The last three popes – John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis – have called for a “New Evangelization,” defined as offering “new expressions, new methods, and a new ardor” in preaching and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and the faith of the Catholic Church. In response to this call for a “new evangelization,” a team of Redemptorists was formed to offer Parish Missions.
Fathers Philip Dabney, Francis Gargani, and James Wallace work together as an Evangelization Team for the Redemptorists of the Baltimore Province. This ministry is certainly in line with the Redemptorist charism to preach the gospel to all peoples.
The Team for Evangelization engages in one of the traditional methods of preaching the gospel, that is, through a Parish Mission. This form was taken up by our founder, St. Alphonsus de Liguori in 1732, as one way to reach the people of his own time who, though baptized, needed further conversion and education in the faith. Today’s Parish Mission has as its goal a deepening conversion of mind and heart.
A Parish Mission is an event that calls a parish to deeper conversion and renewal. The heart of our Parish Mission is three evening prayer services (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday) that include prayer, preaching, song, ritual, and opportunity for quiet reflection. In addition, we preside and preach at all weekend Masses, celebrate an anointing of the sick, a Marian service dedicated to Our Mother of Perpetual Help, opportunity for one-on-one meetings over 3 days, and addressing your school and CCD children in an age-appropriate way.
Hunger can take many forms. Our deepest hungers are rooted in our need for God’s love and for human support and community. The movement of this mission is:
Life brings us experiences of darkness and light. This mission invites participants to reflect on such experiences both in our personal lives and in the life of our faith community, to consider some ways:
The pandemic has been a time when many have suffered the loss of loved ones and friends, work and school associates, along with the loss of jobs, financial security, and health of body, mind, and spirit. This mission explores:
We ask the pastor to form a PM Planning Team that could include some of the following: a deacon, a member of the parish council, a representative of the parish school/CCD program, Music Director, a minister for hospitality. We would like to have an initial meeting in person 6-8 weeks before the PM , another by zoom a few weeks later, and a final meeting after our arrival.
Stipend: In addition to any travel and material costs incurred, we ask that a collection be taken up the last day/night of the mission to help support our ministry. If an appropriate amount (approximately $3000) is not collected, we ask the parish to supplement it.
In response to the pandemic, the Evangelization Team has also joined other Redemptorists in making recorded presentations and retreats. These include: a novena before Easter, Pentecost, and Christmas, several Triduums for major feasts, and a weekly reflection on the upcoming Sunday gospel that airs every Wednesday. If you are interested in viewing these, please visit our Facebook or YouTube page.
We hope our work will soon include not only parish missions and reflections offered online, but also retreat mornings, evenings, and single-day retreats, either in a parish setting or here at Holy Redeemer Residence in Washington, D.C.
Watch theologian Ilia Delio below as she speaks on the nexus between modern science, theology, spirituality, and the evolving understanding of our relationship to God, each other, and the cosmos. The following two-part presentation was given at Holy Redeemer Provincial Residence in Washington DC, December 17th, 2022.
Sr. Ilia Delio, OSF, holds the Josephine C Connelly Chair in Theology at Villanova University. Her many books include: The Primacy of Love, The Hours of the Universe, Re-Enchanting the Earth, From Teilhard to Omega Christ in Evolution, and Ten Evenings with God.