Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Establishes Office for Evangelisation

Press Release : August 20, 2004
Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Establishes Office for Evangelisation

1st September 2004, will mark a new stage in the journey of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne, when Archbishop Denis Hart will establish the “Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation”. The inauguration of the Office recognises the changing circumstances in which the Catholic Church must radically proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ at the beginning of the third millennium.

The launch of the Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation responds to the invitation of Pope John Paul II to the universal Catholic Church to find fresh enthusiasm in the task of mission and evangelisation through the call to conversion, worship, teaching and witness.

The Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation will be directed by Father Greg Bennet. The Office will be of service to the priests, pastoral associates, lay ministers, parishes, communities, diocesan offices, and the faithful of the Archdiocese of Melbourne. It will be responsible for offering education, information, resources and strategies in exploring creative opportunities of bringing the hope of Jesus Christ to the world. It will serve in the formulation of goals, methods, formation, resources and enrichment to facilitate a renewed sense of witness and proclamation of the Gospel. It will assist in focussing the many and varied expressions of Catholic life with a sense of renewal, imagination and mission.

The Office will explore further the recommendations made by the Committee for Mission, and will implement strategies to actively respond to these. The current agencies of Catholic Adult Education Melbourne and the Office for Worship will work cooperatively in this new venture and will be directed by Father Bennet.

Central to the work of the Office will be a commitment to faith renewal through Scripture and theology, formation of pastoral leaders, spirituality, practical pastoral initiatives, justice and above all solidarity with the poor and most vulnerable of our society.