Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte released a widely anticipated pastoral message focusing on the call to evangelization. The video message, intended to be shown at all weekend Masses, urged the nearly 600,000 Catholics in the region to commit to proclaiming the Gospel. The message did not reference recent controversies surrounding proposed liturgical and formation changes within the diocese. Bishop Martin outlined a three-point vision for the future: forming missionary disciples, becoming the family of God, and going out to proclaim the Gospel. The action steps for this vision are largely drawn from Pope Francis’ 2013 apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium.
21 days ago
Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte released a video pastoral message on February 14, 2026, titled “Everyone so Loves Jesus, We Share him with Others.”1
The message, intended for screening at all weekend Masses during the homily, presents a “pastoral vision” for the diocese's nearly 600,000 Catholics, emphasizing evangelization 20 months after Martin's installation.1
Martin envisions a future where Catholics love Jesus so deeply they share him with others.1
He outlines three action steps drawn from Pope Francis' Evangelii Gaudium: form missionary disciples, become the family of God, and go out to proclaim the Gospel.1
Two-thirds of Catholics do not practice regularly, prompting a need to rethink catechetical and sacramental formation.1
Martin distinguishes believers from disciples using a sports analogy: fans versus players, urging Catholics to bring Jesus into daily life without traveling afar.1
Parishes should foster intimate family bonds through forgiveness and service, not just receiving.1
Homes must be the primary place of holiness, shared at church, inverting typical expectations.1
Disciples must share the Gospel like cashing a winning lottery ticket, spreading unconditional love and salvation from sin.1
True joy comes from both hearing and sharing the message, mirroring Jesus' mission.1
The message followed social media buzz and a February 5 memo to priests, with password-protected release fueling speculation of major announcements.1
It avoids recent controversies, including liturgical changes like banning altar rails, priestly formation shifts, and a priest reassignment amid abuse allegations.1
Martin promises more details on the vision, possibly linking to a $150 million capital campaign.1
He entrusts the effort to Mary, the first missionary disciple, calling for a collective "yes."1
Evangelization as a core mission: Catholic Church’s pastoral priorities
Evangelization stands at the heart of the Catholic Church's mission, defined as its deepest identity and essential vocation, calling every member to proclaim Jesus Christ with renewed ardor amid contemporary challenges. Drawing from papal teachings and conciliar documents, this analysis explores how evangelization integrates proclamation, witness, and social transformation as top pastoral priorities, urging a Church that goes forth dynamically without altering the Gospel's unchanging truth.
The Catholic Church exists to evangelize, a truth echoed across magisterial teachings as her "grace and vocation proper," her "deepest identity." Pope Paul VI articulated this in Evangelii Nuntiandi, stating that "the task of evangelizing all people constitutes the essential mission of the Church," a foundation reaffirmed by Vatican II's Ad Gentes, which declares the Church "by its very nature missionary" with an obligation to proclaim faith and salvation in Christ. Pope John Paul II extended this, describing evangelization as "the core of the Church's activity in the world," her greatest challenge and calling, prolonging Christ's own mission as evangelizer. This priority permeates pastoral efforts, from local parishes to global synods, positioning evangelization not as one activity among many but as the source animating all others, including catechesis, charity, and ecumenism.
Pope Francis builds on this legacy, emphasizing that the "joy of the Gospel springs from the encounter with Jesus," transforming lives and igniting an irrepressible need to proclaim Him. In Evangelii Gaudium, he warns against partial definitions that risk distorting evangelization's richness, insisting it makes God's kingdom present in the world through integral human promotion. Thus, pastoral plans must prioritize this kerygma—the proclamation of Christ's Paschal Mystery—as the "vital core," ensuring no effort in education, family life, or social justice strays from this foundation.
Facing secularization, consumerism, and cultural shifts, the Church calls for a "new evangelization"—new in ardor, methods, and expression, yet identical in content to the original Gospel. John Paul II first popularized the term during his 1992 visit to Latin America, later elaborating in Ecclesia in America that amid the "new and unique situation" at the millennium's threshold, the Church requires a program centered on "a clear and unequivocal proclamation of the person of Jesus Christ," preaching His name, teaching, life, promises, and Kingdom won through His Paschal Mystery. Benedict XVI formalized this by establishing the Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization, underscoring its roots in Paul VI and Vatican II.
This "newness" responds to baptized yet unchurched societies, moral indifference, declining practice, and globalization's wounds, demanding creative approaches like enquiry centers and cultural engagement. Pope Francis reinforces this, urging ecclesial movements to coordinate in countering consumerism's neglect of God and essential values, through missionary conversion rooted in Gospel joy. Pastoral priorities thus include fostering "a return to the sense of the sacred" and awareness of God's centrality, especially in regions with Christian heritage eroded by unbelief, divorce, and abortion. In conflict zones like Colombia, evangelization prioritizes peace, reconciliation, and a culture of life over violence, building society on truth, justice, love, and freedom.
Effective evangelization integrates proclamation as its "foundation, core, and summit," alongside solidarity, dialogue, witness, and cultural transformation. It involves the whole evangelizer—words, actions, life—aiming to transform humanity with Gospel power. Central is announcing Jesus as Son of God, offering salvation as God's merciful gift. Pope Francis illustrates this through Mary Magdalene's encounter with the Risen Lord, whose joy overflows into witness: "I have seen the Lord!" Evangelizers act as "angels in the flesh," sharing life's questions like "Whom are you seeking?" to reveal the God of love amid indifference and loneliness.
Joy sustains this zeal: "Our infinite sadness can only be cured by an infinite love," responding to hearts' deepest yearnings for truth about God, humanity, sin, and liberation. Examples abound, from Saint Kateri Tekakwitha, who received faith "in dialect" from her Christian mother and lived apostolic zeal through prayer and service, to early Christians undeterred by persecution. Pastoral priorities emphasize simplicity, walking as companions without excluding strugglers, embracing weakness where God's grace shines (2 Cor 12:9), and invoking the Holy Spirit for missionary ardor. In Japan and Canada, bishops are urged to prioritize Gospel announcement, Catholic education, parish vitality, and family dignity.
Across continents, evangelization shapes local priorities. In Oceania, it combats secular outlooks via renewed sacred sense and outreach to the unaffiliated. In Japan, it targets society and culture under evangelization's sign. For Colombia, it fosters forgiveness amid civil war, honoring martyrs like Archbishop Isaías Duarte. Globally, movements and communities must maintain charisms, respect freedom, and pursue communion through joyful proclamation. These efforts confirm God's action even in setbacks, rejecting defeatism for Christian hope and pain without soul-deep sadness.
In summary, evangelization remains the Church's pastoral pinnacle, demanding bold proclamation of Christ, joyful witness, and contextual adaptation to heal modern wounds, ensuring fidelity to her missionary nature for true renewal.