Encountering Christ in the Heart of Parish Life

This article was originally shared as a talk at the Synod on Evangelization and Vocations, Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.

Good evening, everyone.

It is a joy and an honor to be with you as we journey through this important Synod together. As you heard, my name is Deb McManimon, and I serve with St. Paul Street Evangelization—a lay apostolate focused on helping everyday Catholics share the love and truth of Jesus in simple, personal ways.

As we begin this session on “Encountering Christ,” I invite you to call to mind some of the scripture passages in the Synod packet.

Let’s start with reflecting on the passage of the disciples on the road to Emmaus:

Were not our hearts burning within us while He spoke to us on the way?
Luke 24:32

That moment of encounter with the risen Jesus changed everything. And that’s what we’re seeking together in this synod—not just programs or policies, but the kind of deep, personal, and transformative encounters that set hearts on fire.

If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I would ever be talking about my faith in public (on the street or in other conversations), I’d have said you were crazy—my faith is private. But it’s not: we’re called by our baptism to share the Good News. I attended a training, received helpful tools and have been on the most amazing journey since. I tell people that I’m living the Joy of the Gospel.

In the document On Evangelization in the Modern World, Saint Pope Paul VI declared that the Church “exists in order to evangelize.” Bishop Barron echoes that when he tells us that evangelization isn’t a strategy—it’s the lifeblood of the Church. A vibrant parish isn’t just a building or a schedule of events. It’s a spiritual home and a missionary outpost, where Christ is encountered, loved, and proclaimed.

Our parishes should be places:

Where people are welcomed

Where beauty and reverence awaken the soul

And where parish leadership models holiness, hospitality, humility, and hope.

Encounter is the starting point for both evangelization and vocations.

What would we look like as a church if we were out in the world—always on the lookout to Listen, Befriend, Proclaim, and Invite? Think about that as we journey in this synod.

A Welcoming Parish Life

What makes a parish a place of encounter? One way is to have a welcoming parish life.

In Acts 2:42 we read,

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship.

The synod survey revealed that while many parishioners feel spiritually nourished by the Eucharist, some still long for a deeper connection in the community. Welcoming environments matter. Hospitality is not optional—it is evangelical. When we are on the street with our teams, our goal is to be a bridge from the street to the parish, but not all parishes are ready to welcome the stranger and minister to the wounded. I’ll give you a couple of real examples of negative encounters that happened in parishes.

Recently, someone shared with me that they witnessed two different families who came into a beautiful Cathedral. The people were overcome with a feeling of reverence and awe. The first family walked around, absorbed in the beauty and wandered too close to a restricted area. A staff person hurried over, reprimanded them, and shooed them away—they left the Cathedral. A few minutes later, the same thing happened to another family and they, too, left after being shooed—do you think these families will come back?

In another example, a friend of mine, Adam, was working at his church—walking through the building—and a man with tattoos was standing in the narthex, staring at the crucifix behind the altar. Adam said “hello” in a friendly greeting. The man said, “Sorry, I’ll leave.” Adam said, “Please don’t; you’re more than welcome here.” The man replied. “That’s okay, I know I am going to hell.” Adam said, “What makes you think you are going to hell?” The man replied that he went into a Catholic church previously because he felt a need for God in his life, and a woman who worked there approached him as he sat in a pew trying to figure out how to talk to God. The woman said, “Excuse me, I see you have tattoos. I don’t think you belong here.” And so, he left. Adam, of course, ministered to him from that point.

Definitely not hospitable, holy, or hopeful; and unfortunately, it happens more often than it should.

How do we change? The Synod gives us an opportunity to refocus on Jesus and his Church. From the Synod proposals, we are invited to:

Design gathering spaces that promote fellowship

Intentionally create a culture of invitation, hospitality, and healing

And prioritize regularly receiving the Sacraments—not just before Easter or Christmas.

I’ve seen firsthand the power of welcome in evangelization. Sometimes, a smile at the door, a listening ear, or a personal invitation to a small group or ministry, becomes the moment someone begins to open their heart to Christ. As Mother Teresa said, “Evangelization means you have Jesus in your heart, and you bring Him to the hearts of others.”

Sacredness in Worship and Space

A second way parishes can be places of Encounter is sacredness in worship and space.

Genesis 28:17 says,

This is none other than the house of God, the gate of heaven.

People are hungry for awe, for a sense that something sacred is happening at Mass. The proposals from our synod participants invite us to:

Offer frequent Eucharistic Adoration,

Teach about the Mass—silence, preparation, reverence,

Restore sacred art and music that lifts voices and hearts to God,

And form our priests to preach with clarity and compassion.

Reverence draws people to Christ. When the Mass is celebrated with beauty and intentionality, it becomes a moment of real encounter. How do our spaces look, how are people treated, how is participation encouraged, who has power—and who doesn’t?

Leadership & Formation

A third way is leadership and formation.

Parish leaders—both clergy and lay—have a critical role.

The question we must ask is: Are our leaders living lives of encounter with Christ? Are they being formed not just to manage a parish, but to be missionary disciples who inspire others to follow Jesus? Our leaders need to be servants—first of the Lord, then to those coming to our parishes/mass.

Evangelization isn’t the job of a small committee—it’s the vocation of every baptized person. And leaders set the tone. When they are formed in prayer, relationship, and mission, others will follow.

In my work, I’ve seen how just one trained lay leader can spark a movement of renewal in a parish. The impact only multiplies.

As we begin our small group conversations, I invite you to reflect on these guiding questions from the Synod document:

How can our parish environments—our spaces and our people—better invite others into encountering Christ and forming deeper relationships within the Church?

How can we cultivate a greater sense of sacredness in our parishes so that people encounter the divine and are drawn to deeper conversion through Jesus?

Let these questions sit in your hearts as we speak and listen to each other tonight.

This Synod is a sacred opportunity. It’s a time of listening, yes—but also a time of hope. The Holy Spirit is present here. We are not starting from scratch—Christ is already working.

Let’s open wide the doors of our parishes, our homes, and our hearts.

Let us be a Church where people truly encounter Christ—and where that encounter sets everything in motion: deeper faith, stronger vocations, and a Church alive with the joy of the Gospel.

Thank you and may the Holy Spirit guide us all during this Synod.