Persons, places and things: Journeying with you!

By Barb Arland-Fye
Editor

We appreciate Bishop Thomas Zinkula for going along with some of our “outside the box” requests to promote The Catholic Messenger, such as posing for the photo in this week’s issue wearing flashy 20/20 eyeglasses.

Our Diocese of Davenport is on a journey of evangelization inspired by Bishop Zinkula, “Vision 20/20: From Pentecost to Pentecost.” The New Year’s celebration eyeglasses are fun, visual props to remind us to open our eyes in new ways to embrace our Catholic faith.

The bishop, responding to the message of Pope Francis in “The Joy of the Gospel” (“Evangelii Gaudium”), calls us to “move forward and fill every heart and life with the joy of the Gospel through a fresh encounter with Jesus Christ and His Church.”

Each of us at The Catholic Messenger, this diocese’s weekly newspaper, hopes to convey the Vision 20/20 message in our work and in our lives. We provide ongoing coverage of the Vision 20/20 process, energized by our participation in the convocation held last June at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.

The Vision 20/20 Convocation provided the impetus to “Go, therefore, and make disciples” (Matt: 28), guided by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I try to respond to the nudges of the Holy Spirit that lead me to an encounter with Jesus in prayer, liturgy, sacraments and the people with whom I interact.

I asked each one on our staff to share their thoughts about what Vision 20/20 means in their work and lives.

Diocesan reporter Lindsay Steele said, “Vision 20/20 is all about accompaniment. Faith is a journey that none of us should have to travel alone. For most of us, the faith journey is much more fruitful if we have a friend to support us in the moments we feel weak and affirm us in the moments we feel strong.”

“The Catholic Messenger can be a friend on this journey,” Lindsay said. “Stories about fellow Catholics’ faith journeys can inspire us. Other stories inform us by offering a perspective on the Catholic faith that maybe we had not considered before. Above all, The Catholic Messenger reminds us that, though our paths may be different, our destination is the same. We’re all just a bunch of sinners trying to get to heaven through God’s grace.”

Assistant Editor Anne Marie Amacher said, “Informing, educating and inspiring the faithful in the Diocese of Davenport is the mission of The Catholic Messenger. We convey news and happenings of Vision 20/20 to the faithful in our diocese through stories and photos in the Messenger. We share with readers the process, from local and diocesan-wide preparation, to the convocation, to what parishes are doing to bring that vision to life. Vision 20/20 fuses what Bishop Thomas Zinkula and The Catholic Messenger are all about — informing, educating and inspiring.”

Webmaster/videographer Tony Forlini said, “The Catholic Messenger helps move Vision 20/20 forward by informing people about what is happening and inspiring them to reach out to others. By exciting others, we help them to spread the Gospel. That brings us closer to Christ and the love he wants to radiate out to us.”

Circulation/Business Office Coordinator Jill Henderson said, “As a key mission to inform the faithful within the Diocese of Davenport, The Catholic Messenger is doing just that as we share the hopes and realities of Vision 20/20. We have been there through the planning stages, to the invigorating convocation and in the parishes sharing what Catholics are doing to spread the Good News and be a light to the world.”

Advertising Representative Phil Hart said, “The biggest take away I have on Vision 20/20 is the positive energy I see generated by the process. There has been a lot of negativity concerning the Church over the last couple of decades. It’s great to see a focus on moving forward and becoming a better community.”

We look forward to continuing the Vision journey with you and our bishop, with or without the flashy 20/20 eyeglasses!

(Contact Editor Barb Arland-Fye at arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org)