The Diocese of Trenton, in partnership with the North American Forum on the Catechumenate, is hosting The Evangelizing Parish Institute June 22-23 in St. Paul Parish, Princeton.

On June 22, the institute will run from 5 to 8:30 p.m. and on June 23, the hours are from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

The institute will break open the Church’s vision of evangelization, explore connections between evangelization and a parish’s way of life, and invite a deepened commitment to and passion for evangelization. The institute is intended for parish leadership – both ordained and lay, parish employees, catechetical leaders, parish directors and coordinators of the catechumenate, evangelization committees, liturgical committees and any lay faithful who are interested in promoting the Church’ mission of evangelization.

According to John Boucher, associate director for evangelization in the diocesan Ministry of Catechesis and Evangelization, the institute is intended to stimulate greater participation in the life of the parish community and in the mission of the Church and to strengthen the willingness and ability of Catholics to evangelize and to share their faith in Jesus Christ.

“In October, we will enter the Year of Faith proclaimed by Pope Benedict XVI and we will be invited to immerse ourselves ever more deeply in the New Evangelization,” said Boucher, as he gave background on the institute. “Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., has expressed on numerous occasions the need for all to become more evangelizing – to learn how to reach out to the more than 80 percent of our Catholics (in the Trenton Diocese) who are not connected with our worshipping communities.”

Boucher noted that the institute is also being held in response to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ recently released statement: “Disciples Called to Witness: The New Evangelization.”

Representatives from the North American Forum on the Catechumenate who will lead the Institute include Linda Licata and Michael Ruzicki.

Licata has more than 20 years of experience in initiation ministry on both parish and diocesan levels. A Forum team member, she currently chairs the Commission on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults in the Diocese of Charlotte and coordinates adult initiation in her parish.

Ruzicki serves the Archdiocese of Baltimore as the coordinator of Adult and Sacramental Formation and as a member of the archdiocesan liturgical commission. With several years of experience as a parish pastoral associate for liturgy and music, he also serves on the Council of Chapters of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.

Registration fee is $225 per person. However, $100 credit will be granted to the first 100 people who register from the Diocese of Trenton. Early-bird registration by May 11 receives an additional $20 discount. All registration is due May 25. Send payment to: The North American Forum on the Catechumenate Institute Registration, P.O. Box 79459, Baltimore, Md. 21279-0459. To register by phone, call 202-884-9758; fax: 202-884-9747; e-mail: [email protected] or visit: www.naforum.org.

Diocesan departments that are collaborating with the North American Forum on the Catechumenate include the Ministry of Catechesis and Evangelization (including Small Christian Communities and Adult Faith Formation) and the Department of Lay Formation (including the Institute for Lay Ecclesial Ministry and the diocesan RCIA Ministry).

Prospective participants are also welcome to contact JoLynn Krempecki, associate director in the diocesan Department of Lay Formation, at 609-403-7130 or e-mail: [email protected].