More than 30 men and women, selected by their pastors as parish evangelization coordinators, met June 30 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Sacramento to learn how to initiate the Disciples in Mission process in their parishes. The meeting was the first of four planned this summer.

To date 40 parishes have committed to the three-year evangelization process, a ministry of the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association. The process focuses on energizing parishes through small group sharing of Sunday Scripture readings during Lent, creating a more welcoming atmosphere at Sunday liturgies together with activities for teens, families and multicultural evangelization efforts. The goal of the process is to instill in parishioners an enthusiasm for their faith that will be communicated to family, friends and co-workers.

“We anticipate that several other parishes, now considering the Disciples in Mission process, will be joining us,” according to Mercy Sister Susan McCarthy, director of the diocesan office of evangelization. “There are also parishes who have chosen other evangelization experiences and will be putting their energies into implementing those efforts.”

Coordinators for Disciples in Mission from throughout the diocese met June 30 at the Diocesan Pastoral Center for initial instructions in implementing the evangelization process in their parishes. Fran Vitulli photo

Sacramento-area parishes participating are the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, All Hallows, Immaculate Conception, Sacred Heart, St. Anthony, St. Joseph, St. Mary, St. Philomene and Vietnamese Catholic Martyrs in Sacramento; St. John the Evangelist in Carmichael; St. John Vianney in Rancho Cordova; and St. Joseph in Lincoln.

St. Lawrence Parish in North Highlands, which has had faith-sharing groups for many years, will also participate using other components of the Disciples in Mission process to augment its current evangelization efforts.

Siskiyou and Shasta County parishes participating are St. John in Dunsmuir, St. Joseph in McCloud, Holy Family in Weed, St. Joseph in Yreka and Sacred Heart in Anderson.

Parishes from the northern Sacramento Valley participating are Our Divine Savior in Chico, St. Thomas the Apostle in Oroville, St. Thomas More in Paradise, Immaculate Conception in Corning and Sacred Heart in Maxwell.

Plumas and Lassen County parishes are Holy Family in Portola and Sacred Heart in Susanville.

Parishes participating from mountain and foothill counties are Immaculate Conception in Downieville, Corpus Christi in Tahoe City, St. Patrick in Placerville, and Immaculate Conception in Sutter Creek.

Yolo and Solano County parishes participating are St. James in Davis; St. Peter in Dixon; St. Anthony in Winters; St. Paul in Knights Landing; St. Dominic in Benicia; St. Mary in Vacaville; Holy Spirit in Fairfield; Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Fairfield; and St. Catherine and St. Vincent Ferrer in Vallejo. St. Joseph Parish in Vacaville currently has small faith-sharing groups organized, but will use other features of Disciples in Mission to further evangelization efforts.

Future training sessions for coordinators are scheduled for July 14 at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Fairfield, July 21 at Holy Family Church in Weed and August 4 at St. Thomas the Apostle Church in Oroville.

Fran Vitulli is communications coordinator for Disciples in Mission and a member of The Catholic Herald’s advisory board.

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