An Evangelization Initiative of the Archdiocese of Boston in partnership with CatholicsComeHome

2. This quote keeps me focused. There are so many people, including our brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, who are still seeking. They may not be attending Mass and they may be looking in all kinds of places for the peace, love, strength, hope, joy, and truth that there heart craves. I have a supreme conviction that Jesus Christ is the answer to these deepest longings of the human heart and that Jesus can be known and experienced in the Catholic Church. Because of this, I want to - indeed I must – reach out to share this with those who are seeking. I cannot remember anyone every asking me, “Can you tell me about God?” or “Tell me all you know about Jesus.” At least in those words. But when they share their hopes and dreams, their joys and sorrows, their pain, their questions…, I believe they are ultimately asking for God and for the Good News that Jesus offers.This quote keeps me focused. There are so many people, including our brothers and sisters in the Catholic Church, who are still seeking. They may not be attending Mass and they may be looking in all kinds of places for the peace, love, strength, hope, joy, and truth that there heart craves. I have a supreme conviction that Jesus Christ is the answer to these deepest longings of the human heart and that Jesus can be known and experienced in the Catholic Church. Because of this, I want to - indeed I must – reach out to share this with those who are seeking. I cannot remember anyone every asking me, “Can you tell me about God?” or “Tell me all you know about Jesus.” At least in those words. But when they share their hopes and dreams, their joys and sorrows, their pain, their questions…, I believe they are ultimately asking for God and for the Good News that Jesus offers.

3. The Good News Someone sent to me this picture. This reminds me that the Good News is not first all a set of doctrines or teaching but is a person – Jesus Christ. Jesus is Good News Incarnate. When we share the Good News we are sharing Jesus and inviting people to have a relationship with Jesus and to grow in that relationship by being joined in active and full ways with the Body of Christ, the Church. Of course, learning more about the teachings of Jesus and the Church are very important. And, we want to help people deepen their relationship with the Lord as they learn about the rich treasure that he has bestowed on the Church.Someone sent to me this picture. This reminds me that the Good News is not first all a set of doctrines or teaching but is a person – Jesus Christ. Jesus is Good News Incarnate. When we share the Good News we are sharing Jesus and inviting people to have a relationship with Jesus and to grow in that relationship by being joined in active and full ways with the Body of Christ, the Church. Of course, learning more about the teachings of Jesus and the Church are very important. And, we want to help people deepen their relationship with the Lord as they learn about the rich treasure that he has bestowed on the Church.

4. Going Together For our outreach in Lent and Easter 2011, the Archdiocese of Boston is partnering with a national Catholic lay apostolate, Catholics Come Home.org. Many dioceses around the country – now more than 20 and the growing, dioceses to have such a partnership . These dioceses are as close as Providence, RI and as far away as Seattle, WA. For our outreach in Lent and Easter 2011, the Archdiocese of Boston is partnering with a national Catholic lay apostolate, Catholics Come Home.org. Many dioceses around the country – now more than 20 and the growing, dioceses to have such a partnership . These dioceses are as close as Providence, RI and as far away as Seattle, WA.

5. Catholics Come Home® is also a going together with other outreaches in the Archdiocese of Boston. I look at this evangelization outreach as the third way that we are reaching out. For a number of years, thousands of people in the Archdiocese of Boston have been gathering in small faith-sharing communities through Arise Together in Christ. People have grown in their faith and have reached out to serve others in this great process. In Lent 2010 – and again in Lent 2011 – we will invite people to experience the infinite mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This outreach, The Light is One for You, has had a great positive effect; people have responded. Adding to and building on them, we will launch Catholics Come Home®.Catholics Come Home® is also a going together with other outreaches in the Archdiocese of Boston. I look at this evangelization outreach as the third way that we are reaching out. For a number of years, thousands of people in the Archdiocese of Boston have been gathering in small faith-sharing communities through Arise Together in Christ. People have grown in their faith and have reached out to serve others in this great process. In Lent 2010 – and again in Lent 2011 – we will invite people to experience the infinite mercy of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This outreach, The Light is One for You, has had a great positive effect; people have responded. Adding to and building on them, we will launch Catholics Come Home®.

