The Evangelical Catholic: Transforming Our Community Through Discipleship, Prayer and Evangelization

For the last two years, Saint Michael Parish leaders and staff have been diving into deeper faith formation. By cultivating disciples, our parish is bringing the Gospel to life in a new way and serving the Church more effectively. Through a 12-week program by the Evangelical Catholic, SMP is slowly but surely transforming our community through discipleship, prayer, and evangelization.

When Michaela Moreau attended a four-day workshop through the Evangelical Catholic, she immediately knew that this was something that fit right in with the mission of our parish. She shared the idea with Fr. Jim and he agreed that if the parish leaders and volunteers had more formation and understood how to serve as missionary disciples, then everything the parish offered would benefit.

The 12-week formation course involves a group of 10-12 parishioners who meet weekly for an hour and a half, then meet one-on-one with the facilitator for an hour. Throughout the program, participants have guided daily prayer, watch videos, and read Scripture, the Catechism, and encyclicals for group discussions. The formation combines personal growth with a focus on one’s prayer life, with real skills necessary to walk with others on their faith journey. Many of the parishioners who completed the program have been using what they learned in their small groups.

Jill McAuley was new to the Evangelical Catholic when she first helped as a facilitator. However, she took what she learned and has since applied it as a small-group leader.

“It has helped me to be more intentional,” Jill says. “I feel like our conversations and discussions are really spirit-led. It has been really neat to see the fruit that has come out of small groups.”

Before introducing the Evangelical Catholic, smallgroup leaders received a two-hour training and were given materials to incorporate in small groups. Now, small-group leaders have the chance to really develop their prayer lives. By diving deeper into prayer, leaders open themselves to the movement of the Holy Spirit. Prayer can make big things happen.

Jill found that the formation in developing one-on-one relationships and learning how to walk with her fellow Catholics in faith has served her well in her small group.

“What appealed to me is the need to grow in friendship and relationship with people that we share the same faith with, to make our faith become more vibrant, to talk about it and support each other,” Jill says.

As we look to the future, we can be sure that our leaders who have been formed through the Evangelical Catholic will do great things for our parish, rejuvenate the faith, and spread the Gospel, all while following the example of Christ’s own disciples.

If you would like more information about the Evangelical Catholic, please contact Michaela Moreau at 360-292-7104 or mmoreau@saintmichaelparish.org.

(From left) John Hipp, Jill McAuley, Michaela Moreau, Fr. Jim.

Cultivating disciples, bringing the Gospel to life in a new way and serving the Church more effectively