Evangelization Matters!

Have you ever had an encounter with a total stranger – a person in an airport, a sales associate in a store, or someone on a city street--who went out of his or her way to help you? No doubt that experience made you feel special! Those who assisted you demonstrated some of the qualities of an evangelizer that Pope Francis describes in The Joy of the Gospel: “approachability, readiness for dialogue, patience, a warmth and welcome which is non-judgmental.”

We usually notice the people who come to our parish in great numbers on Christmas, Ash Wednesday, and Easter.  But more frequently, people slip into a Sunday liturgy, a daily Mass, or a parish prayer service, and sit alone in the back of the church.

Long before there was a multitude of businesses that emphasized “customer service” or “customer care,” welcoming strangers was central to our Catholic faith. Today a growing number of parishes are rediscovering hospitality as an essential Christian practice.

Br. Tyrone Davis, CFC, Director of the Office of Black Ministry in the Archdiocese of New York, has a few simple messages about welcoming in a parish environment. Leaders can start by making hospitality important in word and deed, and then asking parishioners to extend a friendly greeting.

True Christian hospitality is the opportunity to welcome new people into our community, to help those in need, and to see Christ in all who join or visit our parishes or who live in our neighborhoods or regions. A warm welcome has the power to break down the barriers of class, ethnicity, age, and economic status. Welcome matters!

As we approach the celebration of the birth of our Lord, parish leaders are busy making many preparations. We know that our churches will be filled with people we may not see on a regular basis. Christmas is a wonderful opportunity to be intentional about welcoming these visitors to our parish. Helping newcomers feel welcomed can make the difference between their staying strangers or becoming members of our community.

Long before there were a multitude of businesses that emphasized customer service and customer care, welcoming strangers was central to our Catholic faith. Today a growing number of parishes are rediscovering hospitality as an essential Christian practice.