New evangelization: An approach to re-awaken the response of christians towards catholic church obligations in Narozari Parish in Light of Ad Gentes Divinitus

Abstract

Having been divinely sent to the nations that she might be the universal sacrament of salvation, the Church, in obedience to the command of the founder (Matt. 28:19-20, Mk. 16:15) and because it is demanded by Her essential universality, strives to preach the gospel to all men (AG, 1). All Christians by the example of their lives and the witness of the word, wherever they live, have an obligation to manifest Christ whom they put on in baptism (AG, 11). In their life of witness, which is their peculiar way of participation in the Church’s divine mission, the laity are bound to maintain their unity and fidelity to the Church’s religious, moral and legal standards. For that matter the Church, through her wisdom, put forth imperatives to help the Christians model their lives to Christ’s. However many Christians have completely neglected their Church duties; majority of Catholics no longer attend to Sundays and Holy Days of obligation, many have abandoned their duty to support the needs of the Church and of the priests, there is a great decline in the reception of sacraments more so the Eucharist and Penance. Such state of affairs clearly shows that there is a loophole in the Church’s work of evangelization. It creates a gap and urgent need for a solution, which the researcher thought to arrive at through a new mode of evangelization. The researcher therefore sought to find out whether New Evangelization is a competent approach to re-awaken the response of Christians to their Church obligations in Narozari Parish. In doing this, the researcher was guided by three specific objectives: to establish the necessity of New Evangelization in the re-awakening of the sense of faith among Christians; to establish the causes of the failed Christian response to their Church Obligations; and to suggest possible stimulants of Christian response to their Church Obligations. The research employed the descriptive research design to probe into the problem, and through questionnaires, interview guides and observation of several groups of people, information was sourced. The researcher found out that; inadequate catechesis, social-economic factors like poverty, Christian indifference, ignorance, and misconception of Christian obligations, are some of the reasons why many Christians neglect their Church Obligations. The researcher recommended that the above loopholes can be solved by: strengthening and updating catechetical methods; consolidating the family apostolate; strengthening Small Christian Communities; involving Catholic youth through dialogue and cooperation; regulating lay associations and movements; and through routine pastoral evaluation programs at diocesan and parish levels.