A few years ago, Bishop Lucia encouraged the diocesan staff to read the book From Christendom to Apostolic Mission by Monsignor Shea, the president of the University of Mary in Bismark, North Dakota.

In this short work, Msgr. Shea masterfully describes a seismic shift that has taken place. We have gone from a society when Christianity and the culture were pretty much on the same page and Christians were living the Christian life well (going to Mass, being active in the parishes, etc.) to a time when the culture needs to be evangelized once again with the Good News of the Gospel.  

We are experiencing the effects of this shift in our time: attendance at Mass and in faith formation programs is low, parishes are merging, etc. Over the past few months, the Catholic Sun has published the most current data for each Vicariate and the numbers are startling. Yet, this is our time to be the missionary disciples the Lord calls us to be and allow the Lord to lead us.

In Lent of 2024 a few parishes came together to reflect on From Christendom to Apostolic Mission. The presentations that were given can be viewed by clicking here. I encourage you to watch them and reflect on the important topics discussed. The material provided can be used during days of reflection, parish missions, Lenten workshops, etc.  

In Lent of 2025, we continued this important discussion by reading the sequel, The Religion of the Day, also by Msgr. Shea. The presentations from that series can be viewed by clicking here. If we are to succeed in the mission of the Church, we must understand the religion of the day and how to effectively respond.