6. Beggars Evangelization is one beggar showing another beggar where the bread is. Fr. Henri Nouwen When I think of evangelization, this is the quote that helps me to understand my role. When I share my faith, when I evangelize , I am not sharing, as it were, as if I am the owner of the bakery and the other person is some poor beggar; I am not sharing what is surplus in my life [I’ve had enough and I’ll give you some of my leftovers, some of my day-old bread]. I am a beggar just like you. BUT I know where there is bread. I have been fed and I want to show you where this bread is. And, I am not going to just send you to find the bread: “Go there. Find it.” I will walk with you to the place where I found bread. There are so many words that we can substitute for “beggar” and “bread.” Evangelization is One sinner showing another sinner where the mercy is. One weak person showing another weak person where there is strength. One questioning person showing another questioning person where there are answers. One worried, stressed out person showing another worried, stressed out person where there is peace. The examples could go on and on. This sentence calls me to have the right attitude. It also challenges me. If I was hungry and was fed, how could I not show other hungry people where they can be nourished? When I think of evangelization, this is the quote that helps me to understand my role. When I share my faith, when I evangelize , I am not sharing, as it were, as if I am the owner of the bakery and the other person is some poor beggar; I am not sharing what is surplus in my life [I’ve had enough and I’ll give you some of my leftovers, some of my day-old bread]. I am a beggar just like you. BUT I know where there is bread. I have been fed and I want to show you where this bread is. And, I am not going to just send you to find the bread: “Go there. Find it.” I will walk with you to the place where I found bread. There are so many words that we can substitute for “beggar” and “bread.” Evangelization is One sinner showing another sinner where the mercy is. One weak person showing another weak person where there is strength. One questioning person showing another questioning person where there are answers. One worried, stressed out person showing another worried, stressed out person where there is peace. The examples could go on and on. This sentence calls me to have the right attitude. It also challenges me. If I was hungry and was fed, how could I not show other hungry people where they can be nourished?

7. The Catholics Come Home® Initiative can be summarized in three words: Invite, Welcome and Accompany. We want to invite people to take another look at the Catholic Church and to “come home.” We want to have parishes welcome people, extend sincere hospitality and genuine greetings to those who respond to the invitation. We want to accompany people as they come home – listen to them, answer questions and concerns, help them to continue to walk with the Lord in our parish faith communities.The Catholics Come Home® Initiative can be summarized in three words: Invite, Welcome and Accompany. We want to invite people to take another look at the Catholic Church and to “come home.” We want to have parishes welcome people, extend sincere hospitality and genuine greetings to those who respond to the invitation. We want to accompany people as they come home – listen to them, answer questions and concerns, help them to continue to walk with the Lord in our parish faith communities.

8. Invite To invite the 83% of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston who are not regularly participating in Sunday worship to take another look at the Catholic Church to increase their attendance at Sunday Mass to become more active in the life of the parish Those whom we are inviting are many – only 17% of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston regularly participate in Sunday worship. When the Catholic Family gathers in our parishes to worship God and to receive the very Body and Blood of Christ from the table of the Lord, 83% are not there. I miss these family members. And, I am less because of their absence. We all are less. We want to invite them to take another look, to take one more step. If someone has not been to Mass for 9 months, it may be hard for them to say “yes” to an invitation to come to Mass every week. I want to invite them, “Would you come with me next week?” I would dearly love all people to be there every week, but this may happen for many people only in stages. If someone is coming once a month I will rejoice with that . At the same time, I want to invite them to take another step and come twice a month. When I invite someone to come back, they may say, “Mass? It’s been so long. I don’t know if I could do that.” I can invite them to one of our parish’s “half-way houses.” I could say, “There are a group of us – about 10 – who are meeting at Mary’s house. We get to know each other, talk about our faith, support each other as parents, pray. I have really received a lot from this. Would you like to come to our next time together?” We have many such places/events to which we could invite someone. Again, the hope is that the whole family gathers to worship at Mass. But if someone needs a “smaller” step on the way to Mass, let’s make that possible. Those whom we are inviting are many – only 17% of Catholics in the Archdiocese of Boston regularly participate in Sunday worship. When the Catholic Family gathers in our parishes to worship God and to receive the very Body and Blood of Christ from the table of the Lord, 83% are not there. I miss these family members. And, I am less because of their absence. We all are less. We want to invite them to take another look, to take one more step. If someone has not been to Mass for 9 months, it may be hard for them to say “yes” to an invitation to come to Mass every week. I want to invite them, “Would you come with me next week?” I would dearly love all people to be there every week, but this may happen for many people only in stages. If someone is coming once a month I will rejoice with that . At the same time, I want to invite them to take another step and come twice a month. When I invite someone to come back, they may say, “Mass? It’s been so long. I don’t know if I could do that.” I can invite them to one of our parish’s “half-way houses.” I could say, “There are a group of us – about 10 – who are meeting at Mary’s house. We get to know each other, talk about our faith, support each other as parents, pray. I have really received a lot from this. Would you like to come to our next time together?” We have many such places/events to which we could invite someone. Again, the hope is that the whole family gathers to worship at Mass. But if someone needs a “smaller” step on the way to Mass, let’s make that possible.

