The New Emangelization Project

Over forty years have passed since the launch of the New Evangelization following Vatican II.  In the intervening years, Blessed Pope John Paul II has reiterated that “entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith”[1] and has urged the Church to engage in a New Evangelization with new “ardor, methods and expressions.”[2]  To date, the Church has not called for New Evangelization efforts targeted specifically at men.[3]

This raises questions: Are Catholic men particularly vulnerable to leaving the Catholic Church?  Do fewer men with less participation in the faith have a significant impact?  Are men’s behaviors and attitudes sufficiently different as to require special approaches for evangelization?  If differences exist, are there unique male-oriented evangelization methods and expressions that might draw men into a more active life of faith in the Catholic Church? Has the Church already taken sufficient action to address the issue?  Is new “ardor” really needed in the evangelization of men?

The New Emangelization Project argues that a “New Emangelization”, a targeted effort to evangelize men as part of the New Evangelization, is both necessary and urgent.  Here’s why:

• There is a worsening “Man Crisis” in the Catholic Church and that the “Man Crisis” has significant negative long-term consequences.
• Despite making great strides in the New Evangelization, the institutional Church and academia have not yet responded aggressively to the growing “Man Crisis”.
• Men have unique evangelization challenges and that man-focused efforts are needed.

The overall goal of the New Emangelization Project is simple:  “To Draw Catholic Men to Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.” 

The New Emangelization Project is an effort to help build new ardor, expressions and methods for the evangelization of Catholic men. To do this, the New Emangelization project will engage top leaders in the Catholic Church, both in the clergy and the laity about men’s evangelization in the Catholic Church.  Key questions to answer include:

• What is state/health of the faith life in men in the Catholic Church?
• If there is a “man crisis” in the Church, what are the root causes?
• How are men different (if at all) to women in terms of engaging in Catholic/religious life?
• Does the evangelization of men require a different approach than women?  Are targeted efforts necessary?
• What is the status of the evangelization efforts of Catholic men in the Church?
• What kinds of specific evangelization techniques are effective in drawing men to Jesus Christ?
• What role do the Sacraments play in the conversion of men?
• Stepping back from the details, what are some guiding principles for the New Emangelization?

From these discussions, the New Emangelization Project will develop a set of principles to guide a New Emangelization.  In addition, through the connection to many of the on-going efforts across the Church, this website will aspire to be a clearing house for the many effective men’s evangelization efforts going on around the world which are actively drawing Catholic men into a deeper personal relationship with Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.

Because Jesus Christ is Lord, His call is perpetually relevant to men across the ages; properly evangelized, today’s Catholic men will respond as men always have to the call of Christ and His Church.