“I call you to be disciples and go make disciples”

“Go Make Disciples! Building a Culture of Conversion and Discipleship for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City”

Preface

“Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ!” (Gal. 1:3)
 
It is with great joy I write you once again, the people of God in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. It has been five years since the publication of my previous pastoral letter, “Go Make Disciples.” Much has happened in the past five years, and there is much to celebrate.
 
The purpose of this pastoral letter is to refocus the vision and consider what the Lord has been doing in our archdiocese and where the Spirit is leading us over the course of the next few years. Our fundamental vision to “go make disciples” has not changed. We are called to be disciples; called to pursue holiness and mission; called to become saints. We are still called to evangelize, to be witnesses, and to live authentic lives as missionary disciples. After five years, we have greater clarity and alignment in our mission.
 
“Go Make Disciples” set out three overarching goals – New Evangelization, Hispanic Ministry and Faith Formation.
 
We established an office for the New Evangelization and restructured the chancery to combine evangelization, catechesis and formation into a new secretariat that is aligned for greater collaboration and clarity of direction.
 
We have strengthened faith formation throughout the archdiocese, building on a solid foundation of education and catechesis established by the dedication of countless religious sisters and brothers, priests, lay teachers and catechists who have served tirelessly for generations.
 
One of the most significant developments in recent years has been the tremendous momentum with our Hispanic Ministry. We acknowledged five years ago that we faced a challenge with the burgeoning Hispanic populations in many of our parishes. This strategic priority led to an expansion of our Hispanic outreach and plans to build a beautiful shrine and church honoring Blessed Stanley Rother that will also help us minister to the growing Hispanic population.
 
We celebrate these accomplishments and acknowledge the undeniable signs of God’s grace and favor. We never would have accomplished these things without his divine assistance. God always takes the initiative. He awaits our response. When we cooperate with God’s grace our efforts bear fruit. Disciples – and the things they do in the world – are the “good fruit” coming from “good soil” that we read about in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew Ch. 13.
 
We see countless examples of this good fruit throughout the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. The core of this good fruit is strong Catholic families, in which parents are striving to raise children to be missionary disciples. The family is the first cell of society and of the Church, and one of the most important institutions for us to invest in and protect. As Saint John Paul II reminds us, the family is the “domestic church.”
 
As we bear fruit, we must share it with our brothers and sisters. We have many examples of Catholics sharing their faith through works of mercy. Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City is recognized nationally for the ministries and assistance provided to Oklahomans in need throughout the archdiocese. Sister BJ’s Pantry is another shining light in our midst, serving more than 400 homeless and hungry men, women and children every week with food, clothing, hope and friendship.
 
In Okarche, The Center of Family Love, inspired and supported by the Knights of Columbus, has prospered with a commitment to serve the needs of the intellectually disabled and vulnerable adults through residential programs, a new Blessed Stanley Rother Chapel and vocational centers. And, there are many more examples.
 
The seeds of faith we have sown are producing an increase in the number of young men discerning their vocation in the seminary, and deacon candidate classes increase with every cycle. Through the new Catholic Conference of Oklahoma, we are making a meaningful impact on public policy issues that are important to Catholics across the state in coordination with the Diocese of Tulsa.
 
Years of prayer and dedication were rewarded in September 2017 with the beatification of Oklahoma’s own Blessed Stanley Rother. This momentous occasion marked a new chapter in the life of the Church in Oklahoma and attracted Catholics and non-Catholics from around the world to celebrate the life and witness of the first U.S.-born martyr and parish priest ever beatified.
 
As we grow in faith, our changing ministerial needs must be addressed as well. To address these shared archdiocesan needs and parish needs we have launched the first archdiocesan capital campaign, “One Church, Many Disciples.” Parish after parish has exceeded their financial goals and made plans to strengthen multiple ministries that will benefit many generations to come. The campaign has been so successful, that, in August, I established a new challenge goal that at the time of this letter we have every hope of reaching. We certainly have experienced God’s favor.
 
As I reflect on our abundant blessings, I am aware of our struggles and scandals as well. We are living through a time of crisis in our beloved Church due to recent revelations of sexual abuse and the abuse of power, and violations of trust by members of the clergy, the very men in whom we should be able to recognize the loving image of Christ the Good Shepherd. Such an evil betrayal understandably provokes anger, confusion and sadness. In these times when our faith may be shaken, we must turn to God and humbly rededicate ourselves to repentance and the pursuit of holiness. God has not abandoned us. He will always be faithful, even when we are not.
 
With all of this as the backdrop, I call on us as an archdiocese and as the Body of Christ to a renewed commitment to authentic discipleship. We give thanks for the abundant harvest that God has brought forth in our archdiocese. It is my prayer that we continue to advance in a direction that bears abundant fruit in the coming years, even “thirty, sixty and a hundredfold.” I call you to be disciples and go make disciples! This is why we are here! This is our mission.