Since Jesus and the Apostles, the Church has been “on mission.” It was true then and remains true today. It is the purpose of the Church, perhaps best said by Pope Francis: To the extent the Church is missionary, she becomes “church.” In this present age the Church has expressed this divine mission and self-understanding in various documents, describes herself as: “missionary by its very nature” (AG 2), missionary in her “deepest identity” (EN 14), missionary in that it is part of “the very nature of Christian life” (RM 1), and that “to say Church is to say mission” (TEE 16).
But what does that mean for St. Francis of Assisi here in North Raleigh? Are we a missionary parish? As soon as you ask the question, you enter a vocabulary that raises even more questions. Are words such as “evangelization”, “witness”, “outreach”, and more – are these “mission” in and of themselves, or are they but a constituent part, a necessary part of mission? And what is ‘new evangelization’? “Evangelization,” says Father George, “is one of those things that’s a long, winding road, but the answer of how you engage St. Francis of Raleigh is going to be a different answer than how you engage any other parish.”
What might our parish’s Franciscan legacy offer to the conversation and discernment? For more than 800 years, the Franciscan order has been “on mission.” Father Steve Kluge once said, “St. Francis isn’t Franciscan because the Friars are here. St. Francis is Franciscan because of all of you, and will remain Franciscan because of you after we leave.” The Franciscans were the first religious order whose constitution contained a specific missionary mandate. In the intervening years, that mandate has literally taken the Order “to the end of the earth.” We’ve learned a few things as we’ve traveled along this way; one being that we are all called to mission as Franciscans.
On October 17th, our annual Franciscan Symposium explores “a few things” from the Franciscan experience of mission. Our keynote speaker will be Fr. George Corrigan, OFM, who is currently “on mission” at St. Francis of Assisi in Triangle, VA. Some might remember when he was assigned to Raleigh for an intern year some 20 years ago. Some might even remember that Bishop Burbidge ordained him to the priesthood right here in our church.
As part of his formal education, Fr. George holds a Master’s Certificate in Franciscan Studies with his program thesis on this very topic: “Mission in the 3rd Millennium: a Franciscan Perspective.” His life experience also includes 3.5 years as a missionary in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya. He will share stories that flow from these two streams, reflecting on
- The history of mission in the Catholic Church: lessons learned along the way.
- The constants of the Church’s missionary activity and purpose over the ages
- The unique Franciscan experience and perspective of the missionary endeavor
- What all that might mean for a modern parish in the 3rd millennium.
- Reflections on parish vision, values and ministry
- Celebrating what St. Francis already does well and imagining new avenues for “mission.”
Does any of this mean knocking on doors in the neighborhood? Standing on downtown corners or in shopping centers with a megaphone proclaiming the Gospel? I suspect the average parishioner would recoil at the very thought. But it might mean “gossiping the Gospel over the backyard fence” by explaining your personal experience and what your faith means for you, with the realization that mission, evangelization, witness, and all the rest are personal encounters in which the Holy Spirit does the “heavy lifting.”
“Preach the gospel at all times, use words as necessary.” As nice as that sounds, St. Francis never said it. But Francis did promise that the Holy Spirit would move us to speak and share the faith. And in those times, “mission” is as simple as, “You know…this is what my faith does for Let me tell you a story…”
The Church’s most basic missionary endeavor is to tell stories. Join us on Saturday, October 17th from 8:30 am to 2 pm for the 6th Annual Franciscan Spirit and Life Convocation to hear stories of mission and begin to imagine new evangelization at St. Francis, Raleigh. Register for the Convocation here to view the schedule and speakers.
