Lay minister sows evangelization seeds

Filling the new staff position of ministries assistant, Mr. Margiotta assumed his part-time responsibilities after retiring from a 35-year career with the State of New York. His main task is the evangelization of Catholics who have, for whatever reason, stopped participating in the sacraments.

"Our idea is to invite and challenge people to live out their baptismal call, but not to force anyone to come back to church," he said. "We encourage them to express their faith and to participate in the life of our community."

Lay ministry

He is currently enrolled in a program sponsored by the diocesan Office of Evangelization and Catechesis titled, "Becoming a Minister of Faith Formation." The program consists of 10 one-day sessions held on a monthly basis. Each session teaches a different aspect of faith formation.

Once the course has been completed, the student is equipped to direct a faith formation program in a parish.

Connections

"When we prepare unchurched parents for the Baptism of their newborn child, we often find that they are open and willing to be challenged regarding their own faith," he told The Evangelist. "We explain that the baptismal call to faith includes not just receiving the sacrament but also living it on a day-to-day basis. We ask the parents to become disciples and to live that discipleship as examples for their child."

Another area where Mr. Margiotta sees opportunity for evangelization is counseling engaged couples before they celebrate the sacrament of marriage.

"My wife Karen, the pastor and I usually meet with the couple and stress the importance of the covenant that they are about to enter into," he said. "Although we do not have any mentor couples at the present time to walk with those who intend marriage, we are looking for couples to participate in this ministry. By witnessing solid marriages between people who are committed to each other, those who plan marriage can begin their own commitment with a solid base, rooted in faith."

Inspiring the laity

"I believe in collaborative ministry," he noted. "I will let a person go as far as he or she wants to within a ministry, as long as it falls within the scope of what the parish wants done. It is important for some to feel that they are in charge, and for others that there are people who will support them and encourage them in their efforts.

"Although I am a general faith formation minister, I can (and do) often concentrate on specific areas where I feel evangelization can be effective."

Evangelizing

Catechumens come to the program without having received Baptism and Eucharist. Mr. Margiotta tells them that in receiving these sacraments, they are responding to God's call to Christian witness. But receiving them is not the end of their journey into Catholicism; rather, it is the beginning.

"The challenge for Christians today is to live out their faith through ministry and service to their community," he said. "While they receive the sacraments for spiritual nourishment, it is important that they do not feel they must receive them from an outdated sense of obligation."

Mr. Margiotta also sees an avenue for evangelization in the parish's bereavement program.

"About a month after the death of a parishioner, I write a letter to the surviving members of the deceased's family," he explained. "I ask if they would like a visit from me. Some respond positively; but especially with the elderly, it can be difficult. According to pre-Vatican II tradition, they are expecting a priest to visit them, not a lay minister. But this is a time when evangelization can be very effective."

Much to do

"When you speak to people about their faith and the possibility of their returning to the Church," he noted, "you must invite them and challenge them, but not force them to do what they feel uncomfortable with. You don't know if or how you are reaching them, but you have to try.

"Sometimes, you can see the results of your efforts, even though it may take months. And, sometimes, you just don't know. However, this is a developing ministry. At some time in the future, it may be very different."

Right now, he is busy sowing seeds.

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