Bishop Scott McCaig imparted key foundational principles and practical advice about sparking evangelistic revitalization through his keynote speeches at the Diocese of Calgary’s first-ever renewal conference April 17 and 18 at St. Michael’s Catholic Community parish.

The 60-year-old shepherd of the Roman Catholic Military Ordinariate of Canada delivered four presentations to more than 700 Catholics from Calgary and surrounding southern Alberta communities over the two-day summit.

He declared in his opening talk that believers must not forget how the Almighty God is also “madly in love with us,” emphasizing that “genuine evangelization is a response to the love of God.” Any outreach not deriving from love “devolves into corporate strategy.”

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Tapping into his love for history and his military ties, McCaig shared a story about how the Canadian troops, widely acknowledged as formidable, suffered a disastrous defeat during the 1942 Dieppe Raid in northern France because they were using tactics better suited for the First World War. They had not yet adapted their battle plans to the new Second World War terrain, a mistake remedied in time for the 1944 D-Day landing at Juno Beach.

A key adaptation Catholics and Christians must make, said McCaig, is that “Christendom is long gone.” Economic, political and social life are no longer inspired by Gospel values, and “we are now in a new apostolic age.”

The former General Superior of the Companions of the Cross advocated responding to the new landscape by giving primacy to the kerygma, a Greek term for the core apostolic proclamation of Jesus Christ’s death, resurrection and salvific love for each of His children. A Church operating “in a kerygmatic key,” he said, stresses relationship with God.

“Our understanding of the sacraments, catechesis and community is all rooted in the kerygma, a relationship to the living God, who is reaching into our lives and speaking to us, empowering us, loving us and reconciling us,” said McCaig.

Advancing the New Evangelization is not solely the province of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. McCaig delved into the laity’s essential role in this unfolding mission. He stressed the need for each Catholic in attendance to discover the gifts the Holy Spirit indwelled in each of them — also known as charisms — and use them to build up the Church and serve others.  

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“If you were made to fulfill certain good works in this world, and as the charisms allow you to do it, don’t you think it’s kind of important to find out what they are? This would seem to be pretty fundamental,” said McCaig.

He added that “Charisms manifest the creativity of the Holy Spirit,” and, in truth, “it’s the Holy Spirit who is the principal agent of evangelization.”

Statistically, McCaig said, the most effective way to evangelize is relational, the people in your life with whom you should have a foundation of trust — family, friends, neighbours and co-workers — but you must be with them beyond their initial moment of spiritual curiosity and conversion.

“You have to walk with them,” said McCaig. “You evangelize somebody, you’re taking on the responsibility to walk with them and pastorally accompany them. You invite somebody to an Alpha course, go with them and sit with them. When they are ready, invite them to Mass and ask them to sit with your family.”

Regarding Alpha, the popular 11-week course that introduces people to the basics of the Christian faith in a non-judgmental environment, the national director of Alpha in a Catholic Context, Ed Zadeiks, appeared at the conference. He shared stories about people who became Christians, or returned to Christianity, through the program. The Vancouver Catholic also touted the program’s success rate.

“Fifty per cent of people who come through Alpha have a transformative experience and want to go deeper and enter RCIA or go deeper in the Catholic faith,” said Zadeiks.

Dan and Mary Olberg, a Calgary-based couple who serve as Catholic Christian Outreach (CCO) missionaries, demonstrated how to evangelize the spiritually curious through the CCO booklet “The Ultimate Relationship.” McCaig later mentioned how he often bestows this resource on people he encounters during his travels.

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Ryan Schmidt, the Diocese of Calgary’s director of pastoral renewal, declared during the conference that since the diocese began its renewal on Oct. 4, 2023, 48 member parishes have now established fully-fledged pastoral renewal teams and a grand total of 1,000 evangelization action items have been proposed.

The three pillars of the diocesan renewal are forming missionary disciples in Christ, being a Church of encounter and witness and strengthening family life.