The Jesuit community is well-known in Buffalo as the administrators of Canisius College, Canisius High School and St. Michael Parish.

A large congregation came to St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo on the first Sunday of Lent, March 10, as Bishop Richard J. Malone celebrated Mass for the Rite of Election for Catechumens and Call to Continuing Conversion of Candidates.

Leading national and international speakers and top creative minds working in theology and philosophy will again converge on Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 22-23 for the 2019 International Conference for Collaborative Philosophy, Theology and Ministry.

Wondering just how Catholics can live as missionary disciples? Pope Francis' suggests that we do it by visiting with those at the margins. In other words, we learn to be missionaries by spending time in the company of those with whom church insiders can find it most difficult. If we want our parishes to thrive and not merely survive, we need to pay attention to those who we find hardest to understand. Why? Because that is where many of God's people are. Our purpose is to connect, welcome and engage them.

"You're not listening to me!" We have all said those words. We feel hurt, disrespected, and perhaps even angry when others seem to ignore what we have to say. Now, in good Catholic fashion, let's do an examination of conscience. Are we listening well to others?

They say that joy is the truest sign of God's presence. Our most recent popes have called upon all Catholics to spread the joy of knowing Jesus with a new and missionary fervor. A joy for the Gospel, of which Pope Francis so often speaks, can only succeed if it exudes at all levels of church life - personal, parish, school, campus, in health care, and social services. But we cannot give what we do not possess. How would your parish score in its capacity for joy, these days?

SPRINGBROOK — By this summer, more local Catholics may be "takin' it to the streets" as part of two new initiatives at St. Vincent de Paul Parish, in Springbrook. A special training workshop will be held on April 21 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. for those wishing to effectively minister to people in the community.

When I mentioned to a friend that I intended to write this month's column on the new evangelization, he accused me of having an obsession - a "holy" obsession, he qualified - with that theme. I told him that if I do indeed have such an obsession, it is because I am convinced that the work of helping people encounter Jesus Christ and His saving message is the primary mission of the Church ... at this time, and at all times. Evangelization is, as Blessed Paul VI declared in his 1976 encyclical "Evangelii Nuntiandi," the "deepest identity" of the Church. The Church, he wrote, "exists in order to evangelize" (#14).

When I mentioned to a friend that I intended to write this month's column on the new evangelization, he accused me of having an obsession - a "holy" obsession, he qualified - with that theme. I told him that if I do indeed have such an obsession, it is because I am convinced that the work of helping people encounter Jesus Christ and His saving message is the primary mission of the Church ... at this time, and at all times. Evangelization is, as Blessed Paul VI declared in his 1976 encyclical "Evangelii Nuntiandi," the "deepest identity" of the Church. The Church, he wrote, "exists in order to evangelize" (#14).

"Shhh. The baby is sleeping." Every parent of a newborn has whispered these words. Christmas is our whispering season. Christmas quiets the world. It is time to do what God did for us. It is time to share the Son of God with the world, quietly. God knows, a whisper is sometimes the best way to get a message across.

Pope Francis calls us to be "missionary disciples." In recent messages, he speaks of a "new" evangelization and two notions that to some ears sound opposite: a missionary (someone who is sent away) and disciples (called to accompany, or be with, those who are near). Which is it?

St. Joseph Cathedral, the central church for the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, has undergone a changing of the guard. Father Charles E. Slisz has come out of retirement to take over the role of cathedral rector from Father Peter Drilling, who has served in that position since 2014. Father Drilling will continue his long career teaching at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora.

As I write this column, I am in Massachusetts, the "land of my birth," where I have been blessed to step out of the whirlwind for a few quiet summer days of R and R. I should add a third R to Rest and Relaxation, as a vacation priority for me always is to catch up on Reading.

In apostolic times, when the Church in Jerusalem was in great distress, St. Paul did not hesitate to ask the Catholics of Corinth to give generously to the relief of their brothers in religion. This bond of human solidarity and Christian brotherhood has been in the Church through the ages. Whenever distress came to our brothers in the faith in one part of the world, those in other parts were always willing to extend to them their helping hand.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Church in Africa approved 54 grants totaling nearly $1.4 million in funding to support dioceses and pastoral projects across the African continent.

For 35 years, the Erie County Fair has hosted an annual tradition, one that is relatively unknown even to many Western New Yorkers, but consistently draws a crowd of around 200 people each year. Held on the fairgrounds' Evans Bank Family Entertainment Complex, this year's Mass on the Midway, a Catholic service to accompany its annual day honoring veterans, will take place at 10 a.m., Sunday, Aug. 13.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America awarded nearly $4 million in funding in the form of 244 grants to support the pastoral work of the Church in Latin America and the Caribbean, and nearly $2 million in funding for continued reconstruction in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. The grants were approved at the Subcommittee's meeting on June 12 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Although they have long histories, many Catholic parishes in the United States has become plagued by an issue many pastors have noticed, one that could lead to a shorter history than they would like. With many millennials, or young adults born during an ill-defined time period that usually includes the 1980s to late 1990s, not attending Church or participating in religion in general, parishes have been put in a bind.

