Evangelization is a theological word that means bringing the Good News of Jesus into every human situation and seeking to change individuals and society by the divine power of the Gospel itself.  It’s no small order, and is carried out in the preaching of the word and the sharing of the gospel among people.

There are familiar ways by which evangelization happens.  When we live God's love in our daily life, we evangelize.  When by love and support that people, we evangelize.  When parents pass faith on to their children, they evangelize.  When the Word is proclaimed in our Cathedral, we evangelize.  When the worship services that happen in the Cathedral are deeply moving celebrations of the saving deeds of Jesus, we evangelize.  In our social justice efforts to build up our community locally in West Michigan, we evangelize.  In the care we show to those most in need; in the ways we thoughtfully go about our work, share with our neighbors, and treat the strangers in our midst, we evangelize.  In other words, through the ordinary patterns of our Catholic life, the Holy Spirit brings about change and a new life in Christ which is the essence of evangelization.

For true evangelization two elements need to be at work: witness, which is the simple living of the faith; and sharing, which is spreading the Good News of Jesus in an explicit way. At the Cathedral it is our hope that all our members will be witnesses to Jesus' presence in our lives, and that we will all have the courage to share that gift with the people who live around us.