The Mission Launch Continues

By SUSAN WINDLEY-DAOUST

June 2, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, launched the third and final “year” of the Eucharistic Revival, the “year of mission.” My colleague in the Pastoral Center, Peter Martin, mentioned that we really ought to be calling it a launch rather than a year, and I think he is right. Mission, being sent, is our life in Christ. It is our baptismal call. It is our daily charge.

Seven years ago, the diocese introduced this office I have been privileged to inhabit, Missionary Discipleship. The phrase begins with mission, and carries through the ongoing walk of discipleship: following Christ in his mission to share the good news with the whole world. A few weeks ago, I made the hard decision to end my work as Director of Missionary Discipleship, and the diocese is currently hiring a Director of Evangelization (name change, but the same work!). Stay tuned!

What I will remember is the people I met: farmers, immigrants, world-renowned doctors, teachers, parish staff from pastors to DREs to custodians who helped me figure out the tech in each parish (because each one was entirely different!). I have loved every minute I have been on the road and in parishes, listening, educating, praying, and working to create parishes that thrive and are eager to share the good news. Has it been easy? No. Has it been worth it? Absolutely.

And the healing ministries we were able to introduce, through your hard work: There is nothing like being at an Unbound conference, talking to people in Catholic in Recovery, hearing from Trauma Reboot leaders, leading a forgiveness retreat where people come up and say “this really just changed my life! God is so good!” Really, what could be better than that?

But the mission in my own life is not a “year of mission,” or “seven years of mission”- I’m still baptized, and still in launch, thanks be to God. Starting mid-July I will be the executive director of The Mark 5:19 Project, a new nonprofit Catholic apostolate dedicated to fostering apostolic, thriving parishes through consulting, speaking, and education. We’re working primarily in the Upper Midwest, and I believe nothing is more effective in bringing forth the fruits of evangelization than working at the most local levels: the family, and then the parishes. It’s exciting, and I am eager to work with others to turn this “rise of the nones” into the rise of the sons and daughters of God. This mission launch of the Eucharistic Revival is one of those opportune moments of grace, if we choose to cooperate with God. My new position helps me lean into this moment of grace offering the work for which I have the greatest gifts.

Best news for me: I’m still in the diocese, living in Winona, working with local parishes here and in other bordering dioceses. And involved in some ministries I love, so I will get to see many of you in the future!

If you want to continue reading my writing, or seeing what I am up to, you can find The Mark 5:19 Project here: mark519project.org, and you can subscribe to the newsletter. Please pray for me and I will pray for you! I look forward to continuing to work, alongside the diocese in a different venue, for the evangelization of all the broken in southern Minnesota. That is me, that is you, and that is so many who we have not yet invited to the Lord’s Church. We’ve been given words of hope, so let’s go be his witnesses, friends. And God bless you.