The new evangelization comes to Chicago!
Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago, announced today that Fr. Robert Barron, widely known as founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, will become the Rector/President of Mundelein Seminary and it’s mother institution, the University of St. Mary of the Lake.
Fr. Barron has become a household name not only to CMR readers, but around the world with his ten-part series, Catholicism, as well as his YouTube videos, articles and books. A scholar, preacher, teacher and unapologetic advocate of the New Evangelization, Fr. Barron speaks often that Catholics should be “happy warriors” for the Faith.
According to a statement released on the Word on Fire web page, his appointment will take effect on July 1, 2012, succeeding Msgr. Dennis Lyle, who has served as Rector/President for the last six years.
May 10, 2012 at 11:41 pm
God is good
May 10, 2012 at 11:50 pm
It is sad to take him out of the classroom. Teaching is his strength.
May 11, 2012 at 12:35 am
prayers for Fr Barron!
May 11, 2012 at 1:16 am
The new evangelization comes to Chicago!
What was wrong with the old evangelization?
May 11, 2012 at 2:07 am
Yeah, I'm not convinced of Fr. Barron's traditional leanings, myself. I hope I'm wrong. I sure didn't know that he showed any kind of support or sympathy for the heretic nuns. I'll have to look into that further.
May 11, 2012 at 3:25 am
What is the new evangelization anyway? Having "new" in front of something seems to mean every sort of fresh hell disguised as an old verity.
Let's hope it just means giving someone the Baltimore Catechism on an iPad. Probably not.
May 11, 2012 at 3:42 am
God bless Father Barron always. He is really fantastic. I hope that what have been mentioned about him and LCWR isn't true, it can be really disapointing.
I will see.
I pray for him.
May 11, 2012 at 4:58 am
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May 11, 2012 at 7:34 am
OK, anonymous, what's so "new" about it?
Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. So is the Gospel.
May 11, 2012 at 11:00 am
The "New Evangelization" – a term coined by John Paul II – isn't opposed to or a replacement of the "old evangelization", but it's simply an evangelization of the members of the Catholic Church who have either fallen away or are in the process of doing so. No need for the edginess.
May 11, 2012 at 2:52 pm
Don't worry about explaining anything to J D'H – He's being deliberately obtuse, he knows the term as a blogger and commenter for YEARS.
I hope this doesn't tie Fr. B down, he is very effective as a speaker and presenter.
May 11, 2012 at 3:01 pm
The most insightful description I've heard of old vs new evangelization is this:
Old evangelization: Much like a young man trying to woo a young woman so that she will see him as a man she wants to marry.
New evangelization: Much like a man who is either separated or divorced from his wife, and is trying to win her back, to show her that he genuninely loves her.
-Mark
May 11, 2012 at 3:53 pm
So the new rector of a supposedly orthodox seminary makes a video series which denies the historicity of Adam, and still gets the job.
Springtime.
May 11, 2012 at 6:09 pm
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May 11, 2012 at 9:59 pm
Does anyone know what type of seminary this is. Is it one that suffers from the "lavender" problem. And if so, is Father Barron being sent in to sort things out?
May 12, 2012 at 6:23 am
To the bigot who asked about the "lavender" problem: for those of you who dont know th term it means HOMOSEXUAL. And the only problem I would see is if there was an active HOMOSEXUAL lifestyle and those seminarians should be removed. The Church teaches us that we are not to discriminate against homosexuals and anonymous bigotted remarks like this one call for a need to seek forgiveness. I assure you there are gay seminarians and gay priests at Mundelein. My prayer is that they are chaste, holy men, who compels others to lead a Christ centerd and focused life. Period.
May 12, 2012 at 11:27 am
I am so glad to hear this good news about Fr. Barron being named rector of Mundelein Seminary. I have read all (ALL) of his books and have shown CATHOLICISM to a parish where we had a great turn-out. It is a wonderful tool for presenting the Catholic faith. Fr. Barron says he wants to introduce the image of the priest as the "soul doctor," that is, to help people get get in touch with the mystery of God so as not to get hooked on "errant desire." He sees the priest working to help people become transformed in Christ. He wants to overcome both clericalism and mediocrity in the priesthood, functionalism, and "beige" Catholicism in favor of developing priestly vocations of men with great souls who can be soul doctors and help people get in touch with the sacred. He wants to form priests who will know how to make the sacraments "speak" to people. Celibacy: "The mark of a soul in love." Lay people have work to do that is as important as the priesthood, but in a different sphere–as good Catholic lawyers, doctors, plumbers, mothers, fathers, etc. The divisions between clerical and lay have to be set aside–there is plenty of work to do for everyone. Amen.
May 12, 2012 at 2:17 pm
I am stunned that Cardinal George actually appointed a good priest to this position! I guess Fr. Michael Phleger wasn't available. But wait until Fr. Barron starts weeding out the heresy and demanding that Catholic teaching be upheld. There will be open revolt, the newspapers and the TV media will call Fr. Barron a mean, tyranical despot. Cardinal George will cave in like he always does and another pro gay, pro abortion, anti Catholic priest will be put in charge again.
May 12, 2012 at 3:00 pm
Mr. DeLano,
Thank you, someone had to put things in perspective. It is a sad statement on the state of the church and her pastors that Fr. Barron (his disbelief in the historicity of Adam is only one of his errors) is considered to be a light of orthodoxy.
Indeed, he is likely more orthodox in his beliefs than many but still….(insert heavy sigh)
That being said, he seems to mean well and I do wish him the best and will pray for him in his new position.
May 12, 2012 at 4:16 pm
From what I've seen of Fr. Barron, his explanations of Catholic beliefs are not doctrinally sound. His new position is proof of this. We're living in a time when priests who are 100 percent faithful to the Pope and the Magesterium are run out of town – not charged with cleaning up a seminary.
Wasn't Mundelein featured in the notorious "Goodbye Good Men" as being filthy with the homosexual agenda? Yet, Fr. Barron was on EWTN last year singing it's praises as though it had been a beacon of orthodoxy since its foundation. That was very insulting and suspicious and yet now it makes sense.
May 12, 2012 at 4:19 pm
To the person nonsensically calling another commenter a BIGOT: You should familiarize yourself with the Pope and his declarations. He has stated clearly that homosexuals are not to be admitted to the seminary.