Evangelium offers inspiration and encouragement
By Josh Low
Held at St Aloysius College in Huntingfield on Saturday 9 August, this year’s Evangelium Conference focused on evangelisation and the role of the faithful to bring the faith to those they encounter in everyday life.
Jonathan Doyle, an international Catholic speaker and Canberra-based author, gave the keynote addresses on the topics of, ‘Taking the Gospel to the World’ and ‘What it means to be human in the 21st century and why it matters’.
Campbell Town parishioner Henry Allanson gave a personal testimony, sharing his journey searching for the truth in various religions before coming to the conclusion that the fullness of faith is found in the Catholic Church.
Attendees also participated in workshops presented by Karen Doyle, Archdiocese of Hobart’s Director of the Office of Youth Evangelisation, Darcy Rogers, Alpha Australia’s Barb Conlon, and UTAS Campus Ministry Coordinator Daniel de la Motte.
Canberra-based musician Stephen Kirk returned again this year and guided participants in prayer and song throughout the day.
“You may not see it all the time, you may not hear it all the time, but the level of loneliness, of pain and suffering is all around us,” Jonathan told attendees.
“Why would you be remotely interested in taking the Gospel to the world? Because I would like to offer you the radical idea that the world desperately needs it, particularly things like healing and forgiveness.”
He added that every human person is innately created and ordered towards the divine.
“One of my favourite modern authors, Paul Kingsnorth, has a very powerful quote where he says this – there is a throne at the centre of the cosmos, and whatever you put on that throne, you will worship and call it God.
“The people that surround us are often placing pleasure, shopping, distraction, doom scrolling, blame, rage, alcohol, revenge or despair on the throne of their lives. Often not even remotely aware of it.
“No judgement. I know nobody’s story. But if it isn’t Christ on that throne, something is going there. As we think about taking the gospel to the world, think about it in terms of helping others come to understand fully what they are.
Referencing Pope St Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, Jonathan emphasised that Catholics and the Church have much to offer the world.
“This is a beautiful quote from Pope Paul VI – ‘Why should only falsehood and error debasement and pornography have the right to be put before people and often unfortunately imposed on them by the destructive propaganda of the mass media, by the tolerance of legislation, the timid behaviour of the good and the impudence of the wicked?’
“Think about that. Who decided that was okay? Who decided that people can’t hear about truth and beauty and goodness and compassion and forgiveness and glory?
“I don’t care how young you are or how old you are, I don’t care if you’re eight, 18 or 88. God is never finished writing your story.
“You might have a conversation [or] do something that will radically change somebody’s life before you draw your last breath. You just have to have faith.
“Without being triumphalistic or condescending, we need to remind ourselves of exactly what it is that we have to offer,” he said.
Kingston-Channel parishioner and first-time attendee, Donna MacFarlane, described the conference as ‘inspiring’ and ‘encouraging’.
“It’s the first one I’ve attended and I was really looking forward to hearing the keynote speaker Jonathan Doyle, who I’ve heard lots of positive feedback about,” she explained.
“The conference answered a lot of questions that I didn’t even know I had about the Catholic church – where we stand, where we’re heading and the hope that we have moving forward.
“Catholics coming together to share their faith, be a witness and have that fellowship is really important, and there was also so much good teaching and formation, explaining the evidence we have behind our faith,” she said.