Year of Evangelisation |
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To our Priests and Pastors, Religious, Pastoral Associates, As you know, I have asked that we observe next year, 2007, as a Year of Evangelisation. It will coincide with our focus on the final part of our Diocesan Vision Statement .. “Witnessing together to the Good News of the Kingdom”. It is my hope that everyone in our Diocese will be drawn into this focus of evangelising, ourselves first then all those with whom we share the journey of life. I write to you now to inform you of plans that are falling into place for the observance of next year. May I say, at the outset, that I am deeply aware of all that you are doing to evangelise and have done in the past. I am respectfully conscious that parishes, schools, religious communities and diocesan and parish groups are doing so much that they have initiated to spread the love of Jesus and his Good News. I ask that you continue all that evangelisation is for you and your community. I cannot stress sufficiently that it takes so many forms. Each community has its own experience of effective evangelising and I want to honour and encourage all that is already being achieved. Evangelisation Task Force I am not asking that we embark on some grand plan or program, but rather that we review
our response to share the treasure of Jesus with all. How many really know and draw strength from Him? I am sure that you
share the hope that we can assist all people, young and old to experience God’s presence in our everyday world, a presence made
visible in Christ Jesus Our Lord. We can do no more than respond to Jesus’ invitation to be there for others, to help them draw
strength from the Jesus who offers to share the crosses of life, as well as the joys in every person’s life. All of this is part
of the story of Evangelisation. For what shall we pray? For all of our intentions and especially that
We have a beautiful Diocesan Prayer which many are already using and I invite our school principals APRE’s and Catechists to adapt this short time at Midday to the appropriate ways of prayer for their students. PRAYER CARDS in various formats will be available for the First
Sunday of Advent when our Year of Evangelisation will be launched. I will provide a Pastoral Letter
for that occasion and our Task Force will add suggestions as to other forms of prayer and resources available on the Internet. CHRISTMAS – will be a focal point and I would like to offer a Christmas Card to everyone who comes to Mass in any of our Churches. It will contain an invitation to all, especially those who do not worship regularly, to find their way to prayer, involvement in the community and hopefully Mass. Copies of the card will be distributed from my office. Many parishes have invitations to ‘Come Home for Christmas’ in various forms e.g. letterbox drops with Christmas Mass Times etc, and I am hopeful that the Christmas cards will be a compliment to whatever is happening already. I would like to consider a WELCOME CARD to all of the families beginning the school years which would also have an invitation to prayer and rejoining of parish communities. I will take advice from our teachers and catechists. OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVANGELISATION – I would like you to consider every possible opportunity to focus on Evangelisation as the year unfolds. I am thinking of group prayer at the beginning of meetings, prayer groups, school assemblies, family prayer, hospitals and aged care facilities. I am aware of the focal points like:
In addition, as I said earlier, there are a myriad of ways that evangelisation is happening already, and we should celebrate and proclaim them as they are happening in all of our parishes and communities. MONTHLY NEWSLETTER – The Evangelisation Task Force would like to send out a newsletter at the beginning of each month, with suggestions for prayer, personal renewal, steps to enrich our faith, invitation that could be offered to draw others to Jesus. We would welcome contributions and suggestions from throughout the Diocese which could be shared. They could be sent to Carole Gan, our Pastoral Planning Coordinator at PO Box 611, Rockhampton 4700, or emailed to dpp@rok.catholic.net.au or faxed to 49 313716. THE YEAR UNFOLDING - I would like to suggest that the major feasts of the year will become points to focus on Evangelisation – Easter, Corpus Christi, Pentecost, The Assumption, All Saints Day, Feast of Christ the King. Discussion is ongoing about a Diocesan Assembly later in the year, like September 2007, something like ‘Shekinah’ ‘The Burning Bush’ or ‘Carrying the Flame’. Other suggestions focus on Regional Gatherings in addition to, or instead of the larger gathering. I would be interested in your thoughts. WORLD YOUTH DAY 2008 – With the appointment of Stefanie Lloyd as our World Youth Day Coordinator for our parishes and schools, I am sure there will be a link up for the challenging need to awaken in our fine young people, an awareness of Jesus and the relevance of His Good News for them. I am aware that Stefanie will be working with parishes and schools and has an awareness of many suitable resources. I thank you for reading this rather long letter and I deeply appreciate the ministry that each one of you brings to our diocesan family. As Bishop, it is my privilege to work with you and I simply ask you pray for the release the Spirit of God within you, as I must do so myself. That Spirit will enable us to give of ourselves as friends and co-workers of Jesus and let our light, our generosity, our enthusiasm shine, for others to see. We can do no more and the Lord will do the rest. It is a work of God this evangelisation and we can be the privileged instruments of the God of unconditional love. Yours sincerely + Brian Heenan
My Comment in the November 2006 copy of THE REVIEW YEAR OF EVANGELISATION 2006 is almost over and Advent leads us into a whole new preparation for Christmas and 2007,
with our special focus on Evangelisation.
Jesus is thus the foundation of Evangelisation and while it is relatively easy to know about him, it is a challenge to know him personally and that can only be achieved through PRAYER.
As the year unfolds, we will announce ways to enhance our journey of Evangelisaiton – the RCIA program, our Lenten Discussion on the theme “witnessing together to the Good News of the Kingdom” Bishop’s Inservice Days, Diocesan and Regional gatherings. May we all accept 2007 as a personal grace from our God, to walk with Jesus in a new and generous way, and to offer him to others, by our genuine gift of ourselves to others. Members of the Diocesan Evangelisation Task Force are:
Please feel free to contact anyone of the group with your suggestions or comments. + Brian Heenan
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