Bishop reflects on importance of evangelization and mission

Members of the newly-created Diocesan Pastoral Council met for the first time Dec. 8, 2018 at Holy Spirit Parish in Saskatoon, beginning a process of visioning and discernment that continued in March 2019, when the group took time for this photograph during a meeting at the Cathedral of the Holy Family. An advisory body to the bishop, the Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC) includes members from across the diocese, as well as from a range of Catholic organizations. Bishop Mark Hagemoen has asked the DPC for a “big picture” look at pastoral needs in the diocese in order to provide recommendations about priorities that will eventually form the basis of a pastoral plan for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon and its 95 parishes. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski)

Posted By: Kiply Lukan Yaworski May 9, 2019

By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News

Proclaiming Christ and Christ’s kingdom is the heart of the Church’s mission, says Bishop Mark Hagemoen.

“That is the heart of evangelization,” he stressed in a recent interview, as well as during his homily at the diocesan Mass of Chrism April 15 in Saskatoon.

The “New Evangelization” call to proclaim Christ has been a central message of recent pontiffs, he noted, quoting Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (Joy of the Gospel):

“John Paul II asked us to recognize that ‘there must be no lessening of the impetus to preach the Gospel’ to those who are far from Christ, ‘because this is the first task of the Church.’ Indeed, ‘today, missionary activity still represents the greatest challenge for the Church,’ and ‘the missionary task must remain foremost.’ What would happen if we were to take these words seriously? We would realize that missionary outreach is paradigmatic for all the Church’s activity…. we ‘cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings’; we need to move ‘from a pastoral ministry of mere conserva-tion to a decidedly missionary pastoral ministry.’ This task continues to be a source of immense joy for the Church (- Evangelli Gaudium 15).”

“I am very grateful for many examples of this mission that I have seen and continue to discover in the diocese of Saskatoon,” Bishop Hagemoen said. “Examples of many faithful and creative ministries and service – impacting youth and young adults, seniors, persons in various vulnerable situations; support of families and communities – in arenas of education and health care, and dealing with people of other religions, immigrants, and care of our environment and world. Indeed, evangelization has a very wide scope.”

The arrival of spring and the opportunity to celebrate Confirmation and First Eucharist in parishes across the diocese is a great joy, and a chance to meet families and visit local parish communities, noted the bishop.

Visiting parishes has been a priority for Hagemoen since he arrived in Saskatoon. He began with a particular focus on parishes in the Humboldt and Wadena deaneries –  areas that became part of the diocese most recently (in 1998).

Although a pastoral visit to Wadena Deanery had to be postponed because of an extended harvest season, Bishop Hagemoen visited a number of parishes in the Humboldt Deanery from Nov. 24 to 29, 2018. The pastoral visit included celebrations of the Eucharist, school visits, and town hall meetings. The bishop added that he is looking forward to the visit to Wadena Deanery being rescheduled in the near future.

“I also look forward to conversations in many parishes across the diocese – how they see themselves as parishes, and how they are approaching the issues of maintenance and mission in their local context.”

Work presently being undertaken by the new Diocesan Pastoral Council to identify pastoral priorities will hopefully assist parishes in focusing more intentionally on mission and evangelization, he added.

“This kind of goal-setting is needed,” he said.

“Goals would not be ‘imposed on parishes,’ but rather proposed. It is an opportunity to consider ways of moving from merely maintenance to a more proactive and mission-focused set of objectives.”

Given the Diocesan Pastoral Council’s diverse and regional representation, the pastoral priorities that they identify “will also hopefully provide a sense that we help each other – that parishes are not isolated or on their own, even when dealing with some increasingly challeng-ing local situations.”

Bishop Hagemoen added that he anticipates the pastoral priorities and plan from the Diocesan Pastoral  Council will be announced later this summer or in early fall.

 

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