Welcome to the Evangelization Initiative of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

The Evangelization Gathering, originally scheduled to be held at the Saint Paul Rive Centre on November 8, 2008, has been postponed. The entire Evangelization program of the Archdiocese had, since its inception, been under the direction of Auxiliary Bishop Richard Pates. With Bishop Pates' imminent move to become Bishop of Des Moines, it has been determined, after careful evaluation, to postpone the November 8th event, which would require considerable planning, volunteer and staff time to some time in the future.

This initiative represents Archbishop Harry Flynn's personal response to the call by the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II to find our true identity in evangelization. The archbishop’s desire is to encourage renewed passion for Jesus Christ. For, in his words, “Once we’ve caught fire with the love of Jesus Christ in our bellies, then we’ll be able to go out and transform our society.”

His is not a call for a new program of evangelization. It is an invitation to each Catholic in Saint Paul and Minneapolis to enter into a process of reflection that leads in steps through:

• Awakening: A renewed consciousness of Jesus Christ present in daily life

• Transformation/Conversion: Both personal and communal, that leads to ongoing commitment to a life in Jesus Christ

• Witness: Both personal and communal, so that Jesus Christ is made known to all.

 As the Holy Father has said, “Ours is a time of continual movement which often leads to restlessness, with the risk of ‘doing for the sake of doing.’  We must resist this temptation by trying ‘to be’ before trying ‘to do.’”   

This is your invitation to come and "be."

Important Links

Archbishop Flynn's Pastoral Letter on Evangelization

Bishop Warfel on Evangelization

The Call for an Evangelization Initiative

"The Initiative in the news"