“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold I am with you always, until the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:19-20)

Evangelization, or spreading the Gospel, may be found in the work of a parish priest in Kenya or Nicaragua, proclaimed by a televangelist viewed by millions or expounded in the door-to-door ministry of an individual.

But for the newly-created Office of Evangelization in the Diocese of Sacramento, it is most simply a parish-based ministry with the power to transform lives.

To lead the way in accomplishing this work, Mercy Sister Susan McCarthy was appointed director of the office in March. Her resume includes service as president of the Sisters of Mercy of Auburn from 1990-98 and as Mercy’s formation director from 1981-87. Her service to the diocese includes working as associate director for the RENEW program from 1987-90 and as both a principal and teacher in Catholic schools.

Sister McCarthy views evangelization as not only the primary missionary work of the church, but most important, a way parishes can powerfully deliver the “good news” of Jesus Christ to their communities.

“The good news need to be preached right in our own backyards…so everybody has a piece of it,” she said.

Building on evangelization programs initiated by diocesan volunteers over the past 20 years, Sister McCarthy’s goal is to offer a program that will touch specifically the lives of Catholics in need of ongoing pastoral formation, those who have fallen away from their faith, and the unchurched.

The program selected by her office is “Disciples in Mission, ” developed by the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association (PNCEA), which implements the U.S. bishops’ National Plan for Catholic Evangelization in the United States, “Go and Make Disciples.” The three-year program for parishes offers a way for people to experience spiritual renewal and become involved in missionary activity.

Published in English, Spanish and Vietnamese languages, it has been enthusiastically embraced by 30 dioceses nationwide and matches well with parishioners of the 98 parishes of diocese, according to Sister McCarthy. “Disciples in Mission” offers strategies to energize small Christian communities, families and individuals, she said.

A primary focus of the program is the Sunday liturgy, involving parishioners in creating a welcoming, hospitable atmosphere to make churches feel more like home.

Another highlight of the Disciples program activated primarily during Lent gives opportunities to small groups to come together in Sunday Scripture study.

“It’s an opportunity for people to make connections with life situations to share their faith stories in small groups,” Sister McCarthy said.

Other evangelization experiences involve trained parish volunteers organizing lectionary-based family activity programs and weekly parish bulletin inserts to provide parishioners with educational information regarding aspects of evangelization.

A retreat planning day is held in the spring to enable parishes to look at their specific needs so they may more effectively reach out to such groups as seniors, single-parent families or youth who may be underserved.

Father Ricardo Giraldo, who was appointed in June to coordinate Hispanic evangelization programs for the diocese, will play a vital role in implementing the “Disciples in Mission” program for the sizable Hispanic population in the diocese.

“My task is to move people to do what lay people must do,” said Father Giraldo, “to take their commitment seriously to ignite parishes with a new evangelization.”

Father Giraldo has extensive experience in the charismatic renewal, having served as episcopal vicar for the charismatic movement in the neighboring Diocese of Stockton from 1987-1996 and in the same position in Ecuador from 1996-2000.

He has made it a priority to get the word out about the new evangelization program with charismatic prayer groups and leaders in parishes from Red Bluff to Vallejo and Lake Tahoe to Marysville.

“We’re adapting ‘Disciples in Mission’ to the Hispanic culture, bringing the program to the people,” said Father Giraldo, who is planning as step one a series of retreats that bring people together for encounters with Christ.

He believes a key to the success of the evangelization program is strong support from pastors.

“We need pastors working with the people because this program can help them enter (parishioners’) homes during the week,” he stated.

Workshops to introduce “Disciples in Mission” were led by Paulist Father Robert Rivers, director of diocesan and parish services for the PNCEA, in September in Sacramento and Red Bluff for pastors, parochial vicars and parish lay representatives.

Father Rivers will serve as liaison to the diocese for the program for the next five years, returning in January for a two-day training session for a 20 to 25-member diocesan leadership team. He will be joined later in 2001 by Sister Dominga Zapata to train a leadership team from the Hispanic community.

Sister McCarthy added that a massive prayer campaign is being planned for January to launch the evangelization program.

“Evangelization is the work of the Holy Spirit,” she said. “We’re depending on the spirit to do the work.”

The Office of Evangelization has targeted the date of June 1, 2001 for parishes to have selected coordinators who will be trained to facilitate local evangelization programs.

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