9. Invite Saturate the Boston Archdiocese with television and radio commercials email and other personal communications from active Catholics to family, friends, neighbors and co-workers banners and poster displayed by parishes, schools and other Catholics institutions How are we going to Invite? There are TV commercials that have been prepared and used in all the other dioceses that have partnered with CatholicsComeHome.org. We will have them in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. We want to have as many commercials as possible during the six weeks of Lent 2011. You can see the ads by going to CatholicsComeHome.org. But, we cannot buy enough ads to totally saturate this area with our message. We are counting on individuals and parishes to also extend an invitation to others – phone calls, door-to-door visits, emails. Whatever you can do. One Catholic School has the email addresses of most of the families for the children in the school. They plan to reach out to all the families with a message from the Principal something like: I just saw an ad that talked about the Catholic Church. It reminded me that the Catholic family is everywhere around the world and among peoples of every country and language and way of life. I love being a Catholics because ------- [let the Principal say his or her own reason]. I thought you might like to see this ad also. You can, just by clicking on the link I have below.” We are also inviting parishes and schools and other Catholic institutions to consider having a banner outside or on their building. In others dioceses, people began to call the diocesan contact for this outreach saying things like, “I think God is talking to me. This morning I saw an ad for the Catholic Church. On the way to work, I heard one on the radio. At work, someone asked me if I saw the Catholic ad. On the way home, I passed by a church and saw a banner. I think God is talking to me.” The repetition of the message seemed to touch and move people.How are we going to Invite? There are TV commercials that have been prepared and used in all the other dioceses that have partnered with CatholicsComeHome.org. We will have them in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. We want to have as many commercials as possible during the six weeks of Lent 2011. You can see the ads by going to CatholicsComeHome.org. But, we cannot buy enough ads to totally saturate this area with our message. We are counting on individuals and parishes to also extend an invitation to others – phone calls, door-to-door visits, emails. Whatever you can do. One Catholic School has the email addresses of most of the families for the children in the school. They plan to reach out to all the families with a message from the Principal something like: I just saw an ad that talked about the Catholic Church. It reminded me that the Catholic family is everywhere around the world and among peoples of every country and language and way of life. I love being a Catholics because ------- [let the Principal say his or her own reason]. I thought you might like to see this ad also. You can, just by clicking on the link I have below.” We are also inviting parishes and schools and other Catholic institutions to consider having a banner outside or on their building. In others dioceses, people began to call the diocesan contact for this outreach saying things like, “I think God is talking to me. This morning I saw an ad for the Catholic Church. On the way to work, I heard one on the radio. At work, someone asked me if I saw the Catholic ad. On the way home, I passed by a church and saw a banner. I think God is talking to me.” The repetition of the message seemed to touch and move people.

10. Invite I am gathering resources to help parishes to invite and welcome, to become places that have a welcoming spirit. Here’s one of my favorites: Follow the Ten-Foot Rule. After you park your car in the lot of your Church and are making your way to the church, if you pass within 10 feet of another person, turn, wave and smile. The resources will become available on the Archdiocese of Boston’s website. The goal is to make these resources user-friendly: in a format that can be edited or used as-is in a way that can easily be duplicated giving parishes the option to use the resources they would find most helpful, and to leave untouched other resources. We do not have a set of resources that a parish MUST use. But we are asking all parishes to do something to build on the airing of the commercials. We will also have a new website, CatholicsComeHomeBoston.org. This is a primarily a website for people who are responding to our invitation. In their visits to the website we want to help people to take another step to a more active participation in a parish.I am gathering resources to help parishes to invite and welcome, to become places that have a welcoming spirit. Here’s one of my favorites: Follow the Ten-Foot Rule. After you park your car in the lot of your Church and are making your way to the church, if you pass within 10 feet of another person, turn, wave and smile. The resources will become available on the Archdiocese of Boston’s website. The goal is to make these resources user-friendly: in a format that can be edited or used as-is in a way that can easily be duplicated giving parishes the option to use the resources they would find most helpful, and to leave untouched other resources. We do not have a set of resources that a parish MUST use. But we are asking all parishes to do something to build on the airing of the commercials. We will also have a new website, CatholicsComeHomeBoston.org. This is a primarily a website for people who are responding to our invitation. In their visits to the website we want to help people to take another step to a more active participation in a parish.

11. Invite Welcome sponsor special programs on a parish, regional or archdiocesan level special invitations to already existing offerings There will be some special programs on an Archdiocesan level. Parishes, alone or with other parishes, may wish to offer some special programs for people. BUT, parishes already have so many things they are doing. Why not find ways to offer special invitations to already planned programs? One pastor, for example, already has his Lenten Parish Mission dates. He said that this mission will have a Catholics Come Home focus. There will be some special programs on an Archdiocesan level. Parishes, alone or with other parishes, may wish to offer some special programs for people. BUT, parishes already have so many things they are doing. Why not find ways to offer special invitations to already planned programs? One pastor, for example, already has his Lenten Parish Mission dates. He said that this mission will have a Catholics Come Home focus.

