyond current values, and their hope in something that is not seen and that one would not dare to imagine.

“Through this wordless witness these Christians stir up irresistible questions in the hearts of those who see how they live: Why are they like this? Why do they live in this way? What or who is it that inspires them? Why are they in our midst? Such a witness is already a silent proclamation of the Good News and a very powerful and effective one.

“Here we have an initial act of evangelization. The above questions will ask, whether they are people to whom Christ has never been proclaimed, or baptized people who do not practice, or people who live as nominal Christians but according to principles that are in no way Christian, or people who are seeking, and not without suffering, something or someone whom they sense but cannot name. Other questions will arise, deeper and more demanding ones, questions evoked by this witness which involves presence, sharing, solidarity, and which is an essential element, and generally the first one, in evangelization.”

The new United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, developed by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and approved by the Holy See, attempts to relate Catholic teaching to “diverse U.S. Society,” and gives one example of how to evangelize the American culture. Our Sunday Visitor has published a study guide to this catechism that can prove helpful to individuals and faith formation groups. The National Catechetical Directory likewise has information that will support efforts to evangelize American culture. 

Evangelization Through Beauty

The second priority for evangelization in “Go Make Disciples” is stated as: “To invite all people in the United States, whatever their social or cultural background, to hear the message of salvation in Jesus Christ so that they may come to join us in the fullness of the Catholic faith.”

There are various ways of evangelizing. Our Catholic tradition and heritage invites us to look at every aspect of being human, and the arts have been a part of our evangelizing and catechetical tradition. A new impetus to using the various arts has been encouraged by the Pontifical Council on Culture in its document The Way of Beauty, where it states:

“The way of beauty replies to the intimate desire for happiness that resides in the heart of every person. Opening infinite horizons, it prompts the human person to push outside of himself, from the routine of the ephemeral passing instant, to the Transcendent and Mystery, and seek, as the final goal of the ultimate quest for wellbeing and total nostalgia, this original beauty which is God Himself, creator of all created beauty.”

At its 2006 meeting, the Pontifical Council for Culture identified three approaches to evangelization through beauty: Through appreciation of creation, the arts, and Christ as the example of Christian holiness. It raised the question of the importance of forming people in the light of faith to have an authentic appreciation of God’s creation and a faithful appreciation of authentic beauty.

When speaking of creation, the Council noted: “We must carefully put in practice the twofold dimension of listening: listening to creation that tells the glory of God and listening to God who speaks to us through his creation and makes himself accessible to reason, according to the teaching of the First Vatican Council.”

It not only spoke of developing a formation in faith that teaches an appreciation of creation and beauty, but noted the need for dialogue between faith and science. “Indeed, each branch of knowing, e.g. philosophy, theology, social and human sciences, psychology, can contribute to the revealing the beauty of God and of his creation.”

This document recalls the work of the last three popes on the importance of beauty and the arts in faith formation: “Pope John Paul II, in his Letter to Artists, called for a new epiphany of beauty and a new dialogue of faith and culture between Church and art…”

The document addresses the question of teaching people how to welcome beauty: “Works of art inspired by the Christian faith – paintings and mosaics, sculptures and architecture, ivories, silvers, poetic, literary, musical and theatrical works, film and dance, etc. – possess an enormous potential pertinent to contemporary needs that remain unaltered by the times that pass. In an intuitive and tasteful manner, they permit participation in the great experience of the faith, of the meeting with God in the face of Christ in whom he uncovers the mystery of the love of God and the identity of man.”

A parish can develop adult faith formation opportunities that include discussion and reflection on faith and science, art, music and literature. Parishioners who are knowledgeable in these areas can work with parish clergy and religious education staff to present a variety of interesting and challenging topics for adult faith formation.

The Pontifical Council on Culture recalls: “In speaking to the artists in the Sistine Chapel 7 May 1964, Pope Paul VI denounced the ‘divorce’ between art and the sacred that characterized the 20th century and observed that today many have difficulty treating Christian themes due to a lack of formation and experience of the Christian faith.”

