New Evangelizers

Happy New Year!  This is a promising new year ahead and even more so with the start of a new website called New Evangelizers.  Greg & Jennifer Willits from Georgia have been hard at work for many years in many forms of Catholic New Media.  They first started the Rosary Army in 2003 to show people how to make their own twine-knotted Rosaries, and help spread the faith through this simple prayer and gift to others.  They then started podcasting about Catholic family life and this grew into a collaboration with Father Vonhogen to start the Star Quest Production Network (SQPN).  Greg & Jennifer are now heard on Sirius/XM Radio with their show on The Catholic Channel called Catholics Next Door.  They now have six separate ministries that are now combined into this one website to promote what both Blessed John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI have called on all faithful — to help with The New Evangelization.  This website offers you great ideas and offers great items to give away to help promote The Catholic Faith.

Fr. Roderick Vonhogen & Greg Willits at 2011 CNMC

I first met both Father Roderick Vonhogen and Greg Willits this past October at the annual Catholic New Media Conference in Kansas City.  They are both full of energy and ideas and it is no wonder they have both become power-houses in Catholic New Media.  Greg & Jennifer Willits are an amazing couple as they live a busy life raising five children and have worked very hard to start six meaningful ministries.

New Evangelizers brings SIX ministries together under one roof:

1) New Evangelizers - New Evangelizers provides free tools and resources to help Catholics know their faith, live their faith, and share their faith more effectively to empower them to take leading roles in the New Evangelization and encourage others to do the same.

2) Rosary Army – The Rosary Army was started in 2003 and has grown into a national aspostolate that has made and given away thousands of Rosaries.  My local Secular Franciscan Order has recently begun to make our own Crown Rosaries to pray and give away.  The materials are easy and inexpensive to get from suppliers on the website, and the handouts and videos make them easy to produce.  Pictured below is the first Franciscan Crown Rosary made by one of our members.  Note the Franciscan Rosary has seven decades and also two additional Hail Marys to represent the 72 years that Mary lived on earth.  Guide for praying a Franciscan Crown Rosary.

7-Decade Franciscan Crown Rosary

3) Catholics Next Door – Is a great radio show on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio from 1-4pm on the weekdays and highlights on the weekends.  Greg and Jennifer have a lively show with guests, call-ins, and games with listeners who are funny,  friendly, and inspirational to their audience.

4) That Catholic Show – This is a DVD series that offers a light-hearted catechism in video  form hosted by Jennifer Willits.  There are currently nine episodes available on a FREE DVD and more available for evangelization with FREE shipping.  Check out their latest video below about the New Evangelization.

5) Total Consecration – The Total Consecration to Jesus through Mary is a 33-Day faith-filled experience started by Saint Louis-Marie Grognion de Montfort.   I can attest that this is a wonderful set of prayers with the daily rosary that will bring you closer to your faith.  I also wrote about this in a previous blog Our Lady of the Rosary.

6) Promote Catholicism – Greg Willits began a Facebook Page last year requesting that people send in their favorite Catholic New Media.  It was a huge success that produced a comprehensive list including:  290 blogs, 88 podcasts, 199 websites, 77 facebook pages, 42 print and/or online magazines and news sources, 43 Apps, 171 books, 26 companies, 30 music sites and/or musicians, 57 channels/stations/shows, and 75 additional miscellanea including cool Catholic folks to follow on Twitter, cool Catholic things to see on Youtube and other assorted Catholic coolness.   Greg is tentatively scheduled to have another Promote Catholicism Day on March 15, 2012 which should make this list grow even larger.  At least one larger, as my blog did not start until May 2011 and I definitely be submitting the Call To Holiness Blog.

Congratulations to Greg & Jennifer Willits and all the New Evangelizing Team for putting together a great resource that will help many faithful to heed the call to holiness and new evangelization.  I pray that all six ministries will bear fruit for years to come.

LINKS

New Evangelizers website

Promote Catholicism 2011 Listings

Sirius/XM Radio Catholic Channel website

Star Quest Production Network (SQPN)