12. What can we do? Pray Brainstorm and Plan How can I/we Invite? How can I/we Welcome? How can I/we Accompany? Pray Practice Why do I go to Mass? Why am I a Catholic? Who is Jesus for me? Pray Share Pray Essential to all this outreach is prayer. We need to beg God for an outpouring of grace – for those whom we are inviting and for ourselves that we will be imaginative and persistent in our willingness to invite. We can ask ourselves, individually and as a parish, how we can INVITE, WELCOME and ACCOMPANY? What can each of us individually do? What can the parish as a community do? We need to pray more! Each person can practice how they would respond to 3 basic questions: Why do I go to Mass? Why am I a Catholic? Who is Jesus for me? Those who are active in the parish already have answers to these questions. They may not have articulated them – maybe not even to themselves. In thinking through how we would respond to these questions, we are then prepared to share our thoughts with others. We need to pray. And, we have to be willing to share – invitations, welcome, the answers to the 3 questions. For example, someone might say, “I used to go to Mass.” Or, “I was raised a Catholic but I don’t go to Church.” We could respond, “On Sunday, at Mass in my parish I heard a wonderful song ….. I can’t get these words out of my head ….. They are such a comfort to me, they provide me with strength.” AND SO ON … We need to pray, because we can do all the inviting but it is God who changes hearts, who converts. We pray that others welcome the grace of conversion. Essential to all this outreach is prayer. We need to beg God for an outpouring of grace – for those whom we are inviting and for ourselves that we will be imaginative and persistent in our willingness to invite. We can ask ourselves, individually and as a parish, how we can INVITE, WELCOME and ACCOMPANY? What can each of us individually do? What can the parish as a community do? We need to pray more! Each person can practice how they would respond to 3 basic questions: Why do I go to Mass? Why am I a Catholic? Who is Jesus for me? Those who are active in the parish already have answers to these questions. They may not have articulated them – maybe not even to themselves. In thinking through how we would respond to these questions, we are then prepared to share our thoughts with others. We need to pray. And, we have to be willing to share – invitations, welcome, the answers to the 3 questions. For example, someone might say, “I used to go to Mass.” Or, “I was raised a Catholic but I don’t go to Church.” We could respond, “On Sunday, at Mass in my parish I heard a wonderful song ….. I can’t get these words out of my head ….. They are such a comfort to me, they provide me with strength.” AND SO ON … We need to pray, because we can do all the inviting but it is God who changes hearts, who converts. We pray that others welcome the grace of conversion.

13. Placing Ads is costly. Where will the funds come from? Direct mail letter from Cardinal Seán December Evangelization Sunday, January 23 Special Collection How will the parish find out more? Parish Contact Person How will this be done? We will be purchasing air time to have the ads seen by as many people as possible. These ads, when run in other dioceses, were seen not just on ABC, CBS, NBS, Fox, CW but also on cable channels such as Lifetime, Family, TLC, Food Network, TNT, TBS, Bravo, Discovery. Research is being done even now on the Boston market to discover the best plan for airing the ads. Each of the past 3 years Cardinal Seán has sent a letter as part of a Christmas Campaign. This year the donations received will be for the benefit of the Catholics Come Home initiative. January 23, 2011 is being called Evangelization Sunday. The Gospel on that day is Jesus calling Peter and Andrew, James and John to be “fishers of men.” All of us will be invited by Cardinal Seán to be fishers as well by reaching out to and inviting others to come home. There will be a one-time special collection to enable all of to reach out via television ads. Each Pastor has been asked to name a Contact Person who will be a conduit for information for the parish. They will be contacted by me frequently to keep them up-to-date with ideas, plans, timelines, resources for the parish.We will be purchasing air time to have the ads seen by as many people as possible. These ads, when run in other dioceses, were seen not just on ABC, CBS, NBS, Fox, CW but also on cable channels such as Lifetime, Family, TLC, Food Network, TNT, TBS, Bravo, Discovery. Research is being done even now on the Boston market to discover the best plan for airing the ads. Each of the past 3 years Cardinal Seán has sent a letter as part of a Christmas Campaign. This year the donations received will be for the benefit of the Catholics Come Home initiative. January 23, 2011 is being called Evangelization Sunday. The Gospel on that day is Jesus calling Peter and Andrew, James and John to be “fishers of men.” All of us will be invited by Cardinal Seán to be fishers as well by reaching out to and inviting others to come home. There will be a one-time special collection to enable all of to reach out via television ads. Each Pastor has been asked to name a Contact Person who will be a conduit for information for the parish. They will be contacted by me frequently to keep them up-to-date with ideas, plans, timelines, resources for the parish.

14. Contact Catholics Come Home Initiative 617-746-5885 comehome@rcab.org