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Although almost all Paulist ministry can be seen under the broad umbrella of evangelization, the Paulists have sponsored the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association (PNCEA) since 1977 with a particular focus on evangelization.
Stemming from the historic involvement of Paulists in inviting seekers to discover Jesus Christ in the Catholic tradition, and our significant involvement in the apostolate of conversion work in both the United States and Canada, PNCEA has provided leadership to the broader Church in four areas:
- It has served as consultants to the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Evangelization, to dioceses, and to diocesan and parish leaders.
- It has developed a range of materials to help people better understand the Catholic faith and share their faith with others.
- It has played a major role in equipping Catholics to evangelize through materials, institutes, courses, and lectures.
- In recent years, it has pioneered the use of Internet training for evangelization.
PNCEA is dedicated to furthering the cause of the Catholic faith in the modern environments of America and Canada. Although small in size and staff, its collaboration with dioceses, parishes, and organizations augments its voice. Its widely used program, Disciples in Mission, An Evangelization Experience, has touched the lives of nearly five million Catholics in the United States.
PNCEA welcomes the collaboration and the prayerful and financial support of those who wish to further its mission.
About PNCEA
The Paulist Fathers established the Paulist National Catholic Evangelization Association in 1977 to equip Catholics to evangelize. Father Alvin A. Illig, C.S.P., (1926-1991) was the founding director. A gifted and dedicated Paulist missionary, Father Illig devoted his life to making evangelization a Church priority in the United States. He helped Catholics recover the great commission of Jesus Christ to evangelize the world (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, United States Catholic Catechism for Adults, Washington: USCCB, 2006, p. 136).
PNCEA’s mission is to build up the body of Christ by equipping Catholics to evangelize. We provide practical and user-friendly programs and resources such as Disciples in Mission, PNCEA Prison Ministries, and ENVISION: Planning Our Parish Future, to Catholic arch/dioceses, parishes, and individuals, helping them to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to inactive Catholics and to those with no church family.
Recent resources to equip parishes to evangelize include Best Practices for Parishes, a Self-Study and Action Planning Tool, a four-pamphlet series titled The Eucharistic Community, and Catholics Reaching Out: Inviting Inactive Catholics to Return to the Church. Our newest resource, Awakening Faith, Reconnecting With Your Catholic Faith, helps parishes to invite and welcome inactive Catholics.
Utilizing the Internet, we also offer the Online Forum for arch/diocesan leaders in evangelization; Catholic Speakers Online for diocesan and parish leaders; the online newsletter, Evangelization Exchange; the Paulist Evangelization Training Institute Online to foster parish-based evangelization; and Proclaiming Christ: Sharing the Gift of Our Catholic Faith, our annual online conference for Catholic evangelization.