On Independence Day weekend, Bishop Richard Malone, along with 18 other representatives from the Diocese of Buffalo, participated in the Convocation of Catholic Leaders in Orlando, Florida. The four-day event brought together a diverse group of over 3,000 Catholics who joined more than 150 bishops from across the United States to respond to Pope Francis's call, in Evangelii Guadium, "to embark upon a new chapter of evangelization marked by the Joy of the Gospel, to become ever more, and to form others as missionary disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Do you sometimes wonder, though, why so many people, maybe even beloved relatives or friends, can't seem to find that joy that comes from knowing Jesus? Do you worry that they may perhaps have never truly encountered Him?

Dennis Mahaney, Diocesean Director of Evangelization and Catechesis, discusses the upcoming Convocation of Catholic Leaders sponsored by the USCCB.

This summer, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be convening an unprecedented gathering of diverse leaders from dioceses and Catholic organizations from across the country to assess the challenges and opportunities of our time, particularly in the context of the Church in the United States. An ongoing initiative of the Bishops' Working Group on the Life and Dignity of the Human Person, the Convocation of Catholic Leaders: The Joy of the Gospel in America, will assemble Catholic leaders in Orlando, Florida for a strategic conversation, under the leadership of the bishops, on forming missionary disciples to animate the Church and to engage the culture.

If you re-read the Easter passages in the Gospels through fresh eyes you find people rushing to share their joy in Jesus Christ. Quite simply, that is evangelization. Pope Francis taught about joy in a pithy, powerful morning homily at Casa Santa Marta (May 23, 2016). "A Christian is a man, or a woman, of joy: a man and a woman with joy in their heart. There is no Christian without joy! You may be told that there are many such Christians, they are not Christians! They say they are, but they are not! They are missing something," he said.

On the first Saturday of each month from September through June, a faith formation program for people with disabilities and their families meets at Baker Victory Services' Baker Hall School in Buffalo from noon until 2:30 p.m. This ministry, called God's Family, allows individuals to connect with other families who have experienced similar life circumstances while also learning more about their Catholic faith.

Lent is well known to Catholics and non-Catholics alike. That makes it a great time to share the Gospel. People understand that it is time to get serious about spiritual matters.

Bishop Richard J. Malone welcomed 158 people into the Catholic faith by saying that their call to conversion "may have come as a whisper or as a roar," but in either case, they heard it and opted to say a public, "Yes, Lord, here I am."

On Sunday, March 5, the first Sunday in Lent, Bishop Richard J. Malone will celebrate the Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion at St. Joseph Cathedral, 50 Franklin St., Buffalo, at 3:30 p.m. for the Diocese of Buffalo.

The reasons people choose to be Catholic are many. Some join the faith for a spouse. Others join after years of seeking a fill for a void. Many find comfort in the sacraments.

Rite of Election and the Call to Continuing Conversion: Sunday, March 5, 3:30 p.m., St. Joseph Cathedral. At the Rite of Election, catechumens are "elected," or chosen by God through the ministry of the bishop, for the sacraments of initiation

Sports are like religion in many ways. People identify with sports teams the way they identify with their religion. They gather to celebrate and sing together. Sometimes they mourn together. People dress in special clothes to play or just be a fan. There are even similarities with the halls of fame and canonized saints.

NIAGARA FALLS — Since 2014, Niagara Falls has had a local unit of the Federation of North American Explorers, a Catholic outdoor adventure movement for youth that works to promote faith, develop character, and train young people in outdoor skills.

Parishioners of St. Benedict's received a warm welcome from a group of young adults last month. Members of Dynamis WNY, a New Evangelization effort inspired by St. John Paul II, greeted those who entered the Eggertsville church as part of the group's hospitality effort.

On the opening day of the Catholic bishops' annual fall assembly in Baltimore, Bishop Richard J. Malone, bishop of Buffalo, discussed plans for an unprecedented gathering of Catholic leaders next July in Orlando, Florida.

The St. Mary Swormville Faith Community recently raised $1,000 to purchase ten milk cows for families in Nicaragua missions by collecting and redeeming recyclables.

It's been just about a year since Father Andrew Lauricella exchanged his role of a parish priest for an office in the downtown Buffalo Catholic Center. He now serves as the director of vocations for the diocese. He has gone from bringing God to the people, to bringing people to God.

EAST AURORA — Christ the King Seminary will offer a new course, Ministry Essentials: Introductions to Catholic Teachings, this fall. The course will offer foundational information on Catholic teachings, including essential themes, history and vocabulary for faith formation and other parish ministries. Dennis Mahaney, M.Div., director of evangelization and parish life for the diocese, will serve as the primary instructor for the class, along with seminary faculty and guest lecturers.

The Legion of Mary will appear on Filipino Day at the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Lewiston on Saturday, July 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The day will include a rosary procession and Mass, as well as a potluck lunch at 12:30 p.m., and a Filipino cultural presentation.

Over the summer, bonfires blaze, children are out of school and summer clothes make their return from the back of the closet. However, for parishes in the diocese, summer is also a prime opportunity for faith formation and ensuring parishes and their faith remain strong throughout warmer months of the year in Buffalo.