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July/August 2008 Issue
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to Feature Articles
Father Mark-David Janus chosen to
lead the diocesan mission of evangelization
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The
Paulist Fathers and the Diocese of Grand Rapids recently
celebrated 60 years of ministering in partnership with
each other. Reverend Dr. Mark-David Janus, CSP is a
descendant of that long heritage. Father Janus who has
served as the Catholic Information Center director for
the past five years, this month begins his tenure as
the rector of the Cathedral of Saint Andrew. |
He
was preceded in this position by Reverend Steven D. Cron who
begins his appointment as pastor of St. Joseph the Worker Parish,
Wyoming, in July. Father
Janus, a native of upstate New York, did not initially aspire
to be a priest, but instead was looking forward to a career
in medicine. However, after graduating magna cum laude from
St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York, he was drawn
to the church. "I grew up during an era of the civil rights
movement and the Vietnam War when the clergy was central to
bringing God's values to society," he said. "I always, from
a distance, admired those who were selfless servants of God.
After college, I thought to myself, let me check this out and
give it a try. I became increasingly convinced that the Holy
Spirit was leading me to the Paulist life. What I discovered
was that I was happy with what I was doing." Father Janus received
his master's in theology from Catholic University of America
in 1978 Father Mark-David begins his day at the Cathedral of
Saint Andrew residence. and was ordained to the priesthood on
May 19, 1979 at St. Paul the Apostle Church in New York City
by Terrence Cardinal Cooke. He earned his doctorate in clinical
psychology from the University of Connecticut in 1992.
He has authored numerous books, articles and
professional presentations in child and adolescent psychology,
focusing on the clinical assessment and treatment of trauma.
He has particular interest in the inter-relationship between
psychological science and faith. This interest is reflected
in his current presentations on the role and influence of
emotions and the spiritual life and the particular spiritual
challenges experienced by people who suffer from depression
and anxiety disorders. An avid golfer, Father Janus enjoys
sports, including basketball, particularly UConn basketball
and hockey, which he once played himself. He is also passionately
fond of the performing and visual arts. Renewing the commitment
to evangelization Beginning with Vatican II in the 1960s,
and followed by Pope Paul VI, Pope John Paul II and now Pope
Benedict XVI, Catholic Church leadership has stressed the
need for a renewed commitment to evangelization efforts.
Father Janus looks forward to his role in
the Paulists' expanded responsibilities for evangelization
in the diocese. "Pope Paul VI said the primary mission of
the church is evangelization. And with the creation of Cathedral
Square, Bishop Hurley is placing evangelization at the center
of the mission of the diocese and focusing many of its resources
on spreading the good news about Jesus Christ," said Father
Janus. "Our (the Paulists at Cathedral of Saint Andrew) primary
goals will be to fill Catholics with a zeal for their faith,
to share that faith, to reach out to those who are unchurched,
and to help Christians work with each other." Formally known
as the Missionary Society of St. Paul the Apostle, the Paulist
Fathers who are based in New York, NY, were founded in 1858
by Father Isaac Thomas Hecker. They were the first religious
congregation of Roman Catholic men established in the United
States. Preaching the Gospel to those who have not heard it,
is one of the Paulists' three main goals.
Reconciliation and ecumenism are the other
two. "Within our Paulist history and tradition, our charism
lies in awakening seekers to the love of Jesus Christ," Father
Janus said. "In service to the wider church and in a spirit
of collaboration, we call and form disciples in mission who
invite others through proclamation and witness to share in
the rich Catholic tradition." In an effort to preach the Gospel
in new ways and in new forms, so those with deep spiritual
longings might find fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the Paulists,
throughout their history have embraced contemporary forms
of communication, from printing presses to the Internet. Father
Janus notes that by partnering with the Cathedral and the
diocese, the Paulists will be able to expand evangelization
efforts diocesan-wide and concentrate on reconciliation, ecumenical
dialogue and interfaith relations, which are hallmarks of
the Catholic Information Center, a ministry of the Paulist
Fathers in the diocese. "The two congregations, the Catholic
Information Center and Cathedral of Saint Andrew have accepted
the call to join together, in discipleship for the Lord Jesus,
to provide a stronger, deeper presence in downtown Grand Rapids
and beyond. The outcome of that call will be exciting," said
Father Janus. The Cathedral now consists of over 600 registered
families.
The Cathedral of Saint Andrew was established
one hundred and twenty five years ago in downtown Grand Rapids,
where it continues to maintain an important role as the Mother
Church of the diocese. Expanding the Cathedral's ministry
will require additional support, and means that Father Janus
will be joined in service to the Cathedral by two other Paulist
Fathers, one of whom will be fluent in Spanish. Ultimately,
the diocese will be served by a total of six Paulist Fathers
living at the Cathedral residence. One of the results will
be increased accessibility to the Cathedral of Saint Andrew
with Mass and reconciliation being offered twice daily during
the week beginning in July. Evangelism at megabytes per second
The initiative for strengthened and expanded evangelization
efforts in the diocese truly began prior to last year during
discussions between the diocese and the Paulist Fathers.
The outgrowth of those discussions resulted
first in the establishment in April 2007 of St. Luke University
Parish in Allendale which is served by Reverend Brad Schoeberle,
CSP, pastor, and Reverend Donald Andrie, CSP, associate pastor.
Father Andrie also has chaplaincy responsibilities to Grand
Valley State University. The initiative further involves relocating
the Catholic Information Center and its programs from the
Ionia Street address to the new Cathedral Square Center this
summer. The Catholic Information Center's programs are intended
for adult Catholics who want to learn more about and deepen
their faith, as well as individuals who are unchurched and
seeking spiritual support and those who have been estranged
from the church and are seeking healing. Father Janus is particularly
enthusiastic about the technology in place at the Cathedral
Square Center which will allow the programs of the Catholic
Information Center to be consolidated, improved and more accessible
to all in the diocese.
"There are going to be so many ways to spread
the word of Jesus Christ," said Father Janus. "The technology
that we now have gives us the ability to reach all corners
of the diocese and provide a faith formation experience to
anyone who seeks it. "It is a new form of mission for us,"
Father Janus continued. "Sometimes people don't have the flexibility
to come to Cathedral Square in downtown Grand Rapids for their
faith formation experience. However, they might have 10 or
15 minutes a day to study a portion of the Holy Father's encyclicals.
For others, say it is 10:30 at night and they just put the
kids to bed, and they want to listen to 15 minutes from the
Gospel of Matthew; they can just click on the computer and
do that." By offering online classes, streaming video, podcasts
and other methods of information through the Internet, the
diocese's evangelization efforts will not only touch those
searching for a faith home, but will also be available to
those in outlying locations of the diocese, Father Janus said.
"In addition to reaching out to the other
counties of the diocese, because of the tremendous technological
advances that are present here, we can also reach people when
they move to town, or people who are visiting through the
convention center, or people who are thinking of moving to
Grand Rapids and are interested in discovering a faith home
for themselves - this will be a place for them," he said.
"We are going to provide practical and user-friendly resources
to the diocese, parishes and individuals, helping them bring
the good news of Jesus Christ to anyone, anywhere, at anytime.
There are enormous possibilities here."
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