Evangelization (growing the parish) is an ongoing ministry of the parish, a process by which the power of the Good News of Jesus makes people into disciples or reinforces their discipleship according to God’s desire to transform all humanity. A parish’s strategy should have three reference points: The parish community itself; members of the community who are not church members: the overarching aim of transforming all human existence.

We cannot evangelize without being changed. This ministry will bring as much to the parish as it offers to others outside the parish. A relatively simple evangelization technique is to invite others to visit our parish and look through their eyes to see how we are viewed. We can use the measuring stick of what others see, and seek, when they come to us. Until we develop the capacity to reach out to those who are not members of parish our growth will be relatively small.

As Catholics we interact in our social life with many co-workers and friends who have no “spiritual home” how would they react if we invited them to our Palm Sunday, Easter or Christmas services. Inviting a friend to join us clearly says we find a benefit from attending our Church and would enjoy having others enjoy that very same spiritual growth and benefit.

“This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased” Are you considering making known the love of our Heavenly Father as a priest, deacon, religious sister or brother? Speak with Fr Ed or one of the Sisters, or contact the Vocation Office at 718-827-2454 or [email protected].

The U.S. Census Bureau is recruiting for part-time and full-time positions to help make the 2010 Census a success. These jobs offer good pay from $14 to $20 an hour, paid training and reimbursement for work-related expenses. Our mission is to make sure everyone is counted in our local Brooklyn community. It is very important to have people from each neighborhood to assist them. The first step is to take a basic skills test: to schedule for this test, call 718-360-5150.

In four weeks we begin the celebration of the Lenten Season (a fitting time to climb the holy mountain of Easter). We use this season for penance and for the renewal of our baptismal promises. Traditionally the parish provides a series of daily Lenten Meditations to nourish our Spiritual growth during this season. We extend an invitation to all members of the parish to write a meditation they would like to share with everyone. The submissions will be written up in booklet form and shared with everyone. Please e-mail or drop into the collection basket your meditations no later than Jan. 31.