Catholics must be 'on fire' with faith to evangelize, says archbishop

Published: 2004-06-14

PORTLAND, Ore.(CNS) -- To be evangelizers in a secular world, Catholics need to be "on fire" with their faith, Portland Archbishop John G. Vlazny told an evangelization gathering in his diocese. More than 1,200 Catholics in western Oregon met in the sports dome at the Catholic-run University of Portland June 6 for an event called Mission 2004, aimed at setting a course of evangelization for the next three years. "We need to be set on fire if we are going to make a difference in this very secular culture," said the archbishop, whose official motto is "Go and Make Disciples." Evangelization in 2004 requires a reversal of the self-centered thinking that seems to characterize life in modern Oregon, he said. "When we leave here this afternoon, we will be entering our mission field," the archbishop said.

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