Detroit Archbishop to Release Pastoral Letter on Saturday

Detroit archbishop Allen Vigneron will unveil his pastoral letter on the New Evangelization in the Archdiocese of Detroit, titled Unleash the Gospel, during a 7:00 p.m. Mass on Saturday, June 3 at Blessed Sacrament Cathedral. The Cathedral is located at 9844 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. The New Evangelization, first defined by St. John Paul II, is a call to all Catholics to deepen their faith, believe in the Gospel message and share that message with others.

The culmination of a years-long process of prayer, dialogue and discernment, the letter will focus on how to change the way God’s Word is shared in four distinct areas: personal life, family life, parish life (local Catholic church communities), and from the administrative staff that directly supports Archbishop Vigneron, known as Central Services. This process began in 2014 with the observance of a Year of Prayer for a New Pentecost; branding a new evangelization initiative “Unleash the Gospel”; hosting dozens of inspirational worship events called Come, Encounter Christ! at local parishes; holding discussion sessions with thousands of Catholics; and last November’s historic Synod 16 at which hundreds of clergy members, Catholic lay people, parishioners and subject matter experts gathered in downtown Detroit to advise the archbishop on how to reach their local communities in effective, modern ways with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

“Over the last three years, we, God’s family in the Church of Detroit, have already been experiencing a spiritual renewal as we have prepared and strategized for a missionary transformation of the Archdiocese,” Archbishop Vigneron writes in the letter’s introduction. “[Synod 16’s] goal was nothing less than a radical overhaul of the Church in Detroit, a complete reversal of our focus from an inward, maintenance-focused church, to an outward, mission-focused church”.

At the conclusion of the Mass, the full text of Archbishop Vigneron’s pastoral letter will be made available at www.unleashthegospel.org.

The Mass will be streamed live on the Archdiocese of Detroit’s Facebook page.Reporters, photographers and videographers are welcome to cover the Mass. Flashes and other forms of artificial lighting will not be allowed. For any questions about coverage, please call AOD Communications at (313) 237-5943 or email proffice@aod.org.