Engaging Faith

The following information and assignment has been adapted from Jesus and the Church: One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic (Ave Maria Press, 2015). The Office for Formation of the Laity of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia identified several ideas for evangelization in a short summary, “Everyday Evangelizing for Everyday Catholics.” Here are some of the applications: Before You Can Evangelize (Pre-evangelization) Pray daily. Carry a cross in your pocket. Read the Bible. Receive the Sacraments. Communicate with those who inspire you. Evangelizing in All Situations Respond “thank God” when someone shares good news with you. Share a story of how God works in your life. Ask people to pray for your intentions. Make the Sign of the Cross when dining out. Invite someone who is not Catholic to Mass. Assign students to develop a further list of ideas for sharing the faith with their peers; either Catholics who need a refresher in their faith or those who have no experience of Catholicism. With these groups specifically in mind, ask them to write up an evangelization plan that focuses on what they can personally do and what their peers can do as well this week this month this year For each part of the plan, include answers to the four W’s and H question: Who is to be evangelized? (Who is to do the evangelization?) What is the desired result? Where will this take place? When (during the week, month, year) will this happen? Why is this an important task? How will this take place? For reference, note ideas from the USCCB Committee on Evangelization and Catechesis.

The child of slaves, Fr. Augustus Tolton (1854-1897) was the first African American priest ordained to serve the Church in the United States. Facing predjudice and discrimination in his hometown of Quincy, Illinois, Fr. Tolton was assigned to the Archdiocese of Chicago. There, Fr. Tolton first led a missionary effort to African American Catholics in the basement of St. Mary's Church. Later, he founded St. Monica's Catholic Church at the corner of 36th and Dearborn on Chicago's South Side. The Church grew to have 600 parishioners. Fr. Tolton's cause for canonization has been presented by the Archdiocese of Chicago. He has now been honored as a Servant of God. In the month of February, as the nation celebrations Black History, take some time to share the story of Fr. Augustus Tolton with your students. Several resources, including a detailed biography and videos on his life and the cause for sainthood, are available at a website devoted to his canonization. The video Father Augustus Tolton: The Cause for Canonization was prepared by the Archdiocese of Chicago.

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