Evangelization Committee

"Evangelizing is, in fact, the grace and vocation proper to the Church, her deepest identity. She exists in order to evangelize...." — Pope Paul VI,Evangelii Nuntiandi 14.

Jesus said, "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations": (Matt 28:19). To accomplish this mission, the Evangelization Commission of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is responsible for:

• Advocacy of evangelization within the Archdiocese;
• Development, oversight, and evaluation of evangelization initiatives;
• Fostering discussion between archdiocesan departments and parishes on how to maintain an evangelizing focus in all that we do.

"...The presentation of the Gospel message is not an optional contribution for the Church. It is the duty incumbent on her by the command of the Lord Jesus, so that people can believe and be saved. This message is indeed necessary. It is unique. It cannot be replaced. It does not permit either indifference, syncretism or accommodation. It is a question of people's salvation. ... It is able to stir up by itself faith - faith that rests on the power of God. It is truth. It merits having the apostle consecrate to it all his time and all his energies, and to sacrifice for it, if necessary, his own life." — Pope Paul VI,Evangelii Nuntiandi 5.

Introductory documents

These documents provide the starting point for study of Catholic evangelization today:

• Pope Paul VI.Evangelii Nuntiandi(Evangelization in the Modern World). December 8, 1975. (Spanish)
• US Conference of Catholic Bishops.Go and Make Disciples: A National Plan and Strategy for Catholic Evangelization in the United States. 1992. (Spanish)
• Pope John Paul II
  • Novo Millennio Inuente.January 6, 2001. (Spanish) An exhortation to a renewed evangelization "at the beginning of the new millennium." "Go out into the deep!"
  • Redemptoris Missio: On the Permanent Validity of the Church's Missionary Mandate. December 7, 1990. (Spanish). Pope John Paul II's call for a "new evangelization," he defined as the "re-evangelization" "traditionally Christian areas."

USCCB Secretariat for Evangelization

• Bibliography
  • Journey to the Fullness of Life: A Report on the Implementation of the RCIA in the United States

Catholic Identity Brochure & Learning More about the Catholic Faith

The Archdiocesan Evangelization Commission has created a brochure to assist in evangelizing about the Catholic faith. The brochure entitled "Living the Catholic Faith" is a great resource for anyone interested in learning about the Catholic Church. It summarizes the principal concepts of our Catholic faith. Go HERE to view the brochure in English, Spanish or Vietnamese.

Evangelization and Catechesis

• Pope John Paul II.Catechesi Tradendae: On Catechesis in Our Time. October 16, 1979. (Spanish) "...The definitive aim of catechesis is to put people not only in touch but in communion, in intimacy, with Jesus Christ." CT 5.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church. (Spanish)
• Compendium of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. (Spanish)

Evangelization of Culture

• Pope John Paul II.
  • Ecclesia in America: On the Encounter with the Living Jesus Christ: The Way to Conversion, Communion and Solidarity in America.January 22, 1999. (Spanish)
  • Evangelium Vitae: On the Value and Inviolability of Human Life. March 25, 1995. (Spanish)
  • Veritatis Splendor: On the Splendor of Truth. August 6, 1993. (Spanish)
  • Centesimus Annus: On the hundredth anniversary of Rerum Novarum. May 1, 1991. (Spanish)
  • Christifidelis Laici: On the Vocation and the Mission of the Lay Faithful in the Church and in the World. December 30, 1988. (Spanish)
  • Familiaris Consortio: On the Role of the Christian Family in the Modern World. November 22, 1981.