The document continues: “The Servant of God John Paul II qualified the artistic patrimony inspired by the Christian faith as a ‘formidable instrument of catechesis,’ fundamental to ‘re-launch the universal message of beauty and good…’

In similar tones, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, as president of the Special Preparatory Commission for the Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, justified its use of images: “The image is also a Gospel preaching. In all ages, artists have offered the events marking the mystery of salvation with the splendor of colors and in the perfection of beauty for the contemplation and admiration of the faithful. This is an indication of how, today more than ever with our civilization of the image, a holy image can express much more than words themselves, for its dynamism of communication and transmission of the Gospel message is more efficacious.”

The third approach of evangelization through beauty identified by the Pontifical Council for Culture is through a contemplation of the beauty of Christ. The document instructs:

“In the Letter to Artists, Pope John Paul II underlined the richness of the novelty of the Incarnation: ‘In becoming man, the Son of God has introduced into human history all the evangelical wealth of the true and the good, and with this He has also unveiled a new dimension of beauty, of which the Gospel message is filled to the brim…

“The saving beauty of Christ must be presented in a renewed manner so that each believer and also the indifferent may welcome it and contemplate Him. The attention of pastors and catechists needs to be brought to this issue so that their preaching and teaching will lead to the beauty of Christ. Christians are called to witness to the joy and to know that they are beloved of God and of a beauty of life transformed by this love which comes from on high.” 

Evangelization and Catholic Social Doctrine

The third priority of  “Go Make Disciples” states: “To foster Gospel values in our society, promoting the dignity of the human person, the importance of the family, and the common good of our society, so that our nation may continue to be transformed by the saving power of Jesus Christ.”

This priority receives extensive guidance from the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which states: “The Church’s social doctrine is an integral part of her evangelizing ministry. Nothing that concerns the community of men and women…is foreign to evangelization, and evangelization would be incomplete if it did not take into account the mutual demands continually made by the Gospel and by the concrete, personal and social life of man. Profound links exist between evangelization and human promotion…”

Adult faith formation and ongoing formation of the Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Financial Council, parish staff and volunteers will be helped by a study of this compendium. The parish has a mission and an apostolate that understands and promotes the social teaching of the Church.

The compendium further states: “The Church’s social doctrine is ‘itself a valid instrument of evangelization,’ and is born of the always new meeting of the Gospel message and social life. Understood in this way, this social doctrine is a distinctive way for the Church to carry out her ministry of the Word and her prophetic role.

“In effect, to teach and to spread her social doctrine pertains to the Church’s evangelizing mission and is an essential part of the Christian message, since this doctrine points out the consequences of that message in the life of society and situates daily work and struggles for justice in the context of bearing witness to Christ the Savior…it is at the very heart of the Church’s ministry of service: with her social doctrine the Church ‘proclaims God and His mystery of Salvation in Christ to every human being, and for that very reason reveals man to himself.’ This is a ministry that stems not only from proclamation but also from witness.”

Since the parish shares in the mission of the Church to evangelize persons and cultures, it must first look at its own internal culture and then look to the external culture of the surrounding community, where it must both proclaim and witness. This proclamation and witness would be incomplete if it were not made public and put into practice.

In an address to Canadian Bishops, Pope Benedict XVI stated: “In this regard, particular care must be taken to ensure that the intrinsic relationship between the Church’s magisterium, individuals’ faith, and testimony in public life is preserved and promoted. Only in this way can we hope to overcome the debilitating split between the Gospel and culture.”

In his apostolic exhortation on Evangelization, Pope Paul VI taught: “The split between the Gospel and culture is without a doubt the drama of our time, just as it was of other times. Therefore every effort must be made to ensure a full evangelization of culture, or more correctly of cultures. They have to be regenerated by an encounter with the Gospel. But this encounter will not take place if the Gospel is not proclaimed.”

Catholics cannot separate their faith from every other aspect and dimension of their lives. Understanding of the social teaching of the Church and efforts to put it into practice in the parish and local community are very important. Both in the internal culture of the parish and in the external culture of the surrounding community efforts must be made to teach, explain and to put into practice the social teaching of the Church.

The Parish Mission Statement, the Parish Pastoral Council and the Parish Self-Study need to include an awareness of the social doctrine of the Church and develop ways to teach and to witness the Gospel as it addresses issues and concerns of our times. Within our national culture there is a great emphasis on rights that sometimes creates an attitude of entitlement, unless it is balanced by an awareness of responsibility.

The social teaching of the Church consists of both rights and responsibilities, and this balance is important for a complete understanding of the mission of the Church and the mission of the parish.