Diocese to gather community around themes of Mercy and the New Evangelization June 25

In 1979, during the historic visit to Poland by Pope John Paul II, the pontiff expressed the idea of a “new evangelization,” referring to a spiritual renewal of the Catholic faithful that was reverberating throughout the Church. More recently, Pope Benedict XVI reasserted the idea of a “New Evangelization” and made it the cornerstone of the Year of Faith he proclaimed for 2012 and 2013.

Despite this long-standing emphasis, the Catholic community continues to seek an even deeper understanding of this important call and what it means for their spiritual lives. In response to that search, the Diocese of Trenton invites all seekers and members of the faithful throughout the region to gather for a day of learning, prayer and reflection on the New Evangelization and its context in this, the Year of Mercy proclaimed by Pope Francis.

“Evangelization: A Call to Mercy,” is set for June 25 in St. Robert Bellarmine Parish, Freehold. Highlights of the bilingual event, which will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include a noonday Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., as well as two keynote presentations.

Paulist Father Frank DeSiano, a national speaker and noted writer in the area of evangelization, discipleship and spirituality, will offer a special focus on the themes of evangelization that have been articulated by Pope Francis. Father DeSiano, who is president of Paulist Evangelization Ministries in Washington, D.C., said he will demonstrate how mercy is a “key attitude in reaching out to others,” and will provide ideas on how these themes of mercy and evangelization can be brought into the parish setting.

In his presentation on “Mercy and the Catholic Parish” the second keynote speaker Dr. Hosffman Ospino will explore the parish as “a microcosm of the larger Church and society” and a fertile field of the parish for evangelizing.

Dr. Ospino, assistant professor of theology and religious education at Boston College’s School of Theology and Ministry, stated in a recent interview, “There is nothing more real than building community in a parish, a place where we bring our hopes, joys, struggles and anxieties. There are few places like the parish to encounter and practice God’s infinite mercy.”

This event is sponsored by the Diocese’s Department of Evangelization and Catechesis, whose associate director, Laura Rivas, encouraged community members to take advantage of the spiritual opportunities it will offer.  She said, “This is open to all because we are all called to be evangelizers.

“During the Year of Mercy, we focus on the Father’s mercy in our lives as well as how we can be conduits of justice and mercy to others. We are constantly reminded that there is no greater love than God’s,” Rivas said.

Registration fee for the June 25 conference is $10 per person and includes breakfast and a boxed lunch. For a full schedule of the day, and to register online, go tohttp://www.dioceseoftrenton.org/eaffconference2016/ or contact 609-403-7312;[email protected]; 609-403-7154; [email protected].