Conversions & Evangelization

I came across a couple of interesting news stories yesterday. The first told of a record number of people in England who will be received into the Church this Easter. According to the Catholic Herald, a Catholic newspaper in the U.K., over 4,700 people took part in the Rite of Election last weekend in England and Wales. Many of these people, both lay and clergy, are Anglicans who are taking advantage of the personal ordinariate announced by the Vatican last year. Bishop Kieran Conry, who oversees the Bishops’ Department for Evangelization and Catechesis, stated:

“The witness of so many people taking this life-changing step is so very encouraging. Each year people freely choose to come forward from all walks of life, bringing with them unique experiences and talents. The Catholic community welcomes them with love and the assurance of prayer. If you’re considering taking a similar step or are not sure yet, come and see. Give your local Catholic church a ring or ask a Catholic friend for help."

To read the entire article, click here: Record Number to Be Received

The other story, from the Catholic News Service, addresses the upcoming World Youth Day scheduled to be held in Madrid this August. The organizers now estimate it will draw well over one million participants from around the world. What a wonderful sign of hope this is! (Click here to read the full story: One Million Expected at WYD)

Youth in Procession - Montserrat

Over the past decade, Diane and I have noticed obvious sings of spritiual interest and growth among our youth, the teens and twenty-somethings who will lead the Church in the near future. On our several visits to Rome since the Holy Year of 2000, we adults and seniors attending papal audiences seemed always to be outnumbered by the young people. And their enthusiasm was over-the-top and contagious.

On our recent stay in Barcelona, perhaps the most secular city in Europe, we couldn't help but notice the large numbers of young people we encountered during our visit to the monastery and shrine at nearby Montserrat. These young folks weren't simply tourists; they were pilgrims. One Catholic youth group, leaving the basilica in the company of a couple of young, enthusiastic priests, joined together in a typically unorganized procession, carried the cross, sang hymns, and danced the sardana, the traditional national dance of Catalunya. It was a marvelous sight.

Young musicians tune up - Montserrat

I have included a video I took below. Unfortunately I didn't video their procession as they left the Church, but I did take a few still photos (above).

Pray for our young people, that the Holy Spirit continue to work within them. Unlike the generation of their parents and grandparents, they will be the evangelizers in this wounded world, the future of the Church in these challenging times. How blessed we are